Barrell might be the king of American blending. What surprises me is why did it take so long for us Americans to blend whiskey? Scots have been doing it for ages. Japanese have been as well. It’s not like we didn’t have plenty of producers, from KY to TN to CA, and now even TX and NY. We might have been late to the game, but we catch up real quick. And these folks at Barrell might be the best in American blending. This one here is there ultra premium grey label ( which was $250, but recently cut in half to $125ish). It’s an older version of their regular Dovetail, so a blend of Whiskey finished in rum, port and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Barrels. I believe the age is 20yr, which is quite on the upper end for its three regional components ( KY, TN, and Canada ). Nose is sweet. Grapes, jam, strawberries. Palette : dry leather, oak, sweet jam and maple. With water, it really takes away the complexity. I’m getting astringent oak, and some barrel spices. Have this without water. Okay, so this is good. But, I actually prefer the regular Dovetail. It was a bit more rugged, which I think worked well with the wine sweetness. This older version has more elegance and silky texture, but I feel as it is a tad too sweet for me. Your mileage may vary depending on your sweet tooth…for me, this was more than I prefer.