Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast Bourbon Whiskey / 2025 Release
The Stats
- Distillery: Redwood Empire Whiskey Co.
- Location: Mare Island, Vallejo, CA
- Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Style: Four-Grain
- Age: 5 years
- Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
- Mash Bill: 67% Corn / 17% Rye / 10% Wheat / 6% Malted Barley
- Release: 2025 Release
- Price: $80
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Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast Bourbon has always stood out, partly for its California craft roots, partly for its forest-sized personality. This year’s release adds a new twist: a sleek, illustrated tube that resembles a limited-edition art print more than traditional whiskey packaging. Think E.H. Taylor meets a Northern California adventure sketchbook. The 2025 Grizzly Beast isn’t just bottled; it’s framed.
Every Redwood Empire bottle draws inspiration from a specific tree, and this one’s named after a real redwood known as the Grizzly Beast, a 300-foot giant standing in Mendocino County. Like its namesake, this whiskey aims high but stays grounded in character and balance.
The Art of the Tube
The new design makes a statement. Metallic inks glint across illustrated redwoods and a roaring bear; a love letter to Northern California’s wilderness. It’s bold without being loud, and feels like Redwood Empire’s way of saying, “We belong on the top shelf now.”
Since launching complete in-house distillation around 2016, the Vallejo, California-based brand has steadily grown from sourced blends to its own premium lineup. The Grizzly Beast tube feels like a coming-of-age moment, confident, creative, and clearly crafted with intent. Whoever designed it deserves a pour.
The Whiskey Inside
That artistic confidence carries into the whiskey itself, though the pour tells a quieter story. Grizzly Beast is a four-grain straight bourbon, distilled and aged entirely in Northern California. The mash bill consists of 67% corn, 17% rye, 10% wheat, and 6% malted barley, and is bottled at 100 proof (bottled-in-bond). The five-year age limits its complexity.
It opens with notes of oak, honey, and caramel, joined by flashes of grape soda and dried fruit, or, as we joked, the bear eating honey in the woods. Let it sit, and it softens to a sweet, slightly bready texture with hints of wheat toast, cinnamon, and sugar.
Tasting Notes
Aroma
Bright and playful. Honeyed oak, light caramel, and a touch of fizz reminiscent of cherry cola or grape candy. Whimsical and sweet, it leans more toward dessert than depth.
Taste
Gentle and easygoing. Honey, wheat bread, and soft oak lead the way, with a hint of cinnamon on the back end. It’s approachable, smooth, and sweet. More teddy bear than grizzly.
Finish
Short to medium. Light oak and caramel linger just long enough to invite another sip. Balanced, but not bold.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
6 / 10 - Above Average
Grizzly Beast comes dressed like it’s ready for an art exhibit, and the packaging earns a 10/10 for art. The whiskey inside, though, feels gentler than the name suggests. It’s balanced, sweet, and approachable, but missing a bit of the wild edge we expected. A lovely, easy pour, just not quite the beast the tube promises.
If you’re drawn to storytelling, craft, and killer design, this bottle’s worth a spot on the shelf. If you’re after big, complex flavor, it might leave you wanting more. Still, it’s proof that Redwood Empire’s creative and distilling ambitions are growing taller, just like the trees that inspire them.
