A Taste of Five of Cedar Ridge Distillery’s Iowa Bourbons and American Single Malts

Please enjoy my Cedar Ridge Distillery American Single Malt and Bourbon Reviews!

Cedar Ridge Distillery – Background

Founded by Jeff and Laurie Quint, Cedar Ridge Distillery began in 2003 when the Quints purchased a vineyard property between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Initially focused on winemaking, Jeff soon expanded his vision to include distilling, inspired by Iowa’s position as the nation’s leading corn producer. After obtaining the necessary licenses in 2005, Cedar Ridge became Iowa’s first licensed distillery since Prohibition. Their son, Murphy Quint, joined the business in 2014, ushering in a period of innovation that included the development of American Single Malt and extensive cask-finishing programs. Using Iowa-grown corn and aging in non-climate-controlled rickhouses, Cedar Ridge now manages every stage of production on-site. Today, it stands as the top-selling bourbon brand in Iowa, recognized for its range of award-winning whiskeys.

Recently, the distillery provided me with samples of five of their whiskeys, offering me a broad look at Cedar Ridge’s range and blending and finishing styles. These whiskeys included two American Single Malts: The QuintEssential Special Release Number Five and The QuintEssential Special Release Wine Club – First Meeting—along with three bourbons: Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Cedar Ridge Anniversary Edition Bourbon, and Cedar Ridge Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon. These expressions provide a nice example of Cedar Ridge’s wide range of offerings.

Brief reviews and tasting notes of each whiskey follow:

Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Special Release Number Five American Single Malt

The QuintEssential Special Release series showcases one-of-a-kind American Single Malt marriages created by Master Blender Murphy Quint. Each special release is unique, and this fifth edition continues that tradition.

For Cedar Ridge Distillery, the number five carries historic significance—the distillery was established in 2005, and the Quint family name itself means “five.” To honor this connection, Number Five features five different finishing casks: Imported Port Casks, Estate Port Casks, Imported Madeira Wine Casks, Estate V Casks – a Madeira-inspired wine and Estate Marquette Red Wine Casks – an estate-grown grape. 2-row pale malted barley is first aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and then finished in the port and Marquette casks. Finally, it is blended with peated malt finished in the two types of Madeira casks. The whiskey is bottled at 117.8 proof with a suggested retail price of $100.

Tasting Notes – Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Special Release Number Five American Single Malt

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: Pears and honey at first with the alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof. Tart orange peel appears later on and becomes increasingly noticeable. Later still, after a few sips, there are notes of prunes as well as dark berries and dark red wine.
👉🏻 Taste: There is again quite a bit of fruit. It’s fairly sweet with pears, prunes, and tart orange citrus.
👉🏻 Finish: The finish is long, with the fruit fading as moderate white pepper spice develops and the mouthfeel becomes increasingly dry. Dry wood and lingering tart orange citrus remain, leaving a deep, lasting warmth.

Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Special Release Wine Club – First Meeting American Single Malt

The QuintEssential Special Release series – Wine Club – First Meeting explores unique wine finishing casks from around the world. This expression is handcrafted from 2-row pale malted barley, first aged in Cedar Ridge ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in First Fill Amontillado Sherry, Tokaji, and Moscatel casks, blended with Peated Malt finished in a Pinot Noir cask. It’s bottled at 118.1 proof with a suggested retail price of $100. Unfortunately, this release is now sold out online, but bottles may be available elsewhere.

Tasting Notes – Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Special Release: Wine Club, First Meeting American Single Malt

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: The nose is moderately sweet, offering layers of red berries, pears, mild oak, maple syrup, burnt caramel, and a subtle touch of tart orange peel. It is full, rich and flavorful.
👉🏻 Taste: The palate carries a moderate syrupy sweetness and body, with tart orange citrus, dark berries and toffee, adding depth and complexity.
👉🏻 Finish: As the flavors fade, the finish becomes more tangy with a developing white pepper spice. Lingering fruit turns toward dark plums, and there is mild oak, as well. The long finish leaves a pleasant warmth.

Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey

On March 15, 2023, Cedar Ridge launched Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Crafted from a mash bill of 74% corn, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley, this whiskey is aged in char #3 barrels and is bottled at 116 proof, non-chill filtered. All barrels mature in non-climate-controlled rickhouses, exposed to Iowa’s extreme seasonal temperature swings. Suggested retail price is $48.99.

Tasting Notes – Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: The nose is mildly sweet with light caramel, mild tangerine, mild dry oak, and cedar. With time, the dry oak becomes increasingly noticeable. There’s a touch of hot cinnamon and dark cherries that also grow more evident, after a while. The nose is fairly light, with less alcohol vapor than expected for 116 proof.
👉🏻 Taste: The palate differs from what I had expected from the nose, offering dominant flavors of fairly pronounced simple syrup sweetness and honey. Mild tart orange citrus, dry oak, and dark cherries provide a nice compliment.
👉🏻 Finish: The finish develops an increasing white pepper spice, but of a relatively mild intensity. It is fairly long and somewhat dry, with mild lingering sweetness and notes of dark berries and tart citrus on a background of dry wood and mild char. In the end, there is a deep warmth.

