Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label Seagrass

This is Barrell’s third release of Seagrass; the others were the standard Seagrass and a Gray Label 16-year Seagrass. Personally, I found the standard Seagrass to be a fruity delight with subtle earthy rye notes in the background preventing it from being overly sweet, while the 16-year was the opposite, featuring those earthy rye notes upfront with some well-aged oak, and the fruity finishes in the background adding a touch of sweet fruitiness. So, I was curious when their 20-year Gold edition was released and wanted to discover its direction, but the steep price was a barrier until a friend generously shared a sample to satisfy my curiosity. The aroma is robust and rich, beginning with a blend of dried apricot, caramelized pineapple, raspberry syrup, aged leather, and a faint forest rye flavor in the background. The rye then takes prominence with freshly baked pumpernickel bread topped with whipped cinnamon honey butter and a subtle river rock minerality, followed by bananas foster, cherry brandy, and mandarin oranges. This transitions to candied ginger, scorched pine cones, and polished antique furniture, accompanied by a strong ethanol burn. The taste offers a rich, oily mouthfeel, starting with a moderately sweet and sour fruit-forward mix of apricot jam, caramelized pineapple, raspberry sorbet, and aged leather. This is followed by a slightly bitter and sour rye spice that gradually fades to freshly baked pumpernickel bread with whipped cinnamon honey butter, espresso, and subtle river rock minerality. It continues with a banana split with sour cherries, toasted walnuts, and tangerine orange, transitioning to candied ginger, pine needles, and polished antique furniture, with a strong ethanol burn. The finish is lengthy, featuring scorched pine cones, dark chocolate mocha, banana split, cherries jubilee, dried apricots, walnuts, a moderate rye spice, leather, and polished antique furniture. For this release, Barrell returned to the original profile with those creamy, sweet, and sour fruits at the forefront. It's an exceptionally well-crafted and balanced blend where the flavors of the rye, Martinique rum, Madeira, and apricot brandy harmonize to create a fairly complex and sweet whiskey. The rye and well-aged oak act as background notes, while the rum, brandy, and Madeira contribute bold fruit notes that are dominant but recede enough to allow the earthy forest floor rye flavors and the well-aged oak to come through. This is likely what consumers expected the Seagrass 16-year to be, as the older rye components enhance the standard Seagrass with well-aged oak notes and smooth out some of the youthful character with those 20-year-old ryes while retaining the sweetness of the regular version. For me, the 16-year remains my favorite due to my preference for earthy rye flavors being front and center with light fruitiness from the finishes, but if you appreciate a sweeter, fruitier rye profile with some well-aged oak, the 20-year would likely impress.

Nose: This aroma is new to me, distinct from single malts, bourbons, and ryes I'm familiar with. I detect light, airy honey and a floral note resembling rose petals. A significant presence of raw sugar cane appears intermittently. Faint plum and apricot notes are present as secondary or tertiary scents. I don't detect any rye on the nose, but there's a lot of fruitiness. What's also fascinating is how gentle the nose is, considering the 64.06% ABV. At times, I perceive wet wood, not oak specifically, but more like the imagined taste of apricot juice aged in a wooden barrel, which aligns with this rye's maturation in apricot brandy barrels. The nose is intricate, impressive, and evolved as I spent more time with it. Later, I caught a hint of rye spice, like a fleeting whisper of Red Hots, then it vanished. A caramel flavor also surfaced later on. Body: Tasted neat. Immense. A powerful Kentucky Canadian embrace. Palate: Sugary sweetness, high carbonation, with some deeper fruit notes, possibly the plum detected earlier. It's a fresh, juicy plum, not an aged, fermented, syrupy one. This pour is vibrant with complex flavors, each taking turns at the forefront. Caramel and I detect more rye spiciness. Finish: Extended. While not smoky as I prefer my finishes, there's a lingering sweetness that gradually fades. After 2-3 minutes, flavors continue to waft out – sugary sweet, fruity notes. Note: Another purchase from a specific retailer. It wasn't inexpensive, whew. However, the previous gold label expression was truly remarkable. This is a genuinely intriguing dram, offering numerous flavors and aromas that combine in unique ways. It feels like a creation that would make a certain famous chocolatier very proud. Complex and sweet, it suggests considerable care and effort went into blending it all together. This is truly exceptional.

We (meaning a few friends) had our regular online tasting session. This was one of the highlights of the evening, generously shared by a friend. The other four spirits were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1, 2) Craigellechie 13 Armagnac finished, 3) Lagavulin 12 2021, and 4) 15yr Jacob’s Well. I wasn't particularly fond of the standard Seagrass. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't impress me as much as their earlier Dovetail or Armida expressions. It wasn't something I'd seek out to purchase. However, this... this is a different experience. It likely shares the same origins as the standard Seagrass, but it has developed into an elegant, silky pour. You really need to add water to this. The intensity is simply too much otherwise. But once you do, you'll detect aromas of honey, sweet fruits, and maple syrup. The palate is buttery, with molasses, dark cherry, and oak. It's truly elegant. The major issue, though, is the cost. At $500, it's at the very high end and beyond the budget for most, including myself. But, if you're considering a special treat or a memorable gift for someone, this would be a worthy option. Thanks to a friend for the sample!

Alright, the regular Seagrass might just be my top Rye. A bottle of this has been sitting at a nearby store for $300. I've held off so far. I'm in Louisville and the hotel bar has it. I'm going for it... It's delicious... I prefer the standard version. There, I said it. It's fantastic, as my rating will show. But I still favor the standard bottle. This one is more like canned peaches and their syrup. It has more honey notes. Seagrass is incredible, this is amazing... So I don't want this to sound like a negative review.

On sale at the bar. Notes of apricot upfront, a touch of ethanol and custard. The initial taste is quite fiery, but it smooths out considerably with some air. Still apricot-forward and sweet, with a subtle note of banana peel and perhaps a hint of dill. A varied blend of flavors that are well-integrated once you get past the heat. It's pleasant, but not my preferred Seagrass, and for the price they were asking, it should be.

Excellent harmony between tropical fruits and rye spice. Nose: Dill, Peaches, Apricots, Pineapples, Sultanas, Spearmint, Cinnamon, Raspberries, Herbs, Bubble Gum Palate: Herbs, Jalapeños, Apricots, Mangoes, Pineapples, Coconuts, Sultanas, Cinnamon, Figs, Plums, Golden Syrup, Kiwis, Nutmeg, Green Apples, Licorice Finish: Bananas, Marshmallows, Green Apples, Kiwis, Pears, Lavender, Parma Violets, Cinnamon, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Bubble Gum