Redwood Empire the Lost Monarch

The Lost Monarch is a bourbon from Redwood Empire. Because it is labeled bourbon, it follows the category's rules: a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn, aged in new charred oak. That combination is where the style's familiar character comes from. Expect a corn-driven sweetness leaning toward caramel and brown sugar, vanilla and toasted oak from the barrel, and a touch of baking spice from the rye or malted barley that usually fills out the grain bill. Bourbons in this style often finish with a short char or light pepper note. Exact proof, age and flavor details aren't listed here, so check the bottle label for those. For a first pour, try it neat in a Glencairn glass. The tapered bowl concentrates the aroma, which is the quickest way to find out where this bottle sits between sweet and spicy. Give it a minute in the glass, then sip. If the alcohol feels sharp or the aroma is muted, a few drops of room-temperature water will usually open it up and release more of the vanilla and oak. A single large ice cube in a rocks glass is the better choice for slower sipping, since it chills the bourbon with little dilution and softens the heat. In cocktails, a bourbon of this style does its best work where sweetness and oak are wanted. An Old Fashioned is the clearest test: a sugar cube or a teaspoon of rich syrup, two or three dashes of Angostura, and an orange peel expressed over the glass. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth and bitters turns the grain sweetness into something rounder and darker. For a Whiskey Sour, shake two ounces of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, and the vanilla and caramel balance the citrus. If you prefer something longer, a highball of bourbon and cold ginger beer or soda water over ice keeps the grain character without the weight of a stirred drink. At the table, bourbon pairs well with smoked or barbecued meats, aged cheddar and dark chocolate. Each of these picks up the char and caramel in the glass.