As a spirit’s enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for a good deal or some new bottle that sounds interesting. During my daily browsing, I stumbled on news that Barrell had released a 24-year-old Canadian whiskey that was finished in Armagnac and oloroso casks which immediately kicked in my inner whiskey lion instincts to hunt my new prey. I immediately started hunting for a bottle, but alas, it was elusive as none of my usual online stores had it and seemed likely to be gobbled up by savvy, bottle flipping hyenas that would taunt me with their infuriating secondary prices. Thankfully, I was given a tip to go to Barrell’s website which had a variety of bottles at retail price that you can simply add to cart, double tap that Apple pay button and they will show up to your house a few days later. Now that the hunt is over, it’s time to sit down with my new catch and dive in. The nose is soft and light that starts with powdered sugar before floral and grassy notes of a spring meadow with a morning dew followed by persimmons, mangoes and honey dew then roasted nuts and chocolate covered raisins that fades to spices of ginger, wintergreen, spearmint and forest floors covered in pine needles with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium-full mouthfeel starting with chamomile tea with lavender petals followed by fruits of persimmons, Bosc pear, and salted mango followed by banana leaves then a stream washing over forest rocks along with chocolate covered almonds that fades to spices of ginger, wintergreen, spearmint, and pine needles with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with chamomile tea, blooming lavender flowers, orange blossom, apple peel, dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts, roasted fennel, wintergreen, spearmint, and forest floors. So, this is a very complex one that brings in a soft and balanced nose of sweets, florals, tropical fruits, light nutty notes and earthy spices that carries over to the palate starting with tea and floral notes then tropical fruits that fades to leafy notes, rocky minerality and chocolate nutty flavors before earthy spices emerge that finishes long with tea, floral, citrus, nutty notes and earthy spices that linger for minutes. Barrell always seems to be releasing high quality products, but this is a complete masterpiece that the finishes are barely recognizable and simply enhances the complexity with additional flavors without overpowering the underlying spirit. There are some similarities here with my Lock Stock and Barrel 18, so a comparison seems warranted. Side by side with Lock Stock and Barrel 18, the Lock Stock seems more youthful and abrasive whereas the Barrell seems lighter with a better balance that brings those unique floral, forests, tropical fruits and chocolate nutty flavors that keeps pulling me back to pour another glass. At $250, this is an expensive treat, but with a 24-year-old age statement with some unique finishes this one seems worthy of a splurge.