Broken Barrel Whiskey Single Oak Series: Cask of Amontillado

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass Aroma - Neat - Dry sawdust, musty grape, earthy dirt and root scents and chalk. Not too terribly appealing. Adding a splash of water . . . Not a ton of transformation here, mainly just softened aromas of the aforementioned. Taste - Neat - Quite hot and nostril-burning. Very strong and dry wine characteristics, quite astringent and bitter. Adding a splash of water . . . A lot of the complexity, albeit not the most pleasant of complexities, is lost. Primarily now just picking up vanilla and honey, perhaps some fruit basket. Final thoughts - Very disappointing at best and quite off-putting at worst. There are some very powerful, savory aromas and flavors at play here, but unfortunately they aren’t great ones. The overall impression I’m getting here is some very young and rough whiskey that was aged for a short time with the Amontillado staves. It feels like a rushed cash grab. I’d purchased this whiskey on impulse because I’m a big Edgar Allen Poe fan, liked the tribute and was suckered in by the artwork. Unfortunately, the artwork is about the only thing great here. Not recommended.

Neat this has quite a large bite on the front being 55%. The oak is prominent with an soft leather tone. I would like to say that the finish is very smooth, but that may simply be due to the intensity of the first few sips. Over an ice ball or large cube this is quite enjoyable. That said, I am rather new to modern whiskeys (took a 10 year break from it) and this was one of my first bottles back. It was approachable for someone with little experience.

What this company does is blasphemy. It’s heresy. It’s also damn good. What I love is the absolute transparency. Turns out what I also love is this variant. It’s excellent. Like delicious sherry candy corn bomb excellent. If you’re lucky enough to find one of these inexpensive rarities, give it a try and read the label. You’ll be outraged and yet you’ll enjoy the juice. I love conflict.

A lot of caramel and syrup on the nose. Also banana nut bread with hints of brown sugar and walnuts. Sweet on the initial sip with allspice, vanilla cone, toasted marshmallow and a touch of molasses. A hint of campfire smoke on the finish. Lighter on the back end than the front. Subtle and succinct.

Aroma is good with a soft sweet complexity that pulls in some fruity roasty notes; Palate is a blend of young notes and old notes with pops of spirit here and there mixing with spicy and herbal notes; Finish is nice, but picks up a bit of that woody craft profile.

Rich strong oak & leather nose, hints of vanilla, mild fruity cherry & wine nose, rich spicy strong body, oak, vanilla, sharp strong of the corn whiskey, smooth wine finished, harsh texture, w/ a strong harsh flavorful burn finish.