Redwood Empire Haystack Needle Port Finish 12 Year Old Bourbon

A little background

Redwood Empire has a series of three standard releases in their core product lineup, including a straight bourbon, a straight rye, and a blended whiskey, but the Haystack Needle is a more limited release. A 12-year-old straight bourbon, distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana is then aged in port casks and the finished product is bottled at cask strength (110 proof). Redwood Empire Haystack Needle Port Finish 12 Year Old Bourbon has a retail price of around $110 USD.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Auburn

Nose

Raspberries and blackberries leap from the glass, followed by a creamy note and a touch of heat. After a moment the berries move more towards a grape note, with a clear port influence that does not dissipate but only grows stronger as time passes.

Palate

Touching down with a mild berry note, the heat begins to slowly build on the back-palate. The mouthfeel is oily and it accompanies a sweeter touch of brown sugar and cinnamon that hit the mid-palate after a few moments.

Finish

One of the boldest, longest finishes I’ve had in recent memory. It starts off with clear notes of dark fruit- blackberry and plum which then fade. While clearly a finished whiskey, the bourbon influence comes through and allows for a butterscotch and rye spice note that feels familiar, but take some patience to get to.

In closing

Redwood Empire Haystack Needle Port Finish 12 Year Old Bourbon will live and die by the port finish. Fans of port-heavy profiles who are looking for rich and sweet dark fruits will be thrilled with this pour because it delivers those notes in abundance. On the other hand, those who prefer finishes to take a more subtle approach and who want a classic bourbon with slight accents provided by the port will likely be disappointed to find that the underlying 12 years Indiana bourbon is mostly drowned out by the finishing process.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Redwood Empire. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.