Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

Black pepper and a vanilla biscuit with a light caramel drizzle. Smooth. Candy corn. Cinnamon and spices. Slight oak and a long finish. Good stuff but not worth the $90 I paid for the bottle.

Neat: Apple scent with a hint of honey Potent tip but smooth swallow Pleasant burn with notes of oak Rocks: Smells like pumpkin pie Opens to sweet with a spicy finish Aftertaste of caramel without the sweet

Nose: Big, bold, boozy oak and char. This is not shy about what it is. Classic brown sugar and vanilla are also here, alongside a bready, biscuity character I'm really digging. Tobacco, leather, and dusty corn. Splashes of fruits dancing around in the background. Baking spices, leaning more on cinnamon. Cocoa. There's also some sublty meaty characterists. Palate: Oak and bubblegum. Vanilla. Bananas. Light brown sugar. Grocery store sugar cookies with that colored coarse sugar sprinkled on top. Coffee and leather punching though - barrel bite is definitely coming through. Solid tannin to add texture and just a little bitterness. Black licorice and nutmeg. Solid balance and structure. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: Classic ethanol pop and oak. That oak slowly gets charred while coffee grounds, earth, and buttermilk biscuits come and go. Berries, vanilla custard. As things fade some thyme and basil show up. Medium-long length. Other notes: This is an excellent bourbon. It's not coloring outside the lines or bringing anyhthing unique to the table. Instead, this executes the standard format very well. Barrell continues to impress, with releases like this definitely climbing into Booker's territory as far as quality is concerned. For being 108.86 proof, this presents much bigger and bolder than I was expecting. An easy recommended buy if you enjoy the style. And definitely one I'll be sad to see go.