Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label 15 Year Bourbon (2021 Release)

For a brother’s reunion, I brought many bottles to keep our palates engaged; however, I didn't realize we'd all be so thirsty after not seeing each other for years. The abundance of bottles was quickly depleted, leading to an expedition for more. After several disappointing stops, we found a liquor store with a decent selection. The clerk tried to upsell me on a bottle of Horse Soldier Commander 13 year at $700 or Very Olde St. Nick “Ancient Estate '' 13 year at $500, claiming 13 years makes "smooth" bourbon. Then I spotted this unassuming Barrell 15 year for a bargain price compared to those two at $220. I quickly responded, "if 13 years is smooth, then surely 15 years is incredibly smooth," and thanked the gentleman for his advice, noticing his slightly saddened expression as I headed to checkout with the clearly smoother, discounted bourbon. So how does this one taste, let's find out. The aroma is rich and syrupy, beginning with Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup over vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone, then candied pecans, along with sautéed cinnamon caramel apples, sour cherry jelly, and orange sherbet, leading to espresso, spearmint, cloves, a hint of ginger, leather, and old polished mahogany, with a moderate ethanol burn. The palate has a medium mouthfeel, starting with chocolate-covered pecan clusters, followed by cinnamon apple fritters, sour cherry jelly on whole wheat toast, and Smarties candy, which then shifts to Red Hots candy that fades into espresso, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, spearmint, leather, and slightly tannic oak, with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is long with apple fritters, toasted coconut, Bit-O-Honey candy, orange push pop, high-percentage dark chocolate, espresso, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, leather, and slightly tannic oak. Barrell has crafted a very delicious bourbon. It starts with a syrupy, rich nose featuring traditional bourbon notes of fruit, chocolate, nuts, espresso, and well-aged oak. This carries over to the palate with a lighter mouthfeel than anticipated, beginning with chocolate, caramel, and candied nuts before citrus that turns somewhat chalky, followed by a medium spice leading to espresso and barrel spices that become mildly sour and dry with tannic oak. The finish is long with some rich, traditional bourbon flavors, though a mild, chalky tannic oak detracts slightly but lingers indefinitely. For me, this seems like a downgrade from the 2020 version, which came in at 52.45% ABV compared to the 2021's 50.2% ABV, resulting in a thinner mouthfeel. The wood integration isn't as balanced as the 2020, yielding slightly tannic oak instead of the polished mahogany I experienced with the 2020. This is still a very good whiskey that we all enjoyed, but at over $200, there are superior options available. I wish a Cowboy, Kentucky Owl Bourbon Batch 10, or a Saint Cloud 7 year had been available at that liquor store that day.

Nose - Black cherry, salted caramel, peanut, apple, vanilla, orange, black pepper, nutmeg, dark chocolate, dry oak, tobacco, with a moderate ethanol burn. Taste - Cherry, apple, butterscotch, vanilla, sweet floral notes, leather, cinnamon butter, yeast, orange, chocolate, ginger, mint, raspberry, tannic oak, with a moderate alcohol bite. The finish is medium length with cherry, butterscotch, orange, and baking spice flavors. This is the final bottle from my Barrell 15 Year releases, the 2021 expression. As anticipated, it's a blend of bourbons from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. It's safe to assume Dickel and MGP are included, but the Kentucky component is less clear to me. The aroma is significantly different from the 2019 and 2020 versions. Firstly, the overpowering Dickel vitamin scent is much less intense. It's noticeable but more in the background. The same applies to the dry roasted peanut characteristic found in its predecessors. This version is noticeably fruitier, with an aroma similar to the floral cherry notes of Buffalo Trace. The palate is more similar to previous versions than the nose is. The strong nutty, orange, and mineral notes are present, and the fruit and citrus lean slightly sour. The mouthfeel is medium, and the finish is above average. Rating this expression is challenging. While it has my favorite aroma of the three, I believe its palate is the weakest. It's very good, but it definitely leans towards tannic and sour notes. On another occasion, I might rate it higher, but I'm standing by this assessment for now. Many thanks to a friend for providing the generous sample!

Nose: Sweet fruit candy, shaving cream, oak, lumber yard, hint of library dust, caramel corn, candy corn, sawdust, hint of barnyard, funky, even a bit yeasty, but big sweet notes balance against that. Palate: Chocolate orange, lightly charred oak, touch of smoke, caramel, pencil shavings, frothy soap, light roast coffee, some cinnamon, some baking spice. Finish: Medium heat with cinnamon, Christmas baking spice, oak, caramel, vanilla. This is lovely. I enjoyed it. The funkiness is interesting, though perhaps less pronounced than I've suggested. It's well-balanced. It's also outrageously expensive. But that's common these days. (Don't bother answering that.) ____________ Please join an unofficial community on Discord (now one whole year old!): https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. We discuss spirits (and other topics) in real time and are a great resource for each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired - it shouldn't be - please post a comment and I will gladly and usually quickly provide a new one.)

It was Sunday and I was a bit buzzed while shopping with my spouse at Costco. What better way to shop with your wife than a couple of drinks in? I was thrilled to find this bottle for $199.00 at Costco. I've seen so many posts on IG about great finds and deals, but my Costco never has anything like this. Anyway, I grabbed it. To be honest, it's good but not amazing, and I wouldn't buy it again. It's really not special to me. If it were $80, it would be a good deal, but for $200 and up, that's a definite pass. I think this blend has been done countless times. Sure, it might have different ages and labels, but how many times have Dickel, MGP, and Barton been used? It feels like a lot, and I'm just kind of over it. Again, I'm not saying it's bad, just overpriced and uninspired.

Regardless of what naysayers claim, this is an incredible drink. Could it be stronger? Absolutely. But it's a delightful journey from its oaky scent to the candied apple taste and that spicy cinnamon finish. Fantastic. And while I'm not typically a fan of Dickel by itself, the way those individuals utilize it is exceptional.

It was good, but not exceptional; the Dickel spirit was overpowering.