Barrell Bourbon Batch 25
This was my second pour in the 7-way Barrell blind, and…well, it felt like my mouth was being bombed by Szechuan peppercorns and burning wood. Usually I dislike this kind of blend because of the Tennessee whiskey in it, but I swear I could barely taste anything at all, it was that hot on my entire palate.
I…I really don’t know what else to say about this. Swing and a miss.
Barrell Bourbon Batch 25: Specs
Classification: Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskies
Origin: Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana (MGP)
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Proof: 113.4 (56.7% ABV)
Age: 5.5, 9, 13, and 15-year-old barrels
Location: Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana
Barrell Bourbon Batch 25 Price: $85
Barrell Bourbon Batch 25: Tasting Notes (blind)
Eye: Amber - looks syrupy in the glass. Very thin rims and large droplets.
Nose: Hm….rye? Something spicy for sure. A bit tight…some mint and caramel eke their way out. Smells kind of like an MGP rye, just tighter than usual. Hint of proof heat.
Palate: Not that hot…then, quite suddenly and without warning, my mouth explodes into flame. Astringent oak and what would usually be proof heat keeps punching my tongue, ignoring the referee who is clearly calling the match over. In the corners of my mouth I get what might be described as rye-flavored pink peppercorns. On second sip, the heat just keeps coming. I literally can taste nothing but heat and a bit of oak. Mouthfeel is medium-to-thin, and thank the whiskey lords wasn’t too coating.
Finish: Surprise: it was hot. Maybe a bit of grain? But even the finish was hot to the point of pain.
Overall: Maybe, just maybe, I’ll try this again someday and it’ll be different. But today it was pure proof and pain. I can’t even tell you what this was. This was so hot it hurt and I couldn’t determine what kind of whiskey this was at all.
Final Rating: 3.7
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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