Barrell Whiskey Batch 003
The third Barrell Whiskey release from my friends over at the The Bourbon Culture was again a total departure from the previous two. Instead of a corn party like Batch 002, this was full-on Cinnamon Toast Crunch drizzled in raspberry syrup.
Batch 003 introduced sherry and port finishing to the Barrel Whiskey profile, but not before introducing something with potentially much more impact on flavor: Tennessee whiskey.
Unless something was different in these earlier batches, Barrell sources its Tennessee whiskey from a certain distillery in Tullahoma, TN. And, if you’ve read through my reviews of other products that source from that distillery, you know I’m not usually a fan. I don’t think they produce bad whiskey - it’s just not my preferred profile.
Many, many batches of Barrell Bourbon, different Barrell special releases, and more have used this distillery’s product as part of the blend, if not the entire blend at times, and I have a mixed history of liking and disliking. That Flintstones vitamin/orange powder flavor is pretty strong.
In this, though, I get none of those flavors. It’s completely the port and sherry show. With 20% of the whiskey finished in sherry casks and 80% in port pipes, the cinnamon, toasty, fruity, and berry notes are what come out. I loved this as part of the blinds and would love a bottle if I can find one.
Barrell Whiskey Batch 003: Specs
Classification: Tennessee Whiskey, Finished
Origin: Undisclosed (Cascade Hollow)
Mashbill: Undisclosed Corn, Rye, and Malt Mashbill
Proof: 105.3 (52.65% ABV)
Age: 5 Years
Location: Distilled and aged in Tennessee
Barrell Whiskey Batch 003 Price: N/A - No Longer Available
Barrell Whiskey Batch 003 Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark amber maple syrup. Very thin rims and slow, medium droplets.
Nose: Baked cornbread, especially the edges. Slightly higher proof on the nose, too. A little red raspberry fruitiness comes around. Cinnamon sugar, heavy on the cinnamon.
Palate: Ooh that’s nice - there’s a solid spiciness to this with Mexican hot chocolate and some more red raspberry. Toasted cinnamon, too. Minimal oak/woodiness. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, syrupy, a touch spicy, with a surprising toasted almond note coming out that rounds this out nicely.
Finish: Finish is cinnamon toast crunch, warmed up and aromatic up the nostrils. Short-to-medium, leaning toward medium.
Overall: This was pretty good, even great. I love the raspberry and cinnamon French toast combo and it continues from nose to tail. I’d enjoy this again.
Final Rating: 7.5
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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