Just in time for the dog days of summer comes a refreshing double dose of new whiskey by BCS.
Barrell Craft Spirits is a Louisville-based blending house specializing in limited-edition American whiskey and rum expressions since its inception in 2013. Their latest releases include Barrell Bourbon Batch 035 and the long-anticipated Barrell Rye Batch 004.
What's In The Bottle?
Barrell Bourbon Batch 035 is a blend of straights from Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky, aged 6-13 years and born of different mashbills to yield a multi-layered sip. The stage is set with a 6-7-year-old high rye bourbon base. This spicy stock is mellowed with a lower-proof, 8-year-old whiskey. After months of finishing, super mature 13-year-old bourbon is layered in to add layers of fruit. The final expression is bottled cask strength at 117.5 proof.
Barrell Rye Batch 004 contains whiskey from Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky, plus a dose of 14-year Canadian rye for good measure. To create this rye, a broth of 10-year-old Indiana-born stocks is spiked up by feisty 5 and 6-year-old barrels layered to provide fruity spice notes. The final blend is balanced by a dry and herbal 14-year Canadian rye. The rye’s ABV clocks in at 115.7 proof
How Does It Taste?
For Bourbon Batch 035, expect a jammy nose of cooked fruits like lemon curd, cherry, and banana bread. Flavors of Mexican hot chocolate, cinnamon, and dried chili peppers dominate the front palate, leading to fresh grapefruit peel and a curious note of absinthe toward the back. Lime zest and nutty amaretto meet coconut and baking spice on the finish.
For Barrell Rye Batch 004, blackberry, dried apricot, and Concord grape aromas meet tobacco, birch oil, and dandelion root. As the whiskey opens, rancio notes of cashew, tahini, and nocino emerge. Expect more of the same on the palate with the addition of maple syrup, charred marshmallows, espresso, and black licorice. The finish is spicy and herbal, with pops of mole poblano and black pepper mingling with juniper, wormwood, and thyme.
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