Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

Tried this in a Barrell blind lineup with about 5 other Barrell products and this won. Decided to give it an individual rating. Taste was neat in glencairn with just a drop of water. Nose - vanilla, smoky, does have an earthiness to it, pick up on some oak, little bit of orange, has a dark fruit jam flavor, a nice complex nose. Palate - sweet, with vanilla the stand out up front, maybe even a vanilla frosting, but really well balanced, nice amount of oak and smokiness comes in behind it, really coats the mouth well, closes out with little bit of pepper and allspice, get hints of a dark fruit as well. Finish - relatively short, but again well balanced. A lot of bourbon or whiskey tends to go dry or dryer flavors, oak, leather, anise, etc. I do pickup a little bit of oak and leather, but still have a sweetness lingering. Some cinnamon. I remembered why this one won the blind after trying it again. It just kept evolving. One of those where you go back to it and you keep pulling out different flavors. The Barrell batches sometimes are hit or miss, not bad necessarily, but when price is usually around $80-$100 some hit better than others and batch 28 probably one of my favorites. Batch 25 was also in this blind and was a very close 2nd. These can be pricey, and as mentioned already some blends are better than others. Batch 28 definitely recommend, ideally if you get into the other batches it would be a try before you buy if possible.

Nose: Big, bold, boozy oak and char. This is not shy about what it is. Classic brown sugar and vanilla are also here, alongside a bready, biscuity character I'm really digging. Tobacco, leather, and dusty corn. Splashes of fruits dancing around in the background. Baking spices, leaning more on cinnamon. Cocoa. There's also some sublty meaty characterists. Palate: Oak and bubblegum. Vanilla. Bananas. Light brown sugar. Grocery store sugar cookies with that colored coarse sugar sprinkled on top. Coffee and leather punching though - barrel bite is definitely coming through. Solid tannin to add texture and just a little bitterness. Black licorice and nutmeg. Solid balance and structure. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: Classic ethanol pop and oak. That oak slowly gets charred while coffee grounds, earth, and buttermilk biscuits come and go. Berries, vanilla custard. As things fade some thyme and basil show up. Medium-long length. Other notes: This is an excellent bourbon. It's not coloring outside the lines or bringing anyhthing unique to the table. Instead, this executes the standard format very well. Barrell continues to impress, with releases like this definitely climbing into Booker's territory as far as quality is concerned. For being 108.86 proof, this presents much bigger and bolder than I was expecting. An easy recommended buy if you enjoy the style. And definitely one I'll be sad to see go.

The nose is gentle but spicy with earthy rye spice, oak, vanilla, caramel and a touch of roasted peanuts. A mineral aspect becomes more prominent as it breathes along with a bit of leather. The palate opens with a burst of pepper followed by oak and roasted peanuts. There are some subtle creamy notes of vanilla and caramel but is mostly drowned out by the spice and mineral notes. However, the experience does coat the mouth for a rich and chewy experience. The finish is medium long and spicy with lingering mineral and oak that leaves everything else far behind. Seems somewhat unbalanced and too spice dominant.

My first pour from this left me disappointed. I got nothing but spice and heat. I don't know if the bottle mellowed or I acclimated (neck pour is real?), but now I have no complaints. Especially with a splash of water, this stuff opens right up and you get a very balanced but flavorful bourbon. I especially enjoy the long charred oak on the finish. It's a warm bonfire in my mouth!

Nose: Fresh tropical fruits, maraschino cherries, vanilla, chocolate and baking spices. Palate: Semi-sweet, full, vanilla, subdued fruitiness, hints of chocolate, some baking spices and a little marzipan. Finish: Medium with vanilla, chocolate, oak and dried fruit notes.

Neat: Apple scent with a hint of honey Potent tip but smooth swallow Pleasant burn with notes of oak Rocks: Smells like pumpkin pie Opens to sweet with a spicy finish Aftertaste of caramel without the sweet