In 2025, Iowa’s Cedar Ridge Distillery celebrated 20 years of operations with its first Anniversary Edition Bourbon, which finished its standard bourbon in a wide array of secondary casks. (Cedar Ridge is also an operational winery, and many of its casks are sourced in house.) According to Master Blender Murphy Quint, it was the most popular whiskey in the distillery’s history. Naturally, Quint and his team decided to make Anniversary Edition an annual release.
For the 2026 version, Quint started with some of his mature Iowa bourbon, made from 74% corn, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley. The whiskey then went into five different finishing casks, which previously held Madeira, Napa Cabernet, Pedro Ximenez sherry, Tawny Port, and Tokaji.
“I wanted to keep a similar foundation to last year’s release with sherry and Tokaji finishes, but I chose PX sherry to work with instead of my usual Amontillado,” says Quint. “The Madeira and Napa Cabernet casks are what really push this blend in a new direction.”
The final blend was bottled at 112 proof. Let’s see how it tastes.
Cedar Ridge Anniversary Edition Bourbon 2026 Review
The base spirit is bourbon, but those finishing casks certainly lead the charge on the nose. Jammy dark fruits immediately pop, followed by cinnamon, and then eventually a dried fruit medley: sultanas, apricots, and pear slices. Oxidized wine settles in and dominates from here on out, with components including roasted chestnuts, toasted walnuts, and nearly burnt toffee. Leathery tannins also sit deeply in the nostrils; on the flip side, there’s some familiar bourbon vanilla and caramel hiding in there as well, begging to be picked up just below the surface. Those back-end elements lend a sort of à la mode quality, and suddenly, you’ve got dark fruit compote spooned atop a scoop of ice cream. Murphy Quint certainly threw a lot at the underlying bourbon, but he didn’t entirely bury it.
There’s no hiding that Napa Cab on the first sip, and as far as fruit goes, early tastes include hefty dark cherry and cinnamon sticks. Blackcurrant and boysenberry jams lend a surprising amount of tartness. A big transition occurs right before the midpalate, as flavors shift much sweeter toward rich pan caramel, vanilla glaze, and treacle. A consistent narrative forms across sips, each moving from bold, tangy fruit to boldly sweet, then finally to peppery spice. (Flavors are boisterous throughout, and the whiskey clearly has no interest in stopping if the drinker falls behind.) At the back palate, more black cherry syrup meets baking spice. Finally — and thankfully — some recognizable bourbon peeks through on the finish. In true Cedar Ridge fashion, it’s a touch crafty, slightly grainy, and very peppery. I almost wish it had come through sooner.
To me, this is a step up on last year’s inaugural Anniversary Edition, though perhaps a rung below the distillery’s absolute best stuff. It’s tasty, but it never quite achieves beautiful harmony between whiskey and multiple cask finishes. (For such a hit, the QuintEssential American Single Malt immediately springs to mind.)
112 proof.
B+ / $65
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