Redwood Empire Lost Monarch 3-14 Years Cask Strength High Rye 117.2 Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys (2025) 75cl
*Please allow 14-18 days for delivery of this item. Normally it is less however this is at the long end.
Named after the world’s largest coastal Redwood, Lost Monarch whiskey has a name to live up to. An award winning bourbon-rye blend with an exceptional balance of sweetness and spice. The perfect choice for those who just can’t decide between rye or bourbon, we call it “the best of both worlds.”
Experience Lost Monarch straight from the barrel in this limited edition cask strength offering. Aged for a minimum of four years in the temperate climate of the Northern California coast, explore new heights of Redwood Empire’s craft whiskey.
Awards:
96 Points - The Tasting Panel
91 Points
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Vibrant, earthy, mint chocolate ice cream.
Palate: Warm spices, dried apricot, white pepper finish.
Mash Bill: 55% Rye, 45% Bourbon
About Redwood Empire
Our name comes from the land we call home—Northern California’s Redwood Empire. Once blanketed by ancient trees stretching the length of the coast, this 420-mile forest was one of the most majestic ecosystems on earth. Today, less than 3% of that original redwood forest remains. What’s left stands protected in pockets thanks to early conservationists like John Muir. Many of these towering icons—like “Pipe Dream,” the 14th largest redwood on earth, and “Emerald Giant,” the fastest-growing tree in the world—have inspired the names of our whiskies.
In 2013, founder Derek Benham saw potential in this region’s cool, temperate climate—perfect for aging whiskey slowly and evenly. Two years later, we broke distillery ground in the small town of Graton, nestled in the Russian River Valley and surrounded by redwoods. With Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn at the helm, we began crafting our first barrels while also traveling cross-country to source mature whiskey to complement our own distillate.
For four years, we waited. Tasting, refining, blending, producing and sourcing more. When the time came to bottle, we honored the ancient forests around us and named our whiskey Redwood Empire. Every expression is tied to a protected tree and carries a quote from John Muir, the father of our national parks.
Driven by a commitment to bold, expressive California whiskey, we’ve built the largest inventory of aging whiskey in the state—despite being limited to producing just four barrels a day. In 2025, a decade after laying down our first barrel, we moved operations to Mare Island, north of San Francisco, where we’ve tripled capacity to 14 barrels a day. Still small by industry standards—where many distilleries produce well over 300 barrels daily—we choose to go slow, with intent. We pride ourselves in our Northern California regionality and each choice we make is deliberating made to craft a distinct whiskey that is smooth, complex and full of grain character.
We believe in giving back, and we’re helping restore forests. We support Save the Redwoods League, a California-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the redwood forests that define our home. And through our partnership with Trees for the Future, an international reforestation organization, we’ve planted over 1.7 million trees—with more going in the ground every year.
Having a hand in the process from start to finish, we have a close relationship with every barrel produced. Each barrel embraces a unique harmony between grain, distilling, barreling, and aging, and each showcases our hard-earned house style. Now, with the largest rickhouse in California, we release our whiskies only when we believe they have reached the optimal balance between grain and age.
We source our grains—corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley—primarily from family-owned farms in California’s Sacramento Valley. These grains form the foundation of 12 distinct mash bill recipes. All grain is milled on-site into a flour-like consistency before entering the mash tun.
Corn, the signature grain in bourbon, becomes neutral over time, allowing the barrel to define the flavor. Rye imparts spice—pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon—while malted barley contributes rich chocolate notes.
Our custom-designed mashtun uses direct steam injection to efficiently convert starches into fermentable sugars. Each batch combines 10,000 pounds of milled grain with 5,000 gallons of hot water at approximately 190°F. Over 7–8 hours, gelatinization occurs, releasing sugars critical to fermentation.
Depending on the mash bill, we ferment both on the grain (with solids) and off the grain (solids removed) to maximize aromatic and flavor complexity.
Once cooled, yeast is pitched into the mash and transferred to one of our four jacketed fermentation tanks. Over the course of 3 to 5 days, the yeast converts sugars into alcohol, producing what we call “distiller’s beer” at 8–10% ABV.
From here, the liquid moves to our beer well (BW) tank, which feeds directly into the still.
Step 4
Distillation
Our copper and brass Vendome column still stands three stories tall and processes 18 gallons per minute. The distiller’s beer enters near the top and descends while steam rises from below, vaporizing the alcohol and leaving solids behind. This process concentrates the alcohol to around 120 proof (60% ABV).
The vapor then passes into a doubler for a second distillation, raising the alcohol to 140 proof (70% ABV). Throughout the process, our team monitors quality using a spirit safe and parrot.
The resulting distillate is collected in blending tanks (BT1 & 2, HT1 & 2), proofed down to 110 before barreling.
Whiskey is matured in 53-gallon charred and toasted new American oak barrels. Toasting enhances sweetness (vanilla, caramel), while charring aids in color and filtration.
We season our staves for a minimum of 36 months—well beyond the industry standard—resulting in a smoother, more nuanced whiskey with reduced tannin harshness.
Redwood Empire now oversees the largest barrel inventory on the West Coast, with over 22,000 aging barrels. Unlike Kentucky’s extreme seasonal shifts, our cooler climate ensures a slower, more balanced maturation—much like the terroir that makes Sonoma and Napa world-renowned for wine.
57.9% ABV
75cl
