Ever Wonder How Our Batches Compare?
We spend a lot of time carefully selecting the barrels that we want to use in our bourbon and whiskey production. We produce small batches so every batch of bourbon and whiskey is limited release. We bottle at cask strength which emphasizes the complexity and concentration of flavor. We strive for an intentionally distinct flavor profile in each batch.
Bourbon Batch 005 is our spiciest batch yet. A high rye bourbon at 124.7 proof, Batch 005 was distilled in Tennessee and aged for 8 years, 3 months. It features prominent notes of vanilla syrup, cherry preserves, and deeply charred oak and finishes with a bruleed corn pudding ending. Batch 005's tempered boldness is not to be missed, especially for fans of smokier whiskies.
Bourbon Batch 004 is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for 6 years, 4 months and bottled at 116.7 proof. Batch 004 presents a viscous potpourri of orchard fruit, delicately cooked pears and stone fruits served in their own syrup. The finish reveals hints of salted peanut brittle drizzled with honey. Exceptionally smooth right out of the bottle. A drier profile with less wood and oak than Batch 005.
Bourbon Batch 003 is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for five years and bottled at 122 proof. Notes of charred hoecakes, melted butter, and wet tobacco give way to light saline notes in the finish. Batch 003 and Batch 004 share broad strokes of wet tobacco and peppercorn while Batch 005 presents a smokier, oakier flavor that reflects the additional years of barrel aging.
Read the full tasting notes here.
Whisky Advocate Lists Barrell Whiskey as a Top 5 Whiskey
Whisky Advocate's Managing Editor Lew Bryson rated Barrell Whiskey Batch 001 a 92/100 to make it #4 of the 10 highest-rated whiskies to look for this fall. The top 10 were listed in the August online issue as a sneak peak, and the full list appears in the Fall 2015 issue of the magazine. Barrell Bourbon Batch 004 is also listed in the same issue, coming in at #87. Whisky Advocate magazine is America’s leading whisky magazine, and a premier source for whisky information, education and entertainment for whisky enthusiasts. Lew Bryson’s focus is American whiskey: bourbon, rye, Tennessee, and the craft distillers. He describes Barrell Whiskey as "...maple syrup, well-browned popovers, and Canada mint lozenges in a boozy-hot nose. Richly sweet on the palate: pastry dough, hints of anise, buttery and slightly-burnt cornbread, syrupy dark fruits: complex, rich, delicious…Delicious, unique, intriguing..."
The Whisky Advocate ratings and short tasting notes for Barrell Whiskey are available here.
Hot Off the Press
Axis of Whiskey interviews Barrell Bourbon founder Joe Beatrice on the origins of Barrell Bourbon, the bourbon shortage (or myth thereof), class action lawsuits, transparency, and more. Axis of Whisky is a blog of musings and reviews of spirits. You can read the review on their website.
Kurt Maitland, Deputy Editor of The Whiskey Reviewer, lists Barrell Bourbon Batch 004 as one of his top 5 Whiskeys To Enjoy With A Perdomo Grand Cru, saying “This high octane expression...had the power to stand up to the flavors of the Grand Cru. The smoke tamps down some of the bourbon’s sweetness but enough fruit and vanilla make it through so as to not diminish the experience of either.”
Graham Averill at Paste Magazine makes special mention of Barrell Bourbon in a recent article about sourced vs crafted bourbon. He selects us as an example of a company that is transparent about its production and includes Bourbon Batch 003 in his selection of favorite whiskeys saying “We had a bottle from batch #003, which has plenty of heat from the high proof nature of the spirit, but settled down into a dance of caramel and oak once it was put on ice.”
On the Road
This fall, Barrell Bourbon and Whiskey will be on tour as part of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Tour. Bourbon Batch 004 and Whiskey Batch 001 both won the prestigious Double Gold medal - given to entrants that unanimously receive a gold medal by the tasting panel of nationally recognized spirits experts - in the 2015 competition. The annual tour is an opportunity to sample the wines and spirits that won the exclusive medal this year. As part of the tour we'll be in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Dallas, and Seattle. RSVP for one of the tour tastings on their website.
Upcoming Events
We're getting busy for the Fall season! We'll be at the Chicago Indie Spirits Expo on September 30th and the 4th Annual Caskers event in New York City on October 7th. In Kentucky, we'll be at The Bourbon Social in Lexington on October 8th at Bourbon & Bites and on October 10th at The Main Event. In Connecticut, we'll be at the American Whiskey Tasting at Varmax Liquor Pantry in Port Chester and the 3rd Annual WeHa Whiskey Festival in West Hartfort, both on October 17th. Looking ahead to November, we’ll be at the Grand Spirits Tasting at Gordon’s in Waltham, MA on November 14th.
We'll also be doing in-store tastings from Jersey to Massachusetts. Check our tastings page to find one near you.
From Sea to Shining Sea
Looking for someplace new to try Barrell? If you're in the NYC area you can get it at The Stewed Cow in Hoboken, NJ, The Drunken Horse in Chelsea, or Amali on the Upper East Side. Upstate for a fall weekend? Try the Whiteface Lodge at Lake Placid! New restaurants in MA include Catalyst and Cafe Artscience in Cambridge, and in TN you can find Barrell at Pour House Burgers, Bourbon and Brews, Adele's and The 404. Looking for a place to find our products near you? Try our handy store locator.
Since Barrell launched in 2014, we’ve expanded to retail stores, bars, and restaurants in 11 states and Washington D.C. In addition to NY, NJ, CT, RI and MA in the Northeast, we are now on the shelf in TN, NC, IL, OR, MN, and WY. Next month we will make it to Kentucky, the proud birthplace of Batch 003 and Batch 004. Come November, Barrell will be available across California. From San Diego to Sacramento, everyone will be even happier to see you on Thanksgiving with a bottle of Barrell!
For liquor stores and venues looking to carry Barrell Bourbon and Barrell Whiskey, the full list of our distributors is on our website.
