I've Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Is the Best Bourbon You've Never Heard Of

The bourbon world is dominated big big names, including the likes of Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve and Wild Turkey. And while I enjoy many whiskeys from these famous brands, there’s a wide range of bourbons from smaller names that don’t get the same amount of attention.

While I could write an exhaustive article detailing some of my favorite bourbons from smaller brands, today I want to talk about one in particular: Red Line Hand Selected Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon.

Related: Experimental Whiskey Brand Drops Its Most Straightforward—and Potentially Best—Bourbon Yet

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Many of smaller brands don't actually make their own whiskey but instead buy it from larger producer and bottle it. This practice is not new and has, in fact, been going on for well over a century.

Red Line Whiskey Company is one of these brands and it sources its whiskies from other distilleries. For its single barrel line, it literally buys prized barrels and then bottles them at cask strength. (That means no water is added to the whiskey before it is bottled to bring it down to a set proof.) It also means that these whiskies are incredibly limited and rare. Once the bottles from a specific barre are gone, they're gone.

Tasting Notes: Red Line Hand Selected Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

Red Line’s 7 Year Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Courtesy Image

The Red Line bourbon begins with a base mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. The spirit is then matured for at least seven years in new, charred American oak barrels. 

The result is a complex, memorable whiskey that begins with a nose of candied fruits, sticky toffee pudding, toasted vanilla beans, charred oak, and gentle baking spices.

Sipping the bourbon reveals notes of caramelized sugar, chocolate fudge, candied nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and oaky. The finish is long, lingering, warm, and ends with a nice mix of cinnamon candy and caramel.

Given that this is a cask strength whiskey, you should add a bit of water, which reveal additional aromas and flavors. The bourbon can also be used in cocktails, since you don't have to worry about it getting lost in the drink.

The Price

While there are a number of very good 7-year-old bourbons in the $40 range, I think Red Line's whiskey is worth the $70 to $80 suggested retail price. Remember this a single barrel pick, so it is unique by its very nature and very limited. Each barrel will taste differently even if the whiskey comes from the same distillery.

I guarantee that after one sip, you'll want to add this  bourbon to your home bar. It’s that good! 

Related: I've Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. Here Are My Picks for Top 10 Smoothest Bourbons

source https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/red-line-7-year-single-barrel-bourbon-whiskey-review