Barrell Rye K&L Pick Batch M221
Ok - at this point, I was running out of steam, and I’ll admit it. This was my sixth of seven blinds from Barrell, and I will honestly say that I don’t think my notes here are accurate. There’s sometimes your palate is off but you still approximate it well, and sometimes there’s this.
Objectively, I love these ryes - the Barrell “M” batches (MGP) 7-year-old ryes are some of my favorites - hell, the Blue Streak “Doctors Are Us” pick won my 2020 Rye of the Year. I’ve tried a lot of these, and yet I was sure this was a bourbon - a bourbon with Dickel in it, no less. The only solace I take here is that I do get orange and orange zest frequently on ryes, and that’s the exact Flintstones Vitamins flavor I get from Dickel. I thought there was Dickel in here from the nose and onward, meaning I immediately thought it was a bourbon (Dickel, in fact, does not produce rye at their Cascade Hollow Distillery - Dickel Rye comes from - you guessed it - Indiana, and is the 95/5 rye recipe).
So maybe in some roundabout way my mind knew where it should be going, but I just never got there. Oh well - at least it was a good pour!
Barrell Rye K&L Pick Batch M221: Specs
Classification: Rye Whiskey
Origin: Indiana
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 112.18 (56.09% ABV)
Age: 7 Years Old
Location: Indiana
Barrell Rye K&L Pick Batch M221 Price: 99.99
Barrell Rye K&L Pick Batch M221: Tasting Notes
Eye: Maple syrup. Unstable thin-to-medium rims bleed slow droplet legs.
Nose: Grainy - something tells me there’s Tennessee in here. There’s some corn, too, though it’s far from sweet. Definitely some mineral notes. Vanilla baked goods open up without becoming too sweet. Orange zest, too.
Palate: Bourbon for sure - tip of the tongue heat keeps building. Some oak astringency, but not much - just enough to be pleasant. Effervescence and orange zest like a mimosa comes out. Mouthfeel is pepper spice, thin-to-medium, very coating without being thick or oily.
Finish: Orange takes the spotlight, but it’s fairly balanced. Oak sticks around for a medium length as does some rye spice in the corners of my mouth.
Overall: Orange zest ends up the unexpected star. I don’t mind the Dickel in there (or what I thought was Dickel) - there’s just enough to give fruity notes and lend heat to the pour.
Final Rating: 6.1
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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