Your Cart is Empty
OCTOBER BOXES SOLD OUT - ORDER NOW FOR NOVEMBER CLUB DELIVERY
Van Duzen is a straight rye, so rye leads: 66% of the mash. The surprise is the rest. Malted barley makes up 32%, and the label calls it a "high malt mash." Malted barley is barley that's been sprouted and dried so its starch turns to fermentable sugar. In most whiskeys it's a small supporting grain. Redwood Empire's own Devils Tower bourbon uses 4%.
The malt here is the dark kind. Brand manager Elliott Sneen says they use "malts that you would normally throw in for porters and stouts, your chocolate malts," and they switch varieties almost every batch. What it does in the glass, in his words: "this kind of roasty, toasty, actually chocolatey kind of note." Rye drinkers usually brace for spice. Sneen says the goal was a rye that "isn't too astringent" and has a long finish.
Van Duzen is one of the few Redwood Empire bottles named for a river instead of a tree. The Van Duzen River feeds the Eel River in Humboldt County, and Redwood Empire says it's named for James Van Duzen, part of the 1849 Josiah Gregg party, the first group to make the overland trip to Humboldt Bay. The label shows a kayaker on the river. Turn the bottle upside down and, Sneen says, an owl appears.
At 94 proof it's easy neat, and it makes a soft, malty rye Manhattan. Redwood Empire doesn't publish tasting notes for Van Duzen, so the notes below are Sneen's, from our call.
Poured by Whiskey-of-the-Month Club Explorer members in July 2026.
Is Van Duzen a malted rye?
No. The rye isn't malted. It's a straight rye with a large share of malted barley in the mash (32%), which the label calls a high malt mash.
Why doesn't it taste as spicy as other ryes?
Sneen credits the dark, porter-style malted barley, which brings roasted and chocolate notes. Redwood Empire was aiming for a balanced rye that isn't astringent.
Why do some stores list 700ml?
Batch 001 was bottled at 700ml, with 67% rye and 31% malted barley from 45 barrels. Batch 002 is 750ml.
