Tastes

Reminds me of a 'classed up' Old Tub (one I've poured a lot more of over the past few years), with a bit of extra zing...plenty of corn, sugary peanut notes, mild spice, but there's also some age here...an almost leathery component. It doesn't nose 'rich', but it doesn't nose 'poor' either. Palate is moderately oily and generally sweet...brown sugar and more of the corn, along with a bit of baking spices. While this isn't a complex pour, it isn't overly simplistic either. Finish is moderate in length with a bit more of the wood character late in the sip. This is a perfectly good $30 whiskey...I'm a bit surprised at how hard it is becoming to find, but then again, I probably shoudn't be surprised by anything in the world of bourbon...

Batch #02. Tried this at a blind tasting, and it was a hit, so with my own bottle in tow, here we go. Pours a copper penny color...not much in the way of legs, but its a pleasant color that suggests the french oak did some good things. Nose is quite oaky, but not offensively so, with some cherry notes, a bit of brown sugar, and some peppery spices. Seems like a good nose for a cold winter night (and alas, its June, but it is rainy and cold). Flavor is robust, and hot...truly a warmer! Less spicy and more sugary is the knee jerk reaction, but digging deeper there is plenty of brown sugar and pie-like sweetness, more cherry, and a bit of almond on the backend. The oak is there...and this tastes like it has some age (though I suspect it is youthful, as there is NAS noted). Long finish...and this drinks every bit of its 113 proof. Nip of H2O makes the nose a bit sweeter and softer, and simply softens the palate a bit... I really, really enjoy this whiskey...its impressive how this can be so full flavored and be a whiskey that would complement a cigar quite nicely that is likely less than 5 years old. Kudos...

Picked this up on a whim a while back, surprised to see anything with CoK on the shelf. Admittedly, the price made me a tad bit cautious at $75 for something just on the BiB side of the line, but it (was) 2022, and $75 is the new $60, so went for it. A bit of a ruddy gold pour, the nose is, well, odd. Highly herbaceous, and somewhat green and funky, there's a bit of tea, a splash of mint, and an almost vegetal note that, admittedly, did not strike a good chord. In a nutshell, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be (which is a bit odd, considering the Jim Rutledge signature on the bottle). Flavor is a rye...a bold, spicy, herby, minty, and (mildly) dill pickley rye...and is a vast improvement on the flavor even if not perfectly aligned with my tastes. Bit of brown sugary chewiness on the finish that remains spicy for quite a while. Did I like this? At first, no, and I never warmed up to the nose, but the palate is intriguing and makes it something to bring off the shelf when a guest is looking for something new, or loves ryes...but this would be downright offensive to someone who likes to hang out on the sweeter end of the spectrum

Pours a deep gold into a rocks glass (sans rocks). Nose has some ethanol and is quite spicy...but also brown sugar and vanilla to keep it from being too 'rye like'. But seriously, this is spicier than I remember it being in the past (bottle is about 1/3 empty, so I've done some damage in the past couple years). Flavor is bold, and outstanding, and fairly long...and I don't get nearly the spice on the palate...but more fruit, brown sugar, vanilla, and maybe a note of cinnamon. A splash of water softens the nose a bit and admittedly opens up the flavors a bit, but doesn't seem to introduce anything new or rewarding. Don't find this particularly wheat-forward, but it is more evident on the palate. Decent legs...this is a nice sipper. Got this bottle nice and cheap back in the day...and for $55, this is an absolute steal

Had this as a taster and was duly impressed, so with a bottle in tow, time for a review. Moderate red pour...some decent legs as well. Nose is quite complex, but overarchingly sweet - some oak at play here, and a somewhat nutty finish. While I note some cherry, I wonder how much of that is because I'm 'expecting' it, but its a captivating nose regardless. That being said, the flavor is the show...modestly spicy with the rye mashbill, there's a vanilla sweetness throughout, with hints of sugar and oaky tannins. Ok, on second thought, the mouthfeel is also the show - this is beautifully balanced...oily and smooth with a great finish, not to mention easy drinking for 110 proof. I don't really get how this works, but it does. It isn't cheap, but I dare say its a good value...one of the most unique pours I've had

Bottle that's been open for some time...purchased for somewhere around $60 if I recall correctly, but that's a pretty rough guess. Lighter body than expected (in terms of color - sort of a slightly reddish gold in a rocks glass (with no rocks). I note the Cab Sav on the initial nose, as I sense its a bit dry and dusty...some bready notes...underlying sweetness, but not a thick sweetness...more of a white sugar/honey sweetness. Flavor is quite hot, though it is over 60% alcohol...beside the ethanol is notable baking spices, more of the honey notes, and some soft berries that are an accent rather than at the forefront. Palate is extremely drying...but with a long, warm finish. I like this whiskey, but I don't love it...not my favorite Barrell product by a long shot...

Small pour from a local liquor store owner...will remain anonymous, but nevertheless, much appreciated. Nose is an oak bomb with some sweetness, some spice, and some fruity tobacco...its intriguing if nothing else. The oak is heavy on the palate...having recently had a nice sized pour of the 17 year, that one was light and vibrant, and while this certainly has character, the extra two years makes this one a bit more of an gentle, slow, and somewhat overweight ambler than a lively dancer. Tobacco and other pipe notes (clove?) seem prevalent, and there's some fruit underneath that maybe, just maybe, a bit more juice with a bit more time may have brought forward a bit more. Is this a good pour...certainly! But I'll put it out there...this didn't hold a candle to the 17-year...hopefully that isn't too sacrilegious.

Nice, boozy wheater here...so let's break it down. Nose is a bit heavy on the ethanol, but otherwise generally sweet with loads of caramel that isn't opened much with water, but a bit of simple glass time seemed to make it sing a bit more. Not particularly complex, but pleasant. Flavor is what one would expect from a wheated whiskey...hints of toffee, caramel, some vanilla...slight note of butterscotch, and with the ABV, there's definitely some burn here, but nothing over the top. A bit of earthiness which feels a bit odd, but I think adds to the complexity/enjoyment of this pour. Price and availability make this a solid dram!

I'll provide this brief review twice. This whiskey noses very grainy and lacks notable complexity with some stale wood notes. Flavor is sweet with notes of caramel and a circus peanut vibe. Short finish. Ok, round two - this is one of the best values you will find. No, it isn't complex, and it doesn't belong on the top shelf, but there are no true off flavors (the wood thing does kind of get me on the nose...it isn't a pleasant oak), but there is enough depth to the flavor, hints of vanilla if you dig a bit, and almost a bit of mint at the tail end. This is, with little doubt, the best "lowest shelf" whiskey I've had, and something I would always willingly drink, esp given the BiB stamp!

Batch 1a - Picked up at the distillery in Nov 2021...Nose is a bit tight, but a grassy rye spice is there...water helps a skosh and brings out some baking spices and some vanilla/caramel, but it remains relatively light, and left me wanting a bit more. Flavor is notably better (and pretty damn good) with a full rye profile - plenty of spice, earl grey tea, and more vanilla up front than I might have expected. An easy sipper with or without water, this is nice and warming with a more-than-respectable finish. I really enjoy this pour...just feel like its holding itself back a bit, even with some shelf time...but at the same time I would happily buy this again