Barrell Bourbon Batch #021

Barrell Bourbon Batch 021 is the culmination of two separate projects used to contrast one another. The first is a blend of 10-year-old barrels from TN, IN, and KY. These barrels were sorted into 3 groups by their most defining characteristics: one group of the most corn-forward and buttery barrels, one group of the woodiest barrels, and one group of easy-drinking lower proof barrels. The result was three different ingredients, each designed to bring a particular aspect to the final product. The balancing of these three ingredients proved difficult as the woodier ingredient so easily dominated the other two but also brought a viscosity and mouth feel that we found very intriguing. Ultimately, folks behind the brand chose to integrate 18 carefully chosen 14-year-old barrels into the final blend. This allowed keeping the dry, woody, and palate-coating characteristics in the 10-year-old blend by accenting them with a fruitier, gentler 14-year-old component. The result, Barrell Bourbon Batch 021 is a wonderfully autumnal bourbon, built on a dry toasty backbone with hints of butter and fruit layered in for complexity and contrast.