Redwood Empire Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

In the 1870s, Colonel James Armstrong — a Union Army veteran who settled in Northern California after the Civil War — transferred ownership of a stretch of ancient redwood forest to his daughter Kate for the sum of "$1, love, and affection." That single, almost casual act of generosity became one of the most consequential conservation decisions in California history: the land is today Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, home to the towering Colonel Armstrong Tree, an estimated 1,400 years old and still standing as the oldest tree in the grove. Redwood Empire Whiskey, based in Vallejo and built entirely around the story of Northern California's ancient forests, has named its newest expression directly for him — and for a story that, in the brand's own words, was simply too fitting for the whiskey inside the bottle to ignore.

Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon is a genuinely unusual four-grain expression, built on the conviction that great whiskey comes from thoughtful blending rather than any single source. The mash bill runs 30% wheat — more than double the wheat content found in many wheated bourbons — combined with Redwood Empire's own grain-to-glass California spirit and a hand-selected collection of high-wheat bourbons sourced from Kentucky and Indiana, ranging from four to fourteen years old. Master Blender Lauren Patz called it an "Ode to Wheat," with every component "intentionally selected to serve a purpose, adding nuance, texture, complexity and culminating in a high-wheated whiskey greater than the sum of its parts." The blend then rests further in Northern California's cool, foggy coastal climate — the same environmental signature that runs through every Redwood Empire release, contributing a specific balance and softness that Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn describes as the whiskey's defining quality: "approachable from the first sip but continues to reveal new layers of flavor and character as you spend time with it."

The result, per the brand's own tasting notes: ripe stone fruit, honeyed grain, and vanilla unfold alongside a nostalgic hint of strawberry jam sandwich, balanced by gentle baking spice and integrated oak — a soft, rounded mouthfeel that closes on a smooth oak finish. Coordinates printed directly on the bottle lead curious drinkers to the actual Colonel Armstrong Tree in the California woods that inspired it. Since launching in 2019, Redwood Empire has helped plant more than 1.8 million trees through its reforestation partnerships — making this bottle, quite literally, a continuation of the Colonel's own act of stewardship a century and a half later.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Redwood Empire Whiskey is based in Vallejo, California, and describes itself as California's number one whiskey brand — a company built specifically around the story and geography of the ancient redwood forests of Northern California's "Redwood Empire" region, with individual expressions named for specific, real trees within that landscape. Founded in 2019, the brand has paired its whiskey production with an ongoing environmental commitment, helping to plant more than 1.8 million trees through reforestation partnerships to date.

Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon, released June 25, 2026, is a four-grain expression combining Redwood Empire's own grain-to-glass distillate with hand-selected high-wheat bourbons sourced from Kentucky and Indiana, ranging from four to fourteen years of age. The mash bill's 30% wheat content is notably higher than the standard wheated bourbon formula, a deliberate choice by Master Blender Lauren Patz to build a rounder, softer profile with genuine complexity. The blended whiskey ages further along the Northern California coast, where the region's characteristically cool, foggy climate moderates the aging process, contributing to a slower, more even extraction of flavor from the barrel and shaping the whiskey's overall balance and signature sense of place. Selected component barrels are aged a minimum of three years. Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn oversees production alongside Master Blender Lauren Patz. Bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) in 750ml bottles, now available online and rolling out to retailers nationwide.

Critics Reviews

No critic reviews or numerical scores have been published for this whiskey at this time — released June 25, 2026.

Redwood Empire Whiskey official tasting notes:
"Soft, rounded mouthfeel with layered notes of ripe stone fruit. A touch of vanilla and honeyed grain. A hint of strawberry Uncrustables, gentle baking spice, and a smooth oak finish."

Jeff Duckhorn, Master Distiller, Redwood Empire Whiskey:
"The beauty of this whiskey is its balance. It's approachable from the first sip but continues to reveal new layers of flavor and character as you spend time with it."

Lauren Patz, Master Blender, Redwood Empire Whiskey:
"Each component of this 'Ode to Wheat' is intentionally selected to serve a purpose, adding nuance, texture, complexity and culminating in a high-wheated whiskey greater than the sum of its parts."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Ripe stone fruit leads the nose with immediate, generous warmth, joined by honeyed grain and vanilla. A nostalgic hint of strawberry jam sandwich adds an unexpectedly comforting, almost childhood-familiar sweetness — a specifically singled-out signature note for this release. Gentle baking spice threads through the background.

Palate
Soft and rounded on entry, the elevated 30% wheat content delivering the gentler, less spice-forward mouthfeel that defines the wheated bourbon style, but with real layered complexity behind it. Honeyed grain and vanilla carry the primary sweetness, joined by the same strawberry jam sandwich character from the nose and gentle baking spice building through the mid-palate.

Finish
Smooth and oak-integrated, closing cleanly without excess char or bitterness — the Northern California coastal aging climate's slow, even extraction most directly apparent here, producing a finish that reveals additional character the longer it's given attention.

Quick Overview