Barrell Bourbon Batch 019

Nice amber color, slow tear drop legs. Right out of the bottle the nose is great with fruity, sweet aromas. Over the next few minutes it remains bright but puts off warm full-fat vanilla iced cinnamon rolls. There’s detectable oak as well. I don’t get any ethanol or astringency unless I really bury my nose in the glass and breathe deeply. Smooth on entry with a quick upstroke of barrel spice and then an oily, brown-butter and barrel char finish. The sharp fruit notes from the nose roll in as a subdued plum flavor. The spice isn’t clearly identifiable but reminds me a little of anise. The finish is buttery, long and somewhat tannic - highlighting the wood more than the juice itself. The complexity I was hoping for isn’t quite there but this is a freshly opened bottle. What gets me is the absence of more sweetness or brighter fruit notes that seemed to come across on the nose. Anyway, for now this is a mature, viscous and satisfying dram but for the price not what you can get from an ECBP or even an Russel’s store pick. That said, the profile is very different from either of those and bourbon “traditionalists” would likely enjoy this one. Will need to revisit...

Peanut butter cup

After last week’s damn good Barrell rum, I figured I’ll have a go at another Barrell product tonight—-this one also courtesy of @jonwilkinson7309. Barrell has really been hitting all strides. It has innovative products like Dovetail, higher end ones like their 25 yr old, and expansions into rum. All done really well. But their core bread and butter is still the bourbon blends. Apart from their 3 high end products, all of their lineup is priced around $90. That places it square in the middle of most upper end whiskeys. But I think what sets it apart is the consistent quality batch to batch. And for me personally, I don’t find these too hot, as opposed to Booker’s, which I need to always overload with ice. A blend of 9.5 and 14 yr olds, from KY and TN, it’s a more of a high rye bourbon with a classic high proof taste and a slight barrel char. The nose is the best part in this: candied nuts and marshmallow. Another hit from Barrell. If you’re a fan of classic old school bourbon, this has got to be on your list. Thanks Jon for the pour !