Down Home Toasted Barrel Finish

Smoky, toasted flavor. Tastes like hickory wood pellets for a smoker or sawdust for an animal enclosure. Very wood forward. Not terrible, but not what you’d probably want from a bourbon.

Sweet, young, thin, rye spice at the end. Much better out there at a lower price point.

This is wonderful. Rye, pie crust, and faintest berries on the nose. Loads of tart cherry on the palate, a bit of rye spice, nice balance. Probably a bit too hot still, in that I’d guess a little water would unlock more flavors. Finish is medium short, rye spice, alcohol burn, m faint cherry comes back very long after it’s already faded out.

Advent calendar blind Day 13: Smells spicy. Long fruity middle with leather and cocoa. Fiery cinnamon finish.

Neat. Sample of Louisville Bourbon Club #2. Batch 1 of this was a bit of a disappointment to me. The toasted barrel finish didn’t add to the MGP profile I love, instead of just muted some of the rough edges of a young MGP. Still enjoy it but it wasn’t the Double Oaked MGP I was hoping for. A fellow whiskey enthusiast sent me this sample so I could see how Down Home was evolving their Toasted barrels. On the nose, I am getting notes I associate more with scotch. The first thing to pop in mind is a salty jerky. Then the young MGP note is quite bright and shines through. Charred caramel. Hint of raspberries. That salty jerky note is throwing me off, I like it but it’s not where I saw this going. Texture is oily, but not quite creamy. Brown sugar on the tongue. Blast of vanilla, transitions to the charred caramel, unexpected hint of almond with raspberries all over the medium-long legs. This is a step above Batch 1 so it’s nice to see they are learning and improving on this idea. However, I do fear the MGP is too young and green to do this idea justice. The double barrel isn’t turning into the creamy chocolate or toasted marshmallow I want. I think the almond or coconut is the new aspect it gave the MGP with the barrel. Enjoying this but still not what I hoped a toasted MGP would be.

Neat. Neck pour. Toasted barrel MGP! I love toasted barrel finished bourbon and never seen a toasted barrel MGP until today. I’m guessing this is 5 to 7 year MGP based on the price ($69). The color is nice and dark due to the extra barrel but not Woodford Double Oaked or 1920 dark. Looks like a 12 year MGP. On the nose, it is stereotypical 5 year MGP. I’d equate it to Mic Drop 3.0. There is a young MGP green note that dominates more than I like. Getting behind it, there is a nice butterscotch, chocolate and nutmeg. Blind, I don’t think I would call this a toasted barrel finish. The toasted marshmallow I get on other toasted products is there but very faint. I don’t think it spent too long in that second barrel, maybe three months. There is a really nice buttery and flaky pastry crust as I spend more time with it. The green note is becoming more Apple than just young whiskey as I sit with it longer too. I think the finishing took off the edges and spikiness of young MGP that I don’t enjoy, but I don’t think it added new dynamics based on the nose. Oh, great texture. So oily and creamy. I know this one isn’t chilled filtered because there are so many floating barrel chunks in my glass. Cinnamon apple sweetness up front. And that Apple really comes out punching as it starts out so bright. But it darkens slowly. Butterscotch comes back and transitions into some nice salted light chocolate. The legs are really good. Toasted marshmallow emerges and leaves a nice lingering MGP cherry note. Okay, this one won me over by the end. The youngness on the nose was an initial turn off and the toasted barrel finish is just a subtle addition to the experience, but the flavors are there on the taste and finish. Starting at Apple, transition to the desert flavors and ending on cherry is unique for a MGP too. I would love to try an older toasted MGP that spends more time in the second barrel. As it stands with this bottle, the toasted barrel made a young MGP much better but this isn’t the 1920 MGP I hoped it would be. Still a good value for MGP at the price.

Really happy I wasn't the one to add this. A touch sad I'll have to lower the score since a 5.0 seems comical if someone has you know drank whisky. So full disclosure I've had the pleasure of getting some samples from the guys involved in this. I got to try their 5.5 year for free and got a sample of this while it was aging, well before it was done aging in the toasted barrel. Lets just say, I'm REALLY glad they weren't done aging the sample cause that was NOT good. But yeah I might have been biased but this all started with my praise for their batch 2 12 year which I fell in love with. Nose - vanilla and over ripe banana. Now my scotch fans will be like "omg YOUNG" and while that's not false this one kinda works. Honestly I get a white board marker with that alcohol and sweetness note big time. As I dig in I get more cream and vanilla and just robust flavors. Taste - Now I get more shoe varnish, vanilla, creme, bananas, and chocolate. That said there's a funky oaky and cardboard and water oak and what not going on. This is normally a flaw in a bourbon but here it's crazy complex and unique. I can't lie for under 70 this is a fun whisky. Solid 2.25 and a winner imo. I mean guys 2.25 for a 65 dollar whisky and it's polarizing? Oh yeah that's one to buy and checkout.