Barrell Dovetail (122.54 Proof)

Aroma - chocolate, candied fruit, caramel, slight burn of alcohol, fresh marshmallow (like when you first open the bag), cinnamon and slight pepper… man this thing is complex Taste- whoa! strawberries and cream!!! Never had anything like this before. Damn! That first sip took me by surprise. Definitely getting a slight port and wine dryness on the finish. Alcohol is definitely present but I don’t mind it at all. Complements the sweet notes to be honest. There is a slight mint coming up from time to time.. very subtle. Man… each time I take another sip I get some new fruit that comes forward… black berries and plums now. Complexity is off the charts. Wish it was a bit more viscous. But that’s just being a little critical. Great to have on hand to change things up.

Nose: vanilla ice cream, fresh and dried red fruits, and a nice bubblegum hint Palate: deep caramel, citrus, dry red wine Finish: strawberry perfume (odd, I know), citrus pith, lime juice, faint reappearance of the bubblegum The nose is the best part. Not as sweet as nose would suggest. Very smooth for the proof. Substantial and silky mouthfeel. Update: after sitting for a year and oxidizing, this bottle picked up a TON of thick, caramel sweetness. If you have a bottle and don’t love it, put it away for 6 months and come back to it. Its really good. Its now easily a 4 star.

A very special, use appropriately whiskey. Neat, it's challenging. Burn + prunes and other ripe fruit. Some ice and all kinds of things blossom. Layers on layers. Because, one presumes, of it's barreling, you can spot almost everything here except maybe smoke. I made one Manhattan with it and it was a bad match (as likely my fault as anything). Walk the tightrope between neat and distracted and there is magic. So far, it works best as a second drink of the evening, one good cube.

Wow. This one is complex yet approachable. There’s so much going on, but it’s not the kind of complexity where you have to hunt and grasp at what you’re experiencing. If you sit there with it, note after note after note will slap you in the face. So much fruit, mainly darker fruits, plum, black cherry, grape, but also strawberry. Sweet with a warming heat towards the back end. A very pleasant sipper for 122 proof.

Fluid. No, not literally, figuratively… but also literally. One second it’s syrup, the next it’s the same viscosity as engine oil. But like really tasty engine oil. The best way to explain it is that somehow someone at Barrell found the back door to sweetness and I’m happy they did. Happy birthday to me!

A master's class in finishing bourbon. The rum, port, and cabernet conplement and accentuate the sweetness, but do not overwhelm the base. Vinuous and grapey nose leads to flavors of earthiness, stone fruit, and vanillin. A bottle I will seek out and purchase again.