Redemption’s New 18-Year-Old Bourbon Is 2025’s Best Whiskey So Far
Redemption 18 Year Old Bourbon: Whiskey of the year?
On June 5, Redemption Whiskey unveiled the latest expression in its Ancients Series — an 18-year-old bourbon with a $399.99 price tag. Sourced from MGP in Indiana, it was described by Redemption Whiskey Master Blender Alan Kennedy as “one of the rarest and most complex expressions we’ve ever had the privilege to release.”
This bourbon’s age, proof, limited nature and striking bottle design were enough to get us excited for its release, but truth be told, we didn’t expect to be so impressed by this release. This 69-barrel blend of two mashbills (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% barley) is bottled at a cask-strength 103.4 proof. Tasting it, we were blown away by its depth of flavor and perfect level of oakiness.
We tip our caps to Kennedy for his work in crafting this masterful blend.
We weren’t the only ones who were impressed by this beauty of a bourbon. In the weeks since its release, it has been reviewed by ourselves and two other critics we deem trustworthy and notable. Based on the three total reviews it has received, it’s sitting at a Raided Score® of 96.
For those unfamiliar with the Bottle Raiders model, we aggregate reviews from critics to provide a holistic, clear score that shows consumers how critics as a whole feel about drinks.
At 96, Redemption Whiskey 18 Year Old Bourbon is the highest rated whiskey released in 2025. Robb Report dubbed it “better than Pappy 23” (we agree).
Meaning, this is, as of now, the frontrunner for whiskey of the year. Several other whiskeys are in the running — Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series Chocolate Whisper Redux Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Old and Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye 2025 among them — but Redemption 18 currently holds the belt for best whiskey of 2025. We’ll be fascinated to see if any release in the second half of 2025 has what it takes to unseat it.
If you’re interested in tasting the best whiskey of 2025 (so far, anyway), ReserveBar has it available for pre-order. Obviously, with its $399.99 MSRP, this is no cheap purchase. But if you’re ever going to splurge on a tip-top-shelf bottle of bourbon — we don’t think you’ll regret making it this one.
Click here to read our full review and tasting notes of Redemption Whiskey 18 Year Old Bourbon.
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