Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon Review

I dig the look and overall design of the Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon bottle (not pictured) but when it comes to the actual concept of the whiskey… not so much. I think the whole double barrel thing, for the most part, is a giant waste of resources. It’s a fad that needs to die because outside of a few outliers, double barrel whiskeys suck.

Transferring a mature bourbon into new charred oak just adds more char and more oak, often resulting in a dry tannic mess of a whiskey because instead of mellow maturation achieved over time, you’re pulling out 2x the tannins and raw oak than normal. They often end up being brutal, unbalanced whiskeys that leave me staring at my glass and asking why?

But then, sometimes, ever so rarely, you get something like the Sagamore Double Barrel. A whiskey where the second barrel isn’t a complete waste of resources and that manages to find beauty and balance amongst the tannins. A whiskey that is delicious.

Brutal tannic mess or unicorn beauty; which one will this be? Let’s get to drinkin’ and find out.

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Bourbon (Straight)
Region: Iowa
Distiller: Cedar Ridge

Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 14% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak x2
Age: NAS
ABV: 52.5%

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon Price: $50*

Related Whiskey

Cedar Ridge Bottled In Bond Rye
Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey
Cedar Ridge Wheat Whiskey
Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey

White background tasting shot with the Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon sample bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“For this annual release, we transferred our flagship Iowa bourbon into a second, new American oak barrel to capture the full-bodied flavors of its freshly charred staves.” – Cedar Ridge

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy copper

NOSE
Oak, dried dark fruit, nutmeg heavy baking spice, cocoa, vanilla candy and nuts.

A warm, rich, bourbon aroma rolls through the nose, this is great.

PALATE
Woody, anise and clove baking spice, butterscotch, baker’s cocoa, dried fruit and tannic black tea.

A crafty-woody note perks up here to the point of being distracting. I’m not enjoying it as much as the aroma, not even close.

FINISH
Med-long -> Tannic oak, bakers cocoa and dry spice with some black tea.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Not balanced, medium body and a dry feel.

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon – Overall Thoughts and Score

You know those cheap cream-filled chocolate-covered cherries that show up around the holidays? There is an essence to this that reminds me of those mixed with over-steeped black tea. It’s not good, this is 100% a waste of a second barrel. Sure it’s added more oak, but it’s just oak for oak’s sake and ends up being dry and tannic and unpleasant to drink.

I really wish people would stop doing this, just focus on making the best possible whiskey with the first barrel instead of hoping a second will do something more. It’s a wasteful gimmick that rarely ends up making anything more than an over-oaked tannic mess. Which is exactly what the Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon is. Please people, end this stupid trend and stop wasting barrels.

SCORE: 2.5/5 (average, drinkable, possible minor flaws ~ C+ | 77-79)

*Disclosure: The sample for this Bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.