Broken Barrel Whiskey Co.
Core Portfolio:
Small Batch: 95 Proof (47.5% ABV); $35
California Oak: 88 Proof (44% ABV); $35
Heresy Rye: 105 Proof $35
Cask Strength: 115 Proof (57.5% ABV); $45
Broken Barrel Whiskey founder Seth Benhaim has centered his Los Angeles-based company around sourcing Kentucky whiskeys then finishing them in vats stocked with various barrel staves. (Hence the name Broken Barrel.) Now in its fifth year, Broken Barrel is re-introducing its core line featuring bourbon and rye that’s been contract distilled at Owensboro Distilling Co. by master distiller Jacob Call.
What's In The Bottle
Broken Barrel’s flagship whiskey is Small Batch, a Kentucky straight bourbon made from a mash of 70 percent corn, 21 rye, and nine percent barley. After traditional aging, barrels are batched, vatted, and finished with ex-bourbon, French oak, and sherry cask staves. The result is a sweet vanilla palate with a spicy finish. California Oak is bourbon finished with California Cabernet and French Oak, procuring a nice balance of deep dried fruit and caramel. Heresy is a 95 percent rye mash finished like the flagship bourbon and bottled at an aggressive 105 proof. Expect vanilla flavors mingling with charred oak and baking spices, concluding with a classic, spicy rye finish.
Where To Buy
Sold online via Caskers, Flaviar, Reserve Bar and Wine.com and in select retail locations within 33 US states. Also available at The Broken Barrel Stave House & Bottle Shop in Los Angeles.
"The Wood responsible for 80% of the flavor tasted in every sip, which is why we further age and finish our whiskeys using various combinations of barrel types.”
– Seth Benhaim
Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.