Cedar Ridge Anniversary Edition Bourbon

Released in August 2025 to commemorate Cedar Ridge’s 20th anniversary, the Anniversary Edition Bourbon was crafted by Master Distiller Murphy Quint using the distillery’s standard bourbon mash bill of 74% Iowa corn, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley. This special release was finished in Tokaji, Ruby Port, Amontillado Sherry, and a second set of New American Oak barrels. It was bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV) and originally retailed for $59.99 as a limited Iowa and online release. Unfortunately, it is now sold out online, but bottles may be available elsewhere.

Tasting Notes – Cedar Ridge Anniversary Edition Bourbon

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: The nose is complex, with a syrupy but only mildly sweet, character. Mild dry oak becomes increasingly noticeable over time, accompanied by lightly burnt caramel and dark cherries. After a few sips, a touch of toffee also appears.
👉🏻 Taste: The palate is much sweeter than expected from the nose, with a somewhat syrupy body. Notes of red wine, honey, and light toffee stand out.
👉🏻 Finish: Sweet red wine notes continue into the finish before fading. The mouthfeel grows mildly dry with white pepper spice and dry oak. The long finish carries lingering spice, mild tannins, dark red wine, and dry oak.

Cedar Ridge Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon

Released as a limited 2024 expression, this Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon features Cedar Ridge’s flagship Iowa Bourbon (74% Corn, 14% Rye, 12% Malted Barley), first aged in new American oak barrels and then finished in a first-fill Amontillado Sherry butt from Jerez, Spain. Aged 4½ years and bottled at 115 proof, this small-batch release was non-chill filtered and offered at an MSRP of $59.99.

Tasting Notes – Cedar Ridge Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: Moderately sweet with notes of simple syrup, dark caramel, raisins, and rich sherry. Alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof and noticeable.
👉🏻 Taste: Moderately sweet and full-bodied with flavors of raisins, tan caramel, dark plums, mild tannins and sherry. The taste is full and rich.
👉🏻 Finish: Increasing moderate white pepper spice becomes fairly pronounced. Mild tannins continue as the finish turns mildly dry, but with lingering sweetness, red wine notes, spice and mild dry oak. The finish is long, leaving a pleasant warmth.

Summary – Cedar Ridge Bourbons and American Single Malts Tasted and Reviewed

Across this lineup, Cedar Ridge demonstrates a wide range of character and expertise in both distilling and finishing. The two American Single Malts, The QuintEssential Special Release Number Five and The QuintEssential Special Release Wine Club – First Meeting, stand apart in both character and flavor, yet also have some similarities. Number Five is fruit-forward and layered, with evolving fruit notes and a balanced contrast of sweetness, white pepper, and dry oak in the finish. The Wine Club release, on the other hand, is richer and fuller, showing a syrupy texture with deeper flavors of toffee and burnt caramel. The difference between the two is fairly striking—both are enjoyable, but the Wine Club’s depth and richness make it especially memorable.

The three bourbons also show a similar diversity. The Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey is enjoyable but straightforward, with a dominant simple syrup and honey sweetness that makes it somewhat one-dimensional next to the finished expressions. In contrast, the Anniversary Edition Bourbon and Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon show how well Cedar Ridge’s wine heritage and finishing program enhances the bourbon’s flavor and complexity. The Anniversary Edition is layered and rich throughout, while the Amontillado Sherry finish offers noticeable sherry character that integrates beautifully with the base bourbon, balancing sweetness up front with a dry, spicy finish. Both are delicious pours.

Conclusion

Tasting these five whiskeys together highlights one of Cedar Ridge’s greatest strengths—their ability to use finishing to add depth, complexity, and distinction. The contrast between the unfinished and finished bourbons makes that especially clear. Each whiskey shows a thoughtful approach to blending and maturation, with the finished releases, particularly the Wine Club, the Anniversary Edition Bourbon and the Amontillado Sherry Bourbon, standing out as excellent examples of the distillery’s craft. Although some of these expressions are now sold out online, they may be available elsewhere. Nonetheless, they are valuable examples of the character of the bourbons and American Single Malts that this distillery produces, and can serve as a guide to what one can expect from future Cedar Ridge offerings.

Have you had any of Cedar Ridge’s bourbons or single malts? What did you think? I’d love to know! Cheers!🥃

I hope you have enjoyed my reviews of 5 Cedar Ridge Bourbons and American Single Malts! Next, read about another whiskey from this distillery in our Cedar Ridge Pete & Sherri Married 2nd Anniversary Review. If you are interested in learning more about American Single Malts, you can read more about them in this article: Standard of Identity For American Single Malt Whiskey Is Established By The TTB. If you would like to read about some other American Single Malts, check out a couple of my other reviews: Westward Whiskey Cask Strength American Single Malt Review and Minden Mill American Single Malt Whiskey Review.

Note: These sample were provided by the Brand for my review.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!