Redwood Empire California Whiskey Announces New Limited-Edition: “The Hyperion”
PRESS RELEASE posted by Redwood Empire
Redwood Empire California Whiskey Announces New Limited-Edition: “The Hyperion”
Crafted in the Bay Area, Inaugural Bottling Features a Distinctive Blend of Bourbon, Rye, Wheat Whiskeys, and Redwood Empire-distilled Single Malt Whiskey for the True Spirits Explorer
MARE ISLAND, CA (August 21, 2026) – Redwood Empire Whiskey today announces the first in a series of new limited-edition annual releases exploring the bounds of American whiskey. Crafted in California by distilling and blending duo – Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Master Blender Lauren Patz – “The Hyperion” Inaugural Batch 001 is a unique blend of four straight whiskeys designed to showcase the remarkable barrel inventory curated by Redwood Empire since the company’s inception in 2013. Inspired by the world’s tallest living tree, “The Hyperion” is the most ambitious project yet from Redwood Empire - each batch entirely distinct and never repeated.
Creating “The Hyperion” Batch 001 began, intentionally, without an established path. Redwood Empire’s Master Distiller-Master Blender duo explored a broad terrain of mature barrels, crossing the traditional boundaries separating bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and single malt whiskey. The resulting 110-proof expression brings together four distinct whiskey categories, more than 10 mash bills and stocks aged from 7 to 14 years, arriving at a destination no single whiskey could reach on its own.
“The Hyperion is an exercise in artistry. Regal, refined, bold. A collaboration of spirit types that fully brings to light the depth and diversity of our barrel inventory,” said Lauren Patz, Master Blender at Redwood Empire Whiskey. “Wheat Whiskey, Bourbon, Rye, and American Single Malt find both balance and transformation and demonstrate what can emerge when curiosity is matched with patience and purpose.”
In lieu of a traditional mash bill, the inaugural label instead boasts a blend bill—a collection of whiskey blends, rather than simply mashes—of 32% bourbon whiskey, 30% rye whiskey, 25% wheat whiskey, and 13% single malt whiskey. The final blend of approximately 79 barrels combines multiple mash bills from curated whiskey stocks from Redwood Empire and other distillers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The single malt component is entirely grain-to-glass whiskey distilled by Redwood Empire. The blended whiskey entered the barrel between 110 and 120 proof and matured in toasted, Char No. 3 barrels. Maturation takes place in Northern California, where warm days give way to fog-laced cool winds off the Pacific at night.
The resulting unfiltered spirit is a flavor bomb. California walnut and roasted apricots on the nose give way to a rich, layered palate of decadent pomegranate molasses, stone fruit, cream, and warm baking spice with a long, harmonizing finish of toffee and toasted malt.
“Exploration has always been central to Redwood Empire, from making whiskey in Northern California to blending across regions, ages and styles,” said Jeff Duckhorn, Master Distiller at Redwood Empire Whiskey. “The Hyperion asks whiskey drinkers to look beyond the familiar. This first batch celebrates where we began, revealing what has been quietly maturing within our inventory. With each annual release, we invite people to experience whiskey from a different perspective.”
The whiskey takes its name from Hyperion, a coastal redwood growing in a hidden section of Redwood National Park in Humboldt County, California. Hyperion is recognized as the tallest known living tree, rising more than 380 feet, and is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old. As an homage to the mighty Redwood, the topper for “The Hyperion” series is a majestic crown closure – symbolic of the tree that towers above the rest. The tree itself was named for Hyperion, a Titan of Greek mythology.
Available online for pre-order at Redwood’s online whiskey shop at Redwood Empire and in select retail stores including Total Wine & More, Specs, and local craft bottle shops throughout the fall. Redwood Empire The Hyperion Blend of Straight Whiskeys Batch 001 will be released in August 2026 in 750ml bottles at a suggested retail price of $99.
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Instagram: @redwoodempirewhiskey
About Redwood Empire Whiskey
Redwood Empire Whiskey is California's No. 1 whiskey brand, crafting award-winning bourbons, ryes, and American whiskeys inspired by the spirit of the Golden State. Produced in Northern California and guided by a commitment to quality, innovation, and conservation, Redwood Empire combines grain-to-glass distillation, thoughtful sourcing, and expert blending to create approachable whiskeys with a distinct sense of place.
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