Barrell Armida

Nose - black cherry, orange vitamin, lemon, allspice, grass, cardamom, banana, pear, yeast, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, dry oak, brown sugar, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - butterscotch, dry herbal notes, cherry, orange vitamin, vanilla, spiced apple, brown sugar, pear, dry oak, allspice, allspice, chocolate, hazelnut, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with butterscotch, dry oak, and herbal flavors. Next up on the Barrell train is the Armida release. This is one funky bourbon! The first thing notice is that Dickel orange vitamin note. I don’t hate the Dickel profile as much as some, but I don’t love it either. I can’t make out all the finishes on the nose, but the rum influence is pretty obvious from the banana, allspice, and grassy qualities. The palate is surprisingly dry and earthy. The Dickel is right there again alongside some powdery nuttiness. Overall this is good, but I wish it weren’t as dry and herbaceous. I’m thinking they went a bit overboard with the finishing. There’s some quality whiskey underneath, but it feels slightly rudderless. Regardless, this is very drinkable, and it’s certainly a unique take on bourbon that I’m happy to experience. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the generous sample!

Another day another Barrell.... the master blenders are at it again with a bottle that just sounds delicious... whiskey, rum, brandy, and why not throw in a specialty Sicilian liquor for kicks? Let's see how this little Frankenstein drinks. Nose is not whiskey on this one. Rum yes... brandy yes... whiskey wherefore art thou? I am half expecting this to taste like a Captain Morgan, but let's hope for better... First sip is redeeming. There is defintely heavy rum sweetness on the front end. The middle brings hints of raisin from the brandy and this seems to carry into the finish. There is a pleasant light cinnamon burn at the tail. The end leaves a bit of an apricot taste that isn't really working for me. Overall, this is just ok. At this bottle price ok doesn't really cut it. This one doesn't hold up to the Barrell standard in my book. There are so many great Barrell bottles that I suggest you leave this one on the shelf unless you really enjoy experimental finishes. In that case grab one and enjoy the journey.

Nose: caramel, corn undertones. Reminds me of white dog rum straight off the still. Little water & cherry opened up with a tiny bit of brown sugar & the pear appeared. Taste: not nearly as sweet as I expected. I get no rum or brandy (unsophisticated palate?). After a drop of water it got very sweet, loads of caramel. A "baking" kind of sweet... Maybe a little artificial. Long finish, even nasally. Bitter on the back of the tongue. Not unexpectedly a touch of water mellowed it out & really shortened the finish. Loads of caramel notes 10-15 seconds after swallowing. Overall I'm not a big fan. It needs water to really open up the different flavor profiles & take out the ethanol that could overpower the palate. Glad I tried, but not on the short list. Will add some interesting flavors to the infinity bottle.

I find this one rather interesting and I can imagine liking it more with time. Butterscotch candy on the nose but with a very distinct influence from the finishing casks. The fruit that comes to mind is apricot though and not pear (one of the finishing casks is pear brandy). The rum cask influence is notable as well, but the Amaro is lost on me on the nose. All this follows through on the palate (apricot jam) with a bit of bitterness (the Amaro cask?). A good amount of heat rounds the sip. Medium finish of butterscotch and apricot jam. High proof but not as noticeable (apart from the level of heat at the end of the sip). My preference is for a drop of water which makes it a little easier to sip without taking too much from the character (just regulates the heat really).

My friend's brother recently hosted a night of bourbon tastings, while I was in town visiting my family on the east coast. We tried a bunch of bottles — all of which I either loved or liked. He had this Barrell Armida on-hand and, although it was not part of the tasting, he wanted to get our thoughts on it. Well... We all agreed that it was not very good. It's got a weird off-putting taste that none of us could explain or get past. He was hoping I would like it so he could pawn it off to me. LOL! I have always avoided Barrell. It's typically priced too high, and always seemsd to be too focused on "experimentation. As such, I just could never trust my money with it. Perhaps there are better expressions by Barrell, but I'm not taking my chances. Not after this.

You’d expect an exotic nose and that’s what you get. Brandy comes through with pear, sawdust, cinnamon, chalk, swirling tropical notes, and…ham? If i didn’t know better i might think this was a cognac. Palate has a lot to live up to and manages pulls it off. Once you register the pear and wood char, there’s honeyed pineapple, a dusting of baking spices, milky vanilla, and a slightly metallic copper note. The amaro influences are present as a hovering savory, herbal cloud in the background. The finish is oaky and herbal, pine or sagebrush or mesquite, something from the amari making its presence felt. A unique bourbon suited for dry heat, adobe and adventure.