RD One Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Brazilian Amburana Wood
RD One Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Brazilian Amburana Wood is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV) in a 750mL bottle, finished with staves of Brazilian Amburana — the South American hardwood famed in cachaça aging — honeycomb-drilled by RD1's partner cooperage to maximize wood contact. The result is intensely sweet and aromatic: spice cake and gingersnaps with a long, warm finish. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 110 proof (55% ABV)
- Size: 750mL
- Finish: Brazilian Amburana wood staves (honeycomb-drilled for maximum extraction)
- Base: RD1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon, aged 4+ years (70% corn / 21% rye / 9% barley)
- Origin: Lexington, Kentucky — 100% distilled, aged, and bottled in the Bluegrass state
Amburana: The Wood That Tastes Like Dessert
Amburana cearensis is chemically distinct from any standard cooperage wood: high concentrations of coumarin produce a sweet, vanilla-like, cinnamon-adjacent aromatic, while natural lactones add coconut and cream character — compounds simply not found in American or French oak. RD1's partner cooperage drills small honeycomb holes into the Amburana staves, allowing more bourbon-to-wood interaction and a finish more pronounced than a typical oak finish. The expression has earned Triple Gold at the 2023 MLSA, 95 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and Double Gold at the John Barleycorn Awards. Shop the RD One collection and more bourbon whiskey at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The nose leads with the best of baking spices — apple cinnamon, nutmeg, and light brown sugar — followed by pine, vanilla, peaches, and apricots. The palate is flavor galore: spice cake and gingersnaps in a rich mouthfeel. The finish is long and warm, ending with allspice and sweet oak.
How to Enjoy
This is a big, sweet 110-proofer — neat with patience, or over a large cube to tame the warmth and let the baking-spice aromatics bloom. A few drops of water unlock the cinnamon-and-cream character.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Brazilian Amburana wood?
Amburana cearensis is a South American hardwood native to Brazil and Bolivia, traditionally used for aging cachaça. It contains high levels of coumarin and natural lactones that create a distinctive sweet, vanilla-cinnamon-coconut character unlike any oak finish.
What proof is RD1 Amburana Wood Finish?
110 proof (55% ABV) — the highest-proof expression in RD1's standard wood-finished line.
Has RD1 Amburana won awards?
Yes — Triple Gold at the 2023 MLSA, 95 points and a Finalist nod at the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Double Gold at the John Barleycorn Awards, and Gold at the 2023 SIP and L.A. Spirits Awards.
Find RD One Amburana Wood Finish Bourbon at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — 110 proof of Brazilian-wood sweetness, available to order online.