Redwood Empire Haystack Needle Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Redwood Empire is so good and does so many things correctly as a distillery, it’s no wonder I broke my rule and made this my first-ever California whiskey offering. The quality to price ratio with them is off the charts.

Haystack Needle represents the pinnacle of Sonoma County’s distilling prowess, offering a 100% grain-to-glass experience that is as intimate as it is refined. Every bottle is born from a meticulous mash bill—72% corn, 18% rye, and a delicate 5% split of wheat and malted barley—cut with pure water from the Russian River Aquifer. These spirits are matured in new American White Oak barrels with a deep #3 char, allowing the whiskey to develop a bold, wood-driven complexity that perfectly highlights their hard-earned house style.

What truly sets this program apart is its extreme scarcity and hands-on craftsmanship; the team produces only four barrels a day, fostering an almost personal connection with every cask from the initial mash to the final pour.