Barrell Bourbon Batch 016

The nose has a strong woody character, though it isn't overwhelming. There's plenty of clove with also cinnamon and brown sugar. It doesn't have a lot of a sweet smell, but it smells rich. It smells dry and rye without having much mineral smell. The palate is rich without being all that viscous or tremendously smooth. It's fairly fiery with a long slow burn. It's quite dry with some nice barrel flavors coming through - lots of clove and cinnamon here, though it isn't excessively drying. There's brown sugar, but it tastes lighter than expected. This would be better if it were less dry and more robust. It doesn't taste over-oaked and some light red fruit does eventually come through, but there isn't as much happening here as I really hoped there would be. It seems like a lot of the reviewers on Distiller got older, higher proof barrels than mine. The dryness avoids tasting overly mineral like the rye is taking over, in large part because a nice rich dose of vanilla comes through from the long, slow aging. This is not a particularly excellent barrel. A bigger sip reveals some more subtle notes in the wood and spices that weave then together more nicely and bring the vanilla in more. I can even appreciate the balance with the mineral here, but I'd rather take Booker's. I suspect a big part of the problem is that this is such a miserably low barrel proof. It's definitely on the numbing side - the clove comes through.

Neat. Nose is light. Corn, caramel, a hint of something floral and maybe raisins or dark cherries. Medium bodied. Initial taste is cinnamon and sugar on the tongue. Rye hits the back of the throat and gives way to sweet cereal and dark chocolates. Hint of mint at the end and on the breath. It grew on me with every sip. Enjoyable but not a treat.

Drank neat. Butterscotch, floral, slight cinnamon spice. Super smooth at 52%, little to no burn. This was a pricey bottle but it makes up for it in the taste and smoothness. I still think there are $40-50 bourbons on par with this one, but this offering does seem slightly more complete.

This one definitely improved after some ice melt. Initially I got too much oak and cinnamon, with a long burn finish. After the melt, started to get more sweetness. A good bourbon, but still not sure I understand the price point for Barrell bourbon.

N: Mostly buttery, cinnamon, a little bit of brown sugar. P: same as the nose with cherry at the end. F:Medium Solid bourbon from Barrell again.

A bit thin on the palette but does have a citrusy flavor. Very easy to drink with a floral finish