Barrell Bourbon Batch 018
55.78% ABV
$90
Website
What the Blender Says
Barrell Bourbon Batch 018 is a cinnamon bomb of a bourbon. We began with a juicy and tropical 11-year-old blend and layered in more structured and spice-driven 14 and 15-year-old barrels to give this batch a serious amount of character and bite.
- A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
- Distilled and aged in Tennessee and Kentucky
- Selection of 11, 14 and 15-year-old barrels
- Aged in American white oak barrels
- Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
- 111.56 proof cask strength bottling
- Mash bill: corn, rye and malted barley
FLAVOR NOTES
A blend of straight bourbons with all the comfort of your favorite Old Fashioned — sweet and rich with notes of honey, orange and cherry. Coffee and tropical fruit on the palate lead into an earthy finish that invites thoughtful contemplation as the whiskey continues to evolve.
Neat
Appearance: Wildflower honey with brassy highlights.
Nose: Opens rich and fruity, on orange liqueur and maraschino syrup, with underpinnings of cardamom, juniper, and incense. With air, a note of sweet vermouth arrives then evolves into concord grape jam and mint shisha. Slowly, exotic notes of papaya, finger lime, and gooseberry lift above the milieu.
Palate: The flavor of wildflower honey joins the orange liqueur and sweet vermouth from the nose but these sweet flavors are balanced by tangy pomegranate and strawberry. Subtle notes of dark chocolate and kahlua lend it depth.
Finish: Unexpectedly earthy, with cardamom re-appearing alongside almond, cappuccino, and sumac.
With a few drops of spring water
The fruit grows brighter, introducing notes of tangerine zest, mango, passionfruit and coconut, while mineral notes of limestone and tonic water add even more lift.
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel, blood orange, vanilla glazed donut, sandalwood, pecans, cherries, oak, bit of dried mint and vitamins.
Palate: Fruity with cherries, orange, grilled peaches, honey, bit of chocolate, caramel, mineral note with a hint of sweet vermouth.
Finish: Moderately long and drying with pepper spice, oak and an earthy mineral note.
Comments: A pretty solid blend. The presence of Dickel is a bit more prominent in this one compared to some others, so if you don’t care for that vitamin/minerality often found there, this might not be your favorite blend. With some water the mouthfeel thickens nicely, and I got more floral notes on the nose as well. I reviewed this side-by-side with two more recent batches (026 and 027), and this was my least favorite, and was still pretty good.