Barrell Vantage
Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Finished in Mizunara, French, and Toasted American Oak
57.22% 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
Vantage is a blend of straight bourbons finished in three distinct expressions of virgin oak: Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks. The result is a warm, elegant bourbon that highlights the many dimensions of oak.
The BCS team has drawn on years of experience with three-part barrel finishing, used previously in Armida, Dovetail, and Seagrass. With Vantage, those same techniques were applied to the oak itself, using different char levels, toast levels, and oak origins to create a multidimensional blend.
Each component whiskey in Vantage is finished separately, then systematically combined according to a blending process fueled in equal parts by a scientific approach, experience, creativity, and experimentation. This process focuses on the wood characteristics and the specific flavor contributions that each cask contributes to the blend. The result is a masterfully blended, perfectly balanced representation of the harmonious synergy between bourbon and barrel.
FLAVOR NOTES
Selected Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks create multifaceted dimensions to this unique blend. The unique aspects of each wood and treatment are layered atop one another, precluding the singular taste of oak. The nose is creamy, spicy, and resinous, and the palate is richly textured and oily, soaked with barrel influence.
Neat
Appearance: Burnt sienna.
Nose: Creme brûlée, coconut oil, and chocolate pudding invoke the creamy richness of toasted American oak. Tarragon, nutmeg, and warm cola are among the dry, extractive spices highlighting the French oak. Mizunara’s incense and grilled pineapple notes, meanwhile, take the profile in a totally different direction.
Palate: Sweet and oily with a pronounced espresso note. It’s pleasantly rich on the tongue, which obscures much of the tannin – surprising given how much wood is present. The French oak’s robust spice notes inflect a maple syrup sweetness.
Finish: Green grapes and red plums burst above the barrel notes for the first time. It’s spicy, too, with za’atar, crystallized ginger and Szechuan peppercorns.
With a few drops of spring water
The nose grows earthier, exhibiting graham cracker and dark chocolate. The spirit’s rye grain emerges, not just with pumpernickel but also celery and chive blossom. The palate grows sweeter, tasting of maraschino liqueur and pavlova. It finishes on grapefruit zest and kola nut.
What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla flan with light caramel sauce, cocoa, tarragon, oak, nutmeg and hints of tropical fruit.
Palate: Viscous mouthfeel, caramel packed with spices; cloves, nutmeg, ginger, anise (almost pumpkin spice); sharpens slightly with pepper and oak before a creamy coffee cake note.
Finish: Long and syrupy with maple syrup and apricot jam.
Comments: Really nice showcase of how different types of oak can influence a solid blend of bourbons, and with a deft enough hand that the beauty of the bourbon isn’t lost. This is one where I do prefer the palate over the nose (although the nose is really interesting). A bit of water brings more chocolate and marshmallow on the nose, and some cherry cola to the palate, while softening the pepper and still thickening the mouthfeel even more. Just a fantastic, spice packed bourbon!