Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Seagrass (2022 Release)

Batch 1 / 65.41% Nose - Quite hot initially, hint of dill/mint, cinnamon, cloves, caramel, faint hint of dried apricot/peach (w/ water) Much more vibrant, quick apricot followed by dill/mint up front followed by a wave of caramel & sweet drying leather Taste - Very drying, dark dried apricots, habanero heat/tingle, cinnamon, drying sweet leather, caramel (w/ water) Dried apricots, sweet drying leather, caramel, "generic rum vibe", cinnamon, dill/mint stem bitter Finish - Lingering sweet caramel, sweet leather dryness, dill/mint stem bitter/dryness, apricot, drying sweet leather (w/ water) Same Score - 88/100 Final Thoughts - So not sure if they used less active apricot brandy casks or if older rye just doesn't take on fruity casks as much, but this definitely had less cask influence than the NAS Seagrass. It also felt a bit hot and water really helped this one out. This was still very much a rye even if tasted blind, but like the NAS version, the apricot brandy dominated followed by the Martinique rum and frankly I wouldn't even know there was any Madeira influence in this. This did have a nice sweet leather dryness that was a bit nice, but due to the proof it got a bit distracting at times. This one is best with a bit of water and is good, but I don't think it justifies the 4x price premium over the standard Seagrass. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Wow, a lot of heat on my first sip. Wasn’t expecting that. Added ice and tried again but just couldn’t get much in terms of tasting notes. Two problems 1) it was a newly opened bottle and 2) I had been drinking red wine previously. I’ll revisit in a few weeks but the jury is still out for me. Highly rated (and relatively high price) so I have high hopes.

A lot of the Seagrass notes such as Apricot and stone fruit flavors but much more special. Great finisher

Phenomenal!

Rye is apparent and spice forward, with a fresh and grassy character on the nose. The barrel’s oakiness has dark notes of roasted coffee, tobacco leaf and char. Flavorwise, the intensity of the proof showcases more of the spice, along with high top notes of madiera and an almost citrus pith bitterness. Not too much to overwhelm, but rather it leaves the palate clean. The finish is medium long, with the fruit notes we were expecting from the apricot brandy cask. All in all, still a quite dry, rye bread-like spirit that has a depth of field. Another amazingly forward thinking blend from the crafters at Barrell

Nose - apricot, peach, butterscotch, coffee, vanilla cream, dark chocolate, pear, baked apple, sawdust, honey, earthy mint, clove, anise, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, vanilla, spiced apple, pear, apricot, peach, orange oil, dark chocolate, cherry jam, honey, anise, clove, spearmint, ginger, black pepper, rich oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with apricot, stone fruit, and citrus oil flavors. For my 500th review, I wanted something special and likely to receive a high rating from me. And with t8ke giving this a rare perfect score, the 16 Year Gray Label Seagrass is as good as any to mark the occasion. However, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the standard Seagrass release, so let’s see how this stacks up. The nose is rich and darkly fruity with apricot, peach, dark chocolate, and a host of earthy rye spices. It’s unquestionably superior to the standard release’s. The palate is similarly darker, richer, and oilier. Those stone fruits are right up front with deep orange oil and sour cherry jam flavors. The mouthfeel is thick and the finish lingers pleasantly. I was asked to compare this with the standard Seagrass release. Well the results are in, and this is way better. It shares the same DNA, but fixes all the issues I had with the younger counterpart. The $250 price tag is questionable, but the quality isn’t. This isn’t perfect, but it’s outstanding and probably the best rye I’ve ever tried. A huge thank you to @pkingmartin for providing the generous sample!

It lived up to the hype and was worth the price. Loved it so much on the first tasting that I immediately ordered another bottle.