Redwood Empire Devils Tower
Overall Score: 6/10
Overall Value: 1.25/5
Distillery: Redwood Empire Distilling
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Purple Brands
Release Date: Ongoing (Batch 3)
Proof: 99
Age: NAS
Mashbill: 54% Corn, 38% Rye, 4% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley
Color: Wheat
MSRP: $80 (2026)
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose on this Redwood Empire Devil’s Tower (Batch 3) comes across light and fruit-forward. There’s red fruit that leans candy-like—think giant Smarties—alongside vanilla wafer and cherry. As it opens up, some sharper notes show up too: pine needles, dry erase marker, and a faint grainy edge. The high rye bourbon mash bill doesn’t add much spice here; instead, it seems to strip away some of the richer bourbon character. Caramel or honey is present, but very muted.
The mouthfeel on the palate is light and almost juicy, but not in a way that feels satisfying. There’s a brief flash of sweetness—maybe chocolate toffee—but it fades fast. What takes over instead is a young, sour note that veers into cheap white wine territory, with light oak trailing behind. The alcohol shows through more than the flavor, and the rye influence still doesn’t deliver the spice or structure you’d expect.
The finish is dry and sharp, reminiscent of dry champagne at times, with char and alcohol dominating. Occasionally it drifts into cough syrup territory, which doesn’t help matters. There’s not much depth here, and whatever sweetness existed on the palate is long gone by the end.
Overall, Devil’s Tower just doesn’t come together. It drinks young, thin, and more wine-adjacent than whiskey-like, which makes it a tough sip. Redwood Empire’s core lineup usually performs well for the price, but this higher-end release feels misaligned with its $80 MSRP. Unless you find it heavily discounted on sale, it’s hard to recommend. The bottle design is great, but the liquid doesn’t live up to it—and for a high rye bourbon, it never delivers the balance or spice that should define the style.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
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Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 6/10
Value: 1/5
THE NOSE:
Vanilla wafer and cherry.
Dry erase markers and Pine needles.
THE TASTE:
The mouthfeel is juicy and light.
The palate tastes like cheap white wine and light oak.
THE FINISH:
The finish reminds me of dry champagne.
At times, also a bit like cough syrup.
BUY OR PASS?
This really didn’t sip like a whiskey to me. I was getting some youthfulness and a white wine profile.
It’s not an experience that anyone would be sorry to miss and I don’t think it's worth the price point.
The Hunter Says
Score: 6/10
Value: 1.5/5
THE NOSE:
This one is light and fruity, leaning into red fruit. It honestly reminds me of those giant Smarties candies.
To me, the high rye works against it here. It’s not bringing the spice I want, but it is taking away some of the richer bourbon notes.
I do get a little caramel and honey, which I usually love, but they’re very faint. There’s also a touch of grain and oak hiding underneath.
THE TASTE:
The taste is… meh. It drinks really young.
There’s a bit of sweetness up front—maybe chocolate toffee—but it doesn’t last long.
Pretty quickly it turns sour, and the alcohol bite takes over.
THE FINISH:
The finish is mostly char and alcohol, and that’s where it loses me completely.
This one’s a no from me.
BUY OR PASS?
This bottle just bugs me. Redwood Empire’s standard releases are solid for the price—not amazing, but good, easy sippers. Their higher-priced bottles, though, have been disappointing for me.
I love their bottle art, but it feels like more effort went into the look than what’s inside. Honestly, this probably should’ve stayed in their lower-priced lineup.
