Barrell Bourbon Batch 021

Nose: Oak, vanilla, light brown sugar. Figs, citrus oil, rosemary, camphor - I have a camphor tree in my back yard next to a navel orange tree and I'm getting reminded of what they smell like in spring and summer. Berries and cream. Black pepper and barrel char - the oak is showing up here, which is expected given the ages involved. Also getting cigar tobacco and leather. Nutmeg and maybe a little star anise, though not much. Nose presents a lot of midrange and a bit of bottom end, but there's not much in the way of brightness, save for that bit of citrus oil. Palate: Vanilla, bananas, berries. Sweet oranges, whipped cream. Solid tannin presence with a good amount of texture as the sip progresses. Dusty corn. Getting more of that nutmeg and star anise, along with some clove. Not much cinnamon here. Cooked apples. Graham crackers. Nutty and slightly bready - getting some almonds here. Also getting pure cocoa, along with maduro cigar tobacco and well-worn baseball mitt leather. Medium-heavy mouthfeel. Finish begins with a fantastic citrus oil pop, slight barrel bitter and tannin coming to the fore. Things ramp up with blueberries, bananas, ripe strawberries, and apricots, along with unsalted cashews and peanuts. Things trail off into this wonderful mixture of nutmeg, thyme, basil, apple, and star anise. Finish is medium-long. Other notes: There's been a solid amount of hype around this company, and with good reason. This is my first bottle from them, but certainly won't be the last. There's plenty going on here, and this leans into some territory I don't often see with a bourbon. Toward the tail end of this, I realized I was getting some Dickel BiB vibes here in the best way possible, though with more overall complexity. I find it pretty impressive that they balanced the oak against everything else going on here as well as they did. Solid recommendation, high potential rebuy material, though I'm more interested in taking a look at their other releases after I finish this bottle.

Nose - cherry, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon butter, caramel, leather, chocolate, roasted peanut, orange zest, rich oak, black pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, buttered popcorn, peanut, black cherry, sour apple, marshmallow, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, barrel char, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, sour apple, and buttered popcorn flavors. Coming off a series of delicious Springbanks, I really have a hankering for some good American whiskey. And what better place to find refuge than in some Barrell Craft Spirits bottlings. Over the coming days, I’ll be working my way through nine of their releases ranging from the relatively cheap core expressions to some much older, more expensive ones. Let’s kick it off with this Batch 21 bourbon release from 2020. While the component whiskies are between 10 and 14 years old, the nose is very lively. Cherry, brown sugar, cinnamon butter, leather, and a rich, roasty toasty quality. The palate brings a smoky, barrel char note, more cherry, chocolate, and some marshmallow. Some unwanted sourness sneaks in as well, but it’s not overwhelming. The mouthfeel and finish are medium. This is good bourbon. If the palate were as good as the nose, this would be great bourbon. I’m considering picking up the new Batch 31. The prices are probably higher than they should be, but most are these days. Many thanks to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the generous sample!

This is by far the best offering I’ve ever had from Barrel Bourbon. Just an absolute fruit bomb on the palate, no wonder this thing won the SF spirits award. Honestly I wouldn’t have tasted it had it not won due to previous experiences with some of the batches. But wow.... can’t ask for more from a 10-12 year bourbon.

Rested 10 minutes. Served neat in a glencairn. Nose - cinnamon, burnt sugar, vanilla extract, peanuts Palette - cherry, vanilla, caramel Finish - big red, roasted peanuts Great lingering finish. One of the more unique bourbons I’ve had. Really like this one.

A beautiful nose of toffee, hazelnut, brown sugar, and maple syrup is followed by cinnamon, black pepper, rye spice, and salted butterscotch on the palate. LONG, spicy finish. A few drops of water heightens the experience even more.

Nutty flavors galor. Sweet oily mouthfeels, although I still crave a bit more sweetness. This is right up my alley, definitely want a bottle to save for a rainy day