Barrell Bourbon Batch 026
56.32% ABV
$90
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
Barrell Bourbon Batch 026 was created by combining 9, 10, 11, 13 and 15-year-old barrels in several blending steps. The first was a fusion of 9-year-old high rye barrels peppery and pointed on the palate, 10-year-old oak forward barrels, and sweet, toasty 11-year-old barrels for mouthfeel and classic baking spice notes. The second balanced citrus forward 10, 12 and 15-year-old barrels with spicy, floral 9-year-old high rye barrels. These two blends were gradually co-mingled resulting in an intriguing bourbon that dances between fruit and spice long into its finish.
- A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
- Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana
- Selection of 9, 10, 11, 13, and 15-year-old barrels
- Aged in American white oak barrels
- Bottled in Kentucky
- 112.64 proof cask strength bottling
FLAVOR NOTES
Like a well-aged Sauternes, a complex array of fresh, dried, and cooked fruits dominates the aroma, supported by pungent florals and a delicate layer of barrel-spice. The palate is concentrated and extractive, having pulled quite a lot of sugar and peppery spice from the cask. Water tames it, bringing forth a panoply of tropical fruits on the nose and creamy desserts on the palate.
Neat
Appearance: Pumpkin pie.
Nose: Immediately bright and fruity, smelling of white peach, creamy coconut, and prickly rhubarb, followed by dried or cooked fruits, among them golden raisin, candied grapefruit peel, and roasted red pepper. Pungent florals are intermixed, notably rosehip and meadowsweet. As one’s nose adjusts, richer, sweeter notes of beeswax, toasted almond, and tiramisu arrive. They sit atop a dusting of allspice, spearmint, ginger ale and charcoal.
Palate: A bit brash, but well balanced and with only modest tannin. Initially the flavor is dark and complex, on molasses, black cherry soda, and root beer barrel candy. The palate is rounded out by slate, salt, green apple and a little horseradish.
Finish: Advances the cooked-fruit theme put forth by the nose, cycling through candied grapefruit peel, grape jam, cardamom and allspice. It fades with a mineral tingle of iron and wood smoke.
With a few drops of spring water
Tropical fruit aromas become the focus, particularly starfruit, pineapple, and limoncello. Geranium and vanilla lend to the exotic feeling. The palate grows richer and silkier, with toasted pumpernickel, quince paste, mocha and horchata.
What Gary Says
Nose: Salted caramel, vanilla, graham cracker, hot cocoa with marshmallows, raisins, oak, hint of cedar, touch of honey with mint, allspice and nutmeg.
Palate: Thick and spicy with citrus zip, caramel, honey, bit of maple syrup with apples and tropical fruit notes.
Finish: Moderately long, thickly sweet with chocolate and coconut.
Comments: Quite a complex pour – one that I really enjoy simply nosing and pondering. Another shining example of the blending skills of the fine folks at Barrell Craft Spirits. I’ve yet to try a batch I didn’t think was damn fine (with some being more in my wheelhouse than others). And I remain equally impressed with whomever does their tasting notes (reading them after making my own, I often find notes I didn’t nail but think “Oh yeah – THAT was there!”). I tasted this along side Bourbon Batches 018 & 027, and of those three – this was my favorite (although I wouldn’t turn away any of the others!)