Nose - cherry, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon butter, caramel, leather, chocolate, roasted peanut, orange zest, rich oak, black pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, buttered popcorn, peanut, black cherry, sour apple, marshmallow, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, barrel char, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, sour apple, and buttered popcorn flavors. Coming off a series of delicious Springbanks, I really have a hankering for some good American whiskey. And what better place to find refuge than in some Barrell Craft Spirits bottlings. Over the coming days, I’ll be working my way through nine of their releases ranging from the relatively cheap core expressions to some much older, more expensive ones. Let’s kick it off with this Batch 21 bourbon release from 2020. While the component whiskies are between 10 and 14 years old, the nose is very lively. Cherry, brown sugar, cinnamon butter, leather, and a rich, roasty toasty quality. The palate brings a smoky, barrel char note, more cherry, chocolate, and some marshmallow. Some unwanted sourness sneaks in as well, but it’s not overwhelming. The mouthfeel and finish are medium. This is good bourbon. If the palate were as good as the nose, this would be great bourbon. I’m considering picking up the new Batch 31. The prices are probably higher than they should be, but most are these days. Many thanks to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the generous sample!