Distiller Notes
#11 Whisky Advocate Top 20 Whiskies of 2023
2023 San Francisco World Spirits Gold Medal Winner
Barrell's Batch 35 Bourbon is a multi-mash-bill blend built around a base of spicy, high-proof, 6 and 7 year old barrels and softer, lower-proof 8 year old barrels. After mingling for two months, 13 year old barrels with notes of dried, tropical fruit were layered into the blend resulting in a bourbon that is peppery and intriguing on the nose, and sweet and long on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Whisky Advocate
Beyond 6 year old bourbon, this also includes 7, 8, and 13 year olds, hailing from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Barrell has made a tradition of avoiding a standard formula, but what is standard is its remarkable skill at sourcing and blending. Surprisingly drinkable at this proof, sweet cornbread and jammy strawberry aromas lead to a palate rich with root beer spices and cinnamon before a finish of drying leather and cocoa.
Although Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States, it is most commonly associated with Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it has been produced since the late 18th century. Made from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn, the Bourbon Whiskey distillate must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels. Bourbon Whiskeys are bottled at eighty proof (40% abv) or higher and cannot contain any added color or flavor. A versatile spirit that can be sipped neat, with water or on the rocks, it also performs nicely added to cocktails like the Old Fashioned.