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Barrell Bourbon Batch 038

Louisville-based Barrell Craft Spirits is the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum. Recognized for our blending expertise since 2013, we skillfully design, produce, and launch award-winning, unique products that surprise and delight whiskey aficionados and novices alike. Our cask-strength small-batch and single-barrel releases have quickly become an influencing force in American whiskey, winning awards from the world’s most prestigious distilled spirits publications and competitions.

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Our mission is to be the most innovative, progressive, and respected blenders in the nation, by making bold choices and pushing the creative envelope every day to showcase the world’s most exciting spirits.

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RECENT NOTABLE PRESS

ROBB REPORT

Barrell 12 Year Bourbon Finished in French Oak featured in Robb Report: "This blend of bourbons from Barrell Craft Spirits was finished in French oak, a fairly simple secondary maturation, and it’s one of its very best."

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ESQUIRE

Esquire include Barrell Bourbon in the 26 Best Bourbon Brands to Drink in 2026

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GARDEN & GUN

Barrell Dovetail featured in Garden & Gun "The Wild World of Finished Bourbons"

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FOOD & WINE

Barrell Bourbon Batch 038 featured in Food & Wine: 10 Special-Edition Whiskeys That Honor America's 250th. "The stars-and-stripes motif on the label is subtle, but what’s in the bottle is brooding and bold, as befits a longer-aged bourbon bottled at cask strength."

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WHISKY ADVOCATE

Whisky Advocate's 12 Whiskies For Your Memorial Day Weekend Gathering includes Cask Finish Armagnac

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WHISKY ADVOCATE

Barrell 18 Yr Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauternes barrels earns a 93 rating from Whisky Advocate​

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FORBES

Forbes includes BCS Black Label Series in 13 Of The Best Experimental Series In American Whiskey stating "These folks are blenders in the best sense, often aging, marrying, and finishing a wide range of whiskeys such that the sum is often greater than its parts."

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FORBES

Forbes says Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend Is Complex Whiskey Done Right​

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WHISKY ADVOCATE

Barrell Craft Spirits featured in Whisky Advocate's Microblends: Whiskey's Hottest Trend

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MEN'S JOURNAL

Men's Journal writes that Barrell 12 Year Bourbon Finished in Toasted Oak combines the Best of Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee​

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FORBES

Forbes features Barrell in 11 Of America’s Best Non-Distilling Producers For Bourbon And Rye: "Barrell is known for their esoteric blends and finishes,... and remains one of the most innovative producers operating today."

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DRINKHACKER

Drinkhacker puts Barrell Bourbon 12 Yr Finished in French Oak in its The Top 20 Whiskeys of 2025

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BREAKING BOURBON

Barrell Decade Whiskey named Best American Whiskey by Breaking Bourbon.

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ROBB REPORT

Barrell’s Excellent Dovetail Bourbon Just Got a Toasted-Cask Finish​​​

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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Wall Street Journal features Barrell Mizunara in an article highlighting Mizunara wood. Tripp Stimson, Chief Whiskey Scientist, notes, “It’s about shining a light on all the different flavors and finding them all in one place.”

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VINEPAIR

VinePair writer, David Thomas Tao, reviews Foundation Double Barrel giving it an impressive rating of 92. Commenting on the flavors, he writes, “even when playing below cask strength, the blenders know how to craft a whiskey with both body and depth.”​​​​

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ROBB REPORT

Robb Report highlights the growth of American blended whiskey and explains why Barrell Craft Spirits is a brand to know. â€‹â€‹â€‹

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ESQUIRE

Esquire names Barrell Craft Spirits as one of the best bourbon brands.

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FOOD & WINE

Food & Wine features Barrell Craft Spirits in their article, "Want to Taste the World’s Most Exciting Whiskeys? You Need to Go Indie."​​

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WHISKY ADVOCATE
Whisky Advocate ranks Barrell Bourbon Batch 035 as #11 in their Top 20: The Most Exciting Whiskies of 2023.

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VINEPAIR

VinePair Next Wave Awards names Nic Christiansen Master Blender of the Year.​

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MEN'S JOURNAL

Men's Journal includes Barrell Seagrass as one of the Best Bourbons for an Old Fashioned​

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PASTE MAGAZINE

Paste Magazine reviews Barrell Foundation, saying, "This will be a superb everyday addition to the Barrell lineup."

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IMBIBE 

Imbibe includes Barrell Seagrass on the 10 American Rye Whiskies to Drink Right Now, calling it "bright and juicy."

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WHISKY ADVOCATE 

Whisky Advocate ranks Barrell Vantage #3 in their Top 20: The Most Exciting Whiskies of 2022.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Wall Street Journal features Barrell Craft Spirits' Private Release Program.​ 

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NEW YORK TIMES

Barrell Craft Spirits featured in New York Times article, “American Whiskeys Find their Middlemen”

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FORBES

Bourbon’s Rule Breaker: How Barrell Craft Spirits Upblended The Whiskey Industry

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