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Eastside Distilling Debuts Another Redneck Whiskey

Portland, Oregon’s Eastside Distilling, mostly known for a range of sourced spirits finished in house—including the Burnside line of Oregon oak-finished bourbons and ryes—is coming out with a “reserve” edition of their John Rich-branded (of Big & Rich and “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” fame) Redneck Riviera whiskey. This one is called Granny Rich Reserve.

Like most Eastside whiskey to date, Granny Rich Reserve is a sourced spirit, in this case a blend of corn whiskeys, aged at least three years, and an American single malts aged at least four years. It’s named for (surprise) the country singer’s grandmother, who he says inspired the “more refined” bottling.

“When thinking about a Reserve version of Redneck Riviera Whiskey, I immediately thought of my Granny Rich!” said Rich in a prepared statement. “Granny knows what it means to be a ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ American, and at 86 years young, she is more matured and refined just like the whiskey that bears her name and likeness.”

Granny Rich Reserve
Granny Rich Reserve (image via Eastside Distilling)

“The whiskey has a wonderful caramel and candy corn aroma from the addition of sweeter malt grain blended with the dessert notes of the aged whiskey,” added Eastside master distiller Mel Heim. “John really wanted to highlight our favorite characteristic of our signature Redneck Riviera Whiskey, namely its smoothness and ‘sipability.’ We went to work sourcing the vintage varieties of whiskey used for that product and designed a blend that exemplified Granny: mature and good natured with a surprising kick!”

In a cute tribute to Granny Rich, this whiskey is bottled at 43% ABV, or 86 proof—half a percent for each of Rich’s 86 years.

Redneck Riviera is John Rich’s lifestyle brand, currently encompassing Redneck Riviera whiskey, a clothing line branded with various patriotic slogans, and a nice-looking line of cowboy boots from French’s. It’s also a bar in Nashville.

As for this new bottling, there are few specifics on the whiskeys that went into the blend, but based on Heim’s comments, it sounds like a sweeter, corn-forward expression. Granny Rich Reserve will hit shelves in most states in late February or early March. No immediate price was mentioned.

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