Cedar Ridge Portside II: Iowa Bourbon Finished in Three Casks
Cedar Ridge just took a Port-finished whiskey idea from its past and rebuilt it as a bourbon. Portside II is a limited, small-batch Iowa bourbon that goes through three different finishing casks: new French oak, amontillado sherry and port. It lands at 115 proof and $59.99, and the port barrels come from three very different places.
What Makes This Release Special?
Portside II is a follow-up to the original Portside, which was a 2023 QuintEssential Special Release from the Swisher, Iowa distillery. The twist is that this time the idea has moved into bourbon, something master distiller Murphy Quint says he had not done before with a concept from another whiskey category.
He called the original "one of my all-time favorite blends," and the sequel is meant to push that idea further. According to Quint, the front of the sip keeps the heavy fig, raisin and black cherry that defined the first bottle. On the finish, he says, the bourbon takes over and steers things in its own direction.
Inside the Bottle
The base is Cedar Ridge's flagship Iowa bourbon, aged in new American oak. Its mashbill, the grain recipe, is 74% corn, 14% rye and 12% malted barley. That is a corn-heavy, fairly gentle recipe with a little rye for spice.
After aging, the whiskey is finished in three kinds of cask. A finish is a second stretch in a different barrel to add flavor. Here that means new French oak, first-fill amontillado sherry casks (a nutty, dried-fruit style of sherry) and first-fill port casks. The port barrels come from Portugal, California and the distillery's own Estate, so the bourbon picks up three different takes on port.
It is bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV) in a 750ml bottle. That is a bit stronger than most bourbons you see on the shelf, which usually sit around 80 to 100 proof.
The Story Behind Cedar Ridge
Cedar Ridge was founded in 2005 in Swisher, Iowa, and calls itself the state's oldest distillery. It also bills itself as Iowa's first legal distillery since Prohibition, which is a big claim in a state with deep farming roots.
The brand built its name on grain-to-glass whiskey made from locally grown corn. That puts it in a growing group of Midwestern craft distillers showing there is more to American whiskey than Kentucky.
Cask finishing is a big part of how Cedar Ridge plays with flavor. Quint says experimenting with finishes lets the team explore the full range of flavor that different casks bring. Portside II is that philosophy at work: one bourbon, three barrel types, and a story that began with an earlier bottle.
Price, Proof and Availability
Official Name: Cedar Ridge Portside II
Category: Small-batch Iowa bourbon, finished in three cask types
Bottle Size: 750ml
ABV/Proof: 57.5% ABV (115 proof)
Mashbill: 74% corn, 14% rye, 12% malted barley
Price (SRP): $59.99
US Availability: Select US markets. Retail in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, South Dakota, California and Florida. Also available direct-to-consumer in 45 states. New Jersey and New York are not on the retail list, so East Coast readers outside Florida will likely need the direct-to-consumer route.
Release Date: November 11, 2026
Limited Edition: Yes
Did You Know?
Portside II is the first time Murphy Quint has taken a whiskey concept from one category and rebuilt it in another. He said he enjoyed the challenge.
Tonights Poison Take
At $59.99, Portside II sits in a sweet spot for readers who like finished bourbons and want something with a point of view. The three-cask setup sounds busy on paper, but the flavors Quint describes (fig, raisin, black cherry) are familiar and easy to picture. The 115 proof gives it some backbone without crossing into cask strength territory. Retail is limited to seven states, so many readers will lean on direct-to-consumer shipping to get a bottle.
Bar Talk: Cedar Ridge's Portside II finishes an Iowa bourbon in port casks from Portugal, California and its own Estate.
Know a friend who loves port-finished whiskey? Send this their way and see if they would pour it neat or in an Old Fashioned.
More on Tonights Poison
About the author: Jas Sawhney (Tonights Poison) has spent 18 years in the beverage alcohol industry and shares new releases, tastings and spirits news as @tonightspoison on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Please enjoy responsibly.
Comments