Barrell Whiskey American Vatted Malt June 25, 2019

Just finished bottle. Not my PF, esp towards the end.

Prejudice. Bias. Racism. Discrimination. Call it what you want, but it’s a black stain in human nature to have preformed unsubstantiated opinions based on nothing but conjecture. We all do it, in little things or in larger things that hurt people. 10 Years ago, we went on vacation to Greece, where it was my wife, my then 1 1/2 yr daughter, and me. We were taking the funicular from the top of the Santorini caldera to the bottom, by the shore. In the funicular with us there was a single young man, middle eastern or Arabic descent. He made small broken English conversation with us. But what was odd was he was holding a little Elmo doll. He offered the Elmo doll to my daughter, who gleefully wanted to accept. I absolutely refused. Not because of any reason, except mistrust. Why is a single guy carrying around an Elmo doll? Why was he in the funicular car with us? Why even make small talk when you can’t speak our language? A few days later, we run into the same guy at a restaurant there in Santorini. He’s working as a waiter. He approaches us, and says immediately in broken English, “sir, I am so sorry for making you and your family uncomfortable that day. It was not my intent. I saw your little daughter and it reminded me of my little daughter back home in Iraq. I had just bought her this doll, but I realized I couldn’t ship it to her anyway. I wanted it to give it to your daughter, hoping to see her smile, and I can think what my girl would’ve done. I am sorry”. I felt 1 inch tall, especially when he showed us the picture of him and his family. A highly educated dual advanced degree, non-white minority with a really good living in the US, now making a prejudiced call based on nothing but conjecture. That there leads me to this whiskey. ( what a freakin stretch...), sent graciously by my buddy @jonwilkinson7309. If you ever thought American craft whiskey can’t stand up to the best out of UK, India, or Japan, this here will set you straight. It’s a blending genius at the level of Compass Box, but a fraction of their price. Most folks write off blends as inferior to single malts, and an American blend...? Seriously...? Can’t be any good. This is youthful, fiesty, and energetic. Cherry pie, baking spices, and silky texture. It took the best American craft , and made them better. If you see this, buy on sight. I’m sure they’ll come out with batch 2...but who knows if it’ll be as good as batch 1.

When the history of American single malt is written, this whiskey should be recognized as a milestone. Not just because it’s the first blend of its kind, but also because it marks the point at which the industry has the confidence and the supplies to craft a totem pole that says, “This is who we are.” It’s akin to that moment when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to assemble Thor, Iron Man and Hulk into the Avengers and realized that there was no going back. What Barrell has created here is a blend that as good as a Compass Box Scotch, yet distinctly American. It’s youthful and feisty without being uncouth. Let’s talk about the flavors: is there anything more American than cherry? The nose is ripe with it and it provides the backbone of the palate. It’s not an artificial candy cherry, either, but a delicious rounded one that is neither too sweet nor sour. There’s clove too, particularly on the finish, which is long and spicy and untainted by any of the feints or green notes that tarnish much of the younger craft spirits. The body is silky and fruity and drinks way below its strength. It tastes and feels sophisticated and integrated. It’s more than the sum of its parts. If you see this offered at a bar, give it a try. Just don’t go where I did, at least not on a Friday night when 100 people are competing for the attention of two sullen servers who forget your order and then assume they can keep the significant amount of change from the bills you tendered. Whiskey, served sour.