Barrell Bourbon New Year 2022

Nose: Incredibly soft nose for 115 proof. No ethanol burn whatsoever. Sweet red fruit (maybe dried plums), vanilla birthday cake, raisin biscuits. Some very tangy citrus notes later in the glass; like a glazed lemon bundt cake that eventually turns into a strong lemon zest. Very complex nose as it opens up. Palate: Sweet oak notes to start, followed by strong cola notes. Gets even better later in the glass: sweet citrus and vanilla bean coming through. More oak and tangy cola along with lemon meringue. It’s crazy and all over the place, but the further in you get, the better it is. Finish: The flavors linger on the palate, and the tanginess really sticks with you because of just how out of the blue it is. It’s still sweet, like a bread pudding woth lemon zest on it. Like a lemon pie with vanilla ice cream. It’s still in my mouth and mind as I type this description and I haven’t had a sip for a full minute at least. Overall: This is a great, unique, crazy complex bourbon. For the price, it ought to be. But this is something I’ll be reaching for (and salivating while I think of it) on very special occasions. Man… I’ll be looking forward to the 2023 edition of this. May be a new annual tradition I have to look forward to.

Fruity esters, brown (slightly burnt) sugars, vanilla, and mild ethanol dominate the nose. Know some folks have mentioned various berries here and though I'm not able to place individual fruits, the berry sweetness is evident. Gets better with a bit of glass time. Flavor is sweet with a bit of underlying spice - keeps it interesting - along with some oak and fruit. Good stuff that seems to evolve from sip to sip. Palate is full...easy drinking even with a bit of backend heat, and a well-above average length to the finish. An interesting dram that will keep you guessing.

NOSE Piney herbal spice, dark sweets, oak, dried dark and orchard fruits, roasted corn and vanilla with slight metallic and banana notes. Easy, balanced and enjoyable. Not a bad start. PALATE Piney herbal spice, woody oak, butterscotch, blackberry taffy, roasted corn, vanilla, dried apples and a lemony citrus pop with more hints of the metal and banana from the aroma. There is this slight, very light, crafty note that peeks in, but other than that it’s nice. FINISH Med-long -> Fruity and oaky with a slight butterscotch note on the fade.

Same sort of start on the nose as the 2021, chocolate raspberry at first, but if you let us rest a bit it tones down to a silky leather. Mouth is hot, a little sweet, dried orchard fruit, a bit tart and lots of tobacco and leather. Finish is bit bitter, and the burn lingers on the tongue for a bit. Not a bad pour at all.

Straight-ahead textbook bourbon, with a nose of hickory and honey, a palate of caramel and sharp fruit (peach?, apricot?), and a mid-length finish of cotton and nut. A pleasant unexotic everyday drinker. And the 57% ABV helps justify the higher-end price tag.

nose is big & slightly astringent as the proof shows it’s muscle. the proof is fortunately muted for the taste as it drinks easily. a small sour streak brings the rating down just a bit. overall not bad.