Barrell Bourbon Batch 019

To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has a B6 on it. The nose is thick and rich that draws you in with sautéed caramel apples on a plate of fresh waffles followed by maraschino cherries and a cup of mandarin oranges that transitions to dark chocolate covered candied pecans before spices of ginger, cloves, nutmeg, vintage leather and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with sautéed caramel apples on a plate of fresh waffles with Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup on top followed by maraschino cherries and a cup of mandarin oranges that transitions to a high drying spice mid palate before fading to barrel spices of ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cracked vintage leather and medium tannic oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is drying and medium length with dark chocolate, apple chips, orange peel, ginger, cloves, cracked leather and tannic oak. The nose seemed so promising with a thick and rich caramel along with big and bold traditional bourbon notes which carries over to the palate that starts with those big bold notes before a high spice kicks in overwhelming and drying out my palate with spice and tannic oak with high ethanol burn before the dry spicy finish. So, this blind tasting challenge has taught me a lesson that sometimes a higher rye mash bill can be a bit too spicy for me. To correct that high spice mid-palate, adding a healthy dose of water can be extremely beneficial for me. So, there’s plenty of bourbon left to fire hose with my water dropper to find out if this calms down. Aha, 20 drops later and I’ve landed on my correct proof to really enjoy this one. The nose keeps the same notes but more butterscotch is revealed with medium ethanol burn. The taste becomes creamier with the same notes and brings down that harsh spice mid palate to a mild spice while changing the tannic oak to polished mahogany and a medium ethanol burn. The finish is no longer drying, but rather creamy while still medium length with dark chocolate, caramel apple, blood orange pudding, candied pecans, vintage leather and polished mahogany. Whew, Lex you sure are teaching me some things about bourbons and so glad you gave me two of those Old Ezra 7s to learn from. Another great one during this blind challenge that was a bit too spicy for me, but the water saved the day. So what is this flaming hot whiskey that needs some firefighter style watering to ease up on my palate………….. Barrell Bourbon Batch 019.

Barrell Batch 019 is a mix of whiskeys from Kentucky and Tennessee, ranging from 9.5 to 14 years in age.  Although not disclosed, George Dickel is alleged to be the Tennessee source.   It's bottled at 54.7% ABV.   A deep caramel and molasses note is prominent on the nose.  The palate is dominated by wood spice, cinnamon, anise, pepper and clove.  Underneath is a very nice caramel and orange sweetness. The finish is long with vanilla and spice.  Barrell's web site identifies dark chocolate covered blueberries on the finish as well. While I would not have come up with that on my own, it rings very true. I don't often experiment with adding water, but I did in this case.  A handful of drops toned down the cinnamon and spice a bit while increasing the vanilla and oak.  It also brought out a bit of fruit on then nose.  While Batch 019 is very nice straight out of the bottle,  I preferred it with just a bit of water - to my palate, it was a bit more balanced. With or without water, this is simply a great bourbon, and a complex one at that.  I have no doubt I'll find more as I work through the bottle.  The complexity and relatively high ABV make it an engaging dram that demands to be consumed very mindfully.  But it's also an easy enough sipper that I could thoroughly enjoy it in a completely mindless fashion.  All in all, great stuff!

Taste: Neat in Glen Cairn, 2 oz. Nose: (4.75) Fruit for days, like blackberries, ripe plums, all stewed in warm fresh churned butter. It is an incredibly clean nose that was easy for me to discern. There was a grapiness to this that was really interesting. Palate: (4.75) Sweet, rich. best described as melted butter, grape jam, over warm homemade biscuits. Some might find this too sweet. I found it pleasantly digestif. Finish (4.75) : Long lasting and pleasantly warming. Lingers and coats the back palate like sucking on a grape jolly rancher. That butteriness gives a wonderful mouthfeel. Overall: Initially anything Barrell made me suspect. Blending 9.5 and 12 year sourced Tennessee whiskey and sourced Kentucky bourbon seemed like a strange Frankenstien experiment to which I was not akin to investing $80.00 without trying first. A work friend brought me a sample and man was he dead on on how good this is. The quality is there and I definately now want a bottle . I also am not afraid to try Dovetail which is an experiment in Rye and Bourbon mixing. something that if done right (i.e. Forgiven,Bourye to name a few) is right in my wheelhouse. Enjoy the jammy goodness with this one!

Nice amber color, slow tear drop legs. Right out of the bottle the nose is great with fruity, sweet aromas. Over the next few minutes it remains bright but puts off warm full-fat vanilla iced cinnamon rolls. There’s detectable oak as well. I don’t get any ethanol or astringency unless I really bury my nose in the glass and breathe deeply. Smooth on entry with a quick upstroke of barrel spice and then an oily, brown-butter and barrel char finish. The sharp fruit notes from the nose roll in as a subdued plum flavor. The spice isn’t clearly identifiable but reminds me a little of anise. The finish is buttery, long and somewhat tannic - highlighting the wood more than the juice itself. The complexity I was hoping for isn’t quite there but this is a freshly opened bottle. What gets me is the absence of more sweetness or brighter fruit notes that seemed to come across on the nose. Anyway, for now this is a mature, viscous and satisfying dram but for the price not what you can get from an ECBP or even an Russel’s store pick. That said, the profile is very different from either of those and bourbon “traditionalists” would likely enjoy this one. Will need to revisit...

After last week’s damn good Barrell rum, I figured I’ll have a go at another Barrell product tonight—-this one also courtesy of @jonwilkinson7309. Barrell has really been hitting all strides. It has innovative products like Dovetail, higher end ones like their 25 yr old, and expansions into rum. All done really well. But their core bread and butter is still the bourbon blends. Apart from their 3 high end products, all of their lineup is priced around $90. That places it square in the middle of most upper end whiskeys. But I think what sets it apart is the consistent quality batch to batch. And for me personally, I don’t find these too hot, as opposed to Booker’s, which I need to always overload with ice. A blend of 9.5 and 14 yr olds, from KY and TN, it’s a more of a high rye bourbon with a classic high proof taste and a slight barrel char. The nose is the best part in this: candied nuts and marshmallow. Another hit from Barrell. If you’re a fan of classic old school bourbon, this has got to be on your list. Thanks Jon for the pour !

Nose has notes of apricot rum and plum . Nice flavors that include the nosing flavors , soft oak , and bittersweet chocolate . Decent mouthfeel , but not viscous enough to be a high point. Drinks near / below the 109 proof . Not an exciting bottle since nothing in the flavors really stand out , but still it faste has very good traditional bourbon flavors that present well .