jsk
Reviewed
March 6, 2019 (edited May 21, 2019)
Dovetail is another showcase for the blending talents of the folks at Barrell. It's a combination of 10yr MGP whiskey finished in cabernet barrels, along with 11yr TN bourbon finished in black strap rum and port casks. 122.9 proof cask strength bottling.
Color is reddish-copper, and a quick swirl shows medium-thin legs that dissapate fairly quickly.
On the nose, rum notes hit up front - molasses, raisins, banana, and some vanilla. There's also some oak along with ethanol/heat (reminds me of varnish). Finally some more fruit notes become apparent: apples, cherries, even rasperies. Not the dark fruits I would have expected from the port/cabernet casks.
Palate follows the nose. If anything the first impression is even more rum-like than the nose, with burnt sugar, vanilla, and some nuttiness and funky ripe fruits. Mouthfeel is creamy, and after the rum notes I get red fruits (dark cherry, raspberry again). The finish lingers with toasted marshmallows, vanilla, and some faint baking spices. There's not much in the way of bite/burn, the finish is smoother than the nose suggested.
Given that part of the blend comes from Dickel, I was worried this might have the dreaded flintstones vitamin note that I can't stand, but fortunately it was nowhere to be found.
A few drops of water intensified the nose without really changing the balance. On the palate the water increased the sweet/creamy notes.
I could see this being polarizing. There's a lot of complexity, and some really interesting flavors; but it's different from pretty much anything else I've tried. I think anyone who has dabbled in rum will find this interesting, but the slight funkiness could throw some people for a loop.
While this isn't something I'll necessarily on a regular basis, I think it deserves a solid 4 just for the sheer uniqueness. Sourced MGP/Dickel whiskies are a dime a dozen in today's market (despite being massively overpriced in a lot of cases), but with Barrell you're getting something beyond just a NDP label.
82.0
USD
per
Bottle