Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Amburana (Release 001)

Aroma - holy crap. Apples pie, cinnamon sticks, apple cider, snickerdoodle cookies and Christmas gingerbread house.…. This is Fall in a glass. . If Cinnamon Toast Crunch & Apple Cinnamon Cheerios conceived a child, it would smell like this. There is no presence of alcohol whatsoever. Tremendous nose but this smells extremely sweet so I’m a little nervous heading into the palate. This is one outstanding aroma. Taste - Everything from the nose transfers to the palate. Apples, cinnamon toast crunch, Fall spices. Vanilla and huge blast of alcohol that takes all those sweet notes and brings balance. Overall - I’m a fan of BCS.. and this one is absolutely phenomenal. The finish on this is probably one of the longest I’ve ever experienced in a whiskey. The ABV is absolutely perfect for my palate. This offering might not be for everyone.. this one is bold and in your face. I can see a lot of bourbon fans frowning upon this where a lot of finished whiskey fans would go bonkers for it. 5.0

Amburana is the sexy new finishing this year. It’s a south american hardwood native to brazil , peru and Argentina. Like mizunara from Japan, this imparts a very unique flavor of nutmeg , cinnamon and cloves. My only experience with amburana was with a TRE Teeling one. That i felt was a marketing gimmick. This one is not. But…being a bit wary, i bought a sample only, through a tasting kit. Its a blend of KY and IN bourbons, between 5-10 yr of age. Respectable enough. So getting to the bottom line—- worth a bottle or stick with a sample? Nose is all dessert. Apple cinnamon strudel. Im hoping this wont be overly sweet. Taste…wow. Nutmeg, aplles. Cinnamon, ginger. All in a oastry dough. Like…pumpkin pie?!!! This is autumn in a glass. Do yourself a favor—-buy this —-price is affordable and its right in tune with the season. I just bought a bottle…its probably the best bourbon ive had in months

Pumpkin spice move over, this is the new scent of autumn. A remarkably complex and spice forward nose. The Amburana cask does its work well here, adding a festive scent to the bourbon. Flavorwise, the wood adds a nutty, tropical sweetness, making it in some ways akin to a spiced rum in character. The towering proof keeps the package tight and brings out some of the high esters that might be lost in a lower proofed expression. With a long finish, ending on a cinnamon note, this release pleases from start to finish.

Neck pours. The Amburana cask is working it’s magic here accentuating the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and vanilla on the nose and palate. The whiskey is no slouch either. Balanced, semisweet and viscous, adding honey and hints of orange marmalade and nuts. The finish is lengthy and the Amburana again comes to the fore with intense baking spices. Nearly perfect from the get go.

Definitely if you like chocolate and a unique herbal note with an effervescent quality like cola, you have come to the right place. Also it's very tannic, which I prefer the opposite. I'd say it's better than Vantage, and the amburana isn't overbearing. I could see raising it to 4.25 in future tastings.

Nose: intoxicating aromas of cinnamon spiced bread pudding or creme brulee. Couldn't stop nosing this one. In my top 3 ever for aroma. Palate: some proof right away but fades quickly to sweet creamy egg custard laced with a heavy burst of cinnamon. Lengthy finish.