Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon
3rd Release, 15 Yrs
52.45% ABV
$250
Website
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Blender Says
- Matured for 15 years
- Distilled and aged in IN, KY and TN
- Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
- 104.9 proof cask strength bottling
An ephemeral bouquet shifts between heady minerals, tart fruits, woodsy spices, and rich nutty notes; with a delicacy that belies the explosion of oak on the palate. Water brings out a creaminess which transforms the nose into a lush and tropical experience reminiscent of a hazy IPA.
Appearance: Sugar just beginning to caramelize.
Nose: Heady and intense, with a first impression of summer rain, sea salt, and slate. This bourbon quickly opens to pineapple, cranberry, and crushed apple. Cumin, caraway and grains of paradise announce the presence of woodsy oak spice. As the senses are acclimated, a richer bouquet is revealed, with tahini, macadamia nut, leather, and roast pork.
Palate: Where the nose only hinted at oak, the palate explodes with it. There is gripping tannin, manuka honey, and the herbaceous complexity of an old world digestif. As a sip is held, it grows sweeter and mellower, tasting of French vanilla ice cream and coffee liqueur.
Finish: The fruits return as fassionola syrup, and Italian stone fruit, rounded out with roasted chestnut. It fades on hickory smoke and black pepper.
With a splash of spring water: The nose gets creamier: banana, candied lemon and jammy apricot joining the pineapple to create a tropical fruit smoothie. A touch of juiced wheatgrass lends a hoppy vibe. The palate grows spicier, with fiery cinnamon joined by juniper berry and catnip before fading on chewing tobacco.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the third release of Bourbon within the Barrell Craft Spirits Line,” said Founder Joe Beatrice. “For this annual release, we identified and blended some exceptional barrels to taste that are defined by absolute balance and deep flavor layering.”
Beginning in October 2020, Barrell Craft Spirits will make 12,000 (750ml) bottles of BCS Bourbon available at select retailers within the brand’s current 45 U.S. markets and online via the BCS website at www.barrellbourbon.com for the suggested retail price of $250.00, which includes a classic black storage case.
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich with cocoa, oak, maple syrup, vitamins, fruit cake with caramel sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, musky leather.
Palate: Warm with caramel, maple, honey, cinnamon bite, orchard fruits, vanilla, allspice, hint of clove with herbaceous notes.
Finish: Long and drying with oak, vanilla and sandalwood.
Comments: This is a really nice dram, well balanced and rich. The vitamin notes of Dickel are there, but not front and center. Some water does seem to bring those forward more, along with the maple notes. Nothing objectionable, although a bit pricey (but price is pretty subjective, and when it comes to bourbon – all bets are off). I’m not sure I like this better than some of their other batches (like Barrell Bourbon Batch 023), but hard to say when you don’t have them side by side. They are one of the only companies out there blending bourbon from different distilleries, which does give their products a unique angle. And thus far, the results have been pretty tasty!