Dill | Rye spice | Orange zest | Clove | Leather | Interesting

Citrus | Caramel | Black pepper | Rye spice | Gin-like quality | Unique

Rye spice transitions to brown sugar sweetness | Medium length | Well done

Redwood Empire immediately feels like a company you want to root for. Their distillery was built in an old apple processing plant and is located in the small town of Graton, in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California. For every bottle sold, the company plants a tree, which according to their website is at 225,415 trees at the time of this writing.

Drinking this whiskey I kept thinking, is this the new...old High West? A blend of bourbon and rye, Lost Monarch offers an usual range of bourbon and rye flavors. With a light gin-like quality, the taste reminds me of older High West releases and leans in more towards the rye flavor profile. Exploring further and learning the blend contains bourbon ranging from 4 to 12 years old along with rye ranging from 3 to 5 years old solidified that thought. At $35, it’s a no-brainer, buy it and try it before the price goes up or the blend changes.