Review: Redemption Sur Lee Rye

By David Tao | September 19, 2024 |

In the realm of non-distilling producers, Redemption has built its reputation on taking MGP juice and bottling it into accessibly priced basics, a variety of cask finishes, and ultra-rare halo releases (including an oft-heralded 18 year rye).

Around 2022, Redemption began promoting a new addition to its core lineup: Redemption Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey. The release took a prototypical 95% rye from MGP and added yeast-rich backset to the aging barrels. The barrels were then periodically rotated to promote contact between the aging whiskey and backset. According to the brand, this “first-of-its-kind whiskey whiskey draws inspiration from the French winemaking process, known as Sur Lie, to create a richer, deeper and more complex profile.”

Soon thereafter, the whiskey was removed from the market for a company rebrand and repackaging. In 2024, Redemption Sur Lee hit the market once again. (To be fair, today, Redemption isn’t the only brand experimenting with the addition of backset to distilled whiskey.)

Let’s see how the resulting rye whiskey — bottled at 94 proof and non-age stated — stacks up.

The aroma is characteristic of many 95/5 rye whiskeys out of MGP: herbal and a bit dill-forward (though not at the extremes of what this mashbill is capable of), with additional notes of hay bales and hemp twine. Very light caramel, sweet green mint jelly, and wintergreen chewing gum waft in after, which punctuate the vegetal character with a touch of welcome sweetness. I also got a bit of birch bark at the very end of deeper sniffs. Overall, I’d call this a perfectly in-the-wheelhouse 95/5 nose with potentially more bark and wood tone, though I don’t think it differs from standard Redemption Rye all that much here.

But that first taste is certainly different. Far nuttier than most 95/5 rye, the first sip is hefty on almond, vanilla extract, and buttered bread; the mouthfeel is thick and fatty, bordering on syrupy. Up next is a big pop of cinnamon spice, pronounced but a bit one-note. Expressed lemon peel carries the flag for citrus, and I would have welcomed even more in that realm to help break up the fatty elements. Notably, pine oil persists across most parts of the palate, which pairs well with some other flavors (the citrus and cinnamon spice) while throttling those sweeter notes a bit prematurely.

The finish leans toward semi-sweet, semi-sour grapes, perhaps the biggest mark yet of the yeasty influence of backset added to the barrels. From there, finely dusted cinnamon leads on a medium-length finish that evokes more baking and rye spice than barrel influence.

Redemption’s Sur Lee adds an interesting twist to their traditional rye offering, and I give the expression special credit for a particularly memorable mouthfeel. The midpalate especially can get a little crowded; one wonders if additional time in the barrel could have brought out more wood sugars while still honoring the backset’s influence. Perhaps we’ll find out in future batches. In the meantime, this is certainly a fun one to have on hand to compare to standard 95/5 rye, or to add a yeast-forward, tangy element to rye cocktails.

94 proof.

B / $60 / redemptionwhiskey.com [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]