Tastes

Grainy vanilla, sugar, wheat, sawdust and brown sugar/toffee on the nose give way to a dusty, balanced mildly sweet oaky apple pie middle and a spicy oak fruit finish. Defeated Maker’s cask strength in a blind test.

Orange cola and cherry on the nose. Fruity rootbeer palate. Spicy finish.

Rich, delectable nose. Woodsy creme brulee with vanilla, burnt sugar and all the spices. But can the taste hold up? Yes it does. Caramel and cream and spice show up with oak and pepper. Leather and sawdust riding shotgun. The finish is caramel, tannic and spicy if a little short. Worth trying alongside other spicy dessert bourbons like High West Prairie barrel select, Barrell Batch 29, and Barrell D88i.

Barnyard sawdust on the nose with vanilla, caramel and orange. Palate brings peanut butter cup, cherry cola, caramel, cocoa, apple pie, oak, and some underlying dill or rosemary. It’s very good. Finishes with a hint of mint. High octane. Suggests big things. Oof, you let me down, 2023.

Hay, honey, vanilla, cherry nose with a hint of brown sugar. I’m picturing a danish pastry. Tongue is drier than expected, shortbread and berry—like a cherry poptart, which dates me. Notes of molasses, brown sugar and cherry cough drops come along later. Finish has a tangy medicinal note. Not my fav Barrell but it’s a cute trick and interesting.