Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Dovetail (2022 Release)

This distillery has been releasing top-tier bourbons and their expertise has only grown. The standard Dovetail is quite good. Seagrass is a uniquely fun experience. I've heard positive things about Gray but haven't had the pleasure of trying it myself, until now. Nose: Initially, right after pouring, there's a strong hit of ethanol. This certainly needs time to air out. After about fifteen minutes, it starts to reveal itself. Fruity peach, strawberry, and fresh orange blended together. But what enhances this are the baking spices mingled with the fruity aroma. Nutmeg and cinnamon. Deep within, traces of sweet grapes, toffee, and chocolate coffee complete the nose. These aromas do take a considerable amount of time to emerge. It took about forty minutes of breathing and nosing to distinguish the aromas. Palate: The arrival is numbing, creamy, and sweet. Milk chocolate, leaning towards the creamy sweet side, coats the palate. Chewing it reveals dark roasted coffee, black cherries, and butterscotch. Sweet and earthy. Surprisingly lacking in distinct flavors considering the nose offered more. At least, what I could detect. With Water: Adding a bit of water causes the nose to bloom with the sugary sweetness of cotton candy and caramel apples. With the added water, the sugary qualities also carry over to the palate. The grape notes are amplified, but the earthy notes become muted. Finish: The finish is a tingling sensation, Concord grapes, black and white pepper, and chocolate that seems to last forever. Oaky tannins near the end of the long finish tie it all together. A pleasant, lengthy journey. Overall: The pour is simply complex. The aromas and flavors are approachable, rich, and genuine. All this discernment requires time and patience, making this a great pour for escapism. Sipping this quickly will diminish the full experience. The contained amount of aromas and flavors, though rich, prevent this pour from reaching greatness. An immensely enjoyable drink. Thank you to a friend for a generous sample. [90/100][Tasted: 11/4/23]

Perhaps Barrell is the top American blender. It makes me wonder why Americans were so slow to blend whiskey, given that the Scots and Japanese have been doing it for ages. We had numerous producers across the country, yet we were late to the game. However, we have quickly caught up, and Barrell may be the best American blender. This is their premium grey label, which initially cost $250 but has recently dropped to around $125. It's an older version of their standard Dovetail, a blend of whiskey finished in rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Barrels. The age is estimated at 20 years, which is quite old for its components from KY, TN, and Canada. The nose is sweet, with notes of grapes, jam, and strawberries. The palate has dry leather, oak, sweet jam, and maple. Adding water diminishes the complexity, bringing out astringent oak and barrel spices. It's best enjoyed without water. It's good, but I actually prefer the regular Dovetail. The latter was slightly more robust, which complemented the wine sweetness. This older version is more refined and smoother, but I find it a bit too sweet for my preference. Your personal taste may vary, especially if you have a sweet tooth. For me, it was excessively sweet.

The aroma is rather nice. It has some warmth, but not as much as one might anticipate for the proof. Notes of caramel, apricot, and berry are present. The taste includes brown sugar, pineapple custard, coconut, and strawberry jam, with cinnamon and tobacco leaf emerging in the finish. I had a small taste of this sample without knowing what it was a couple months back and was surprised by the intensity. It made me cough and burn, and I was reluctant to revisit it for a while. However, after preparing my palate with a small pour beforehand, I am quite pleased and genuinely glad now that it came in a larger-than-normal sample bottle that looked like medicine from a generous friend. Thank you for sharing! It's a really enjoyable whiskey once you are ready for the heat, or even better, with a little water added. I finished the sample with some water, and it really enhanced it nicely – it seemed to bring out more of the red wine notes for me.

This was my initial experience with a whiskey from Barrel Craft Spirits, and it met expectations. This dram offered a lot to consider and enjoy, including layers of spun sugar, caramel, oak, and a pleasant refined quality. It was truly delightful; however, the cost compared to its value appears to be out of balance. A single serving of this costs as much as some bottles I greatly enjoy, and while I appreciate new experiences and this was very entertaining, the product does not justify the expense.

A very potent whiskey, both in flavor and alcohol content. For my personal preference, the alcohol is far too dominant. I had to add ice for fifteen minutes just to make it palatable. Sadly, this diluted the flavor considerably. However, it was still acceptable at that point. My main point: avoid this if you dislike intensely strong whiskey! I felt compelled to try it, though... 😂

The smell is subtle, and I can't identify the scent. Perhaps cognac? The taste certainly carries some cognac sweetness alongside much else. Layers upon layers of flavor that develop through the finish. My senses aren't refined enough to discern everything present, but it's absolutely amazing. I could consume this indefinitely.