Review: Redemption Straight Bourbon (2026)

The many acts of the Redemption whiskey brand continue to evolve. This year, Redemption not only introduced new bottles and packaging (spurred by a trademark infringement lawsuit from Bulleit over the look of its old bottles; Bulleit won but no money changed hands), it reformulated its bourbon, upping the abv from 42% to 46%.

With Master Blender Alan Kennedy at the helm, the source juice is the same — MGP spirit with a 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley mashbill (stamped right on the front label!) — but it’s bottled at a noticeably higher proof. The new bottle is more modern and, to my eye, appealing, “featuring an eagle in mid-flight, formed from rye with its wings spread wide,” embossed in the glass.

“Setbacks aren’t the end of the story. They’re often the beginning of something stronger,” said Mike Dee, President of [brand owner] Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. “The team embraced the moment as an opportunity to elevate both the package and the bourbon, which we believe will propel distribution and volume to new heights. The overwhelmingly positive reaction from our distributor partners thus far validates Redemption’s new stature and brand proposition in both on and off-premise environments.”

Redemption’s Rye and High Rye Bourbon both also received refreshed packaging but were already at 92 proof, so nothing has changed on those, recipe-wise. Note that batch numbers are no longer indicated on the label.

Redemption Straight Bourbon (2026) Review

There’s still no age statement on Redemption, but the price point remains an indicator that this is still very young stuff. While it’s not the “high rye” offering, the grassy pop of fresh rye makes an aromatic impact, tempering what is otherwise a fairly corn-forward nose with elements of ginger and clove. The latter is more prominent now than in previous expressions (see our reviews of the 2020 and 2016 releases), thanks surely to the higher alcohol level, but the overall presentation is fairly mainstream, arguably anonymous.

The palate is quite corn-heavy, with lots of peanut giving the whiskey a Cracker Jack quality that clings to you. Vanilla and butterscotch notes take their time to wander into view, the body becoming oddly malty as it develops. Surprisingly, the higher abv makes less of an impact on the tongue than it does on the racier nose. Youth, I suppose, will do that to a whiskey. The finish is rather doughy, almost chewy, with gentler overtones of almond paste, light on the sugar.

As I’ve said before: It’s harmless, but best for punch.

92 proof.

B / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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