Red Line Experimental Cask Series Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Finished In Barbados Rum Casks

Rating: 13/23 N: Mmm. Bold vanilla sweetness with a connection to barrel spices and hints of caramel and chocolate. Its isn't a super full nose, but there are some nice scents in it. P: Not the fullest. I do get the heat from the proof, but it's not harsh. Getting past the thinness, there's a nice vanilla sweetness that is bold. A bit of leather comes in here as well, which is kind of interesting as it plays with black licorice, but is a little odd. I'm getting faint strong baijiu vibes out of this a hints of tropical fruits come in alongside the rubber. Lots of spices, with ginger being the strongest, but cinnamon also playing a big role. A tart layer gets in as well, sort of like granny smith apple skins. The more I sip this, the more the light character stands out. The vanilla remains decadent, but it tastes like there's a couple of layers missing here. I'm maybe getting some hints of gala apple, cherry, and orange now though. F: Yeah, the fruits linger, along with the spices. Some rubber and black licorice as well. Possibly hints of sweet corn as well. This is actually the best part, I think. - Conclusion - There's a lot of potential here, but my overall impression is that this dram is too long (and being sold at far too high of a price for what it is). This would be a great find at $20 and a fine buy at $30. At $40, it starts getting more questionable and at $50 we're getting into pass territory. I'd love to try and older expression though. As for a rating, I'm thinking a 13 or 14. Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23) is richer and way more balanced. It also has a lot of vanilla and side-by-side it's clear to me that this has more of a bitterness underneath it. I'm now thinking that a 14 is out and this could go as low as an 11. I am thinking of a 13 though. Coming back to this the next day and placing it alongside Rolling Fork's Foursquare 9 (12/23), I find this to be slightly better. Definitely not an 11. I'm now thinking a 13 or 14, so I'm probably going to go with a 13.