Barrell Whiskey Infinite Barrel Project (June 18, 2019)

Opened for 11 months Nose - Cereal grain, acetone, overripe bananas, green apples, honeysuckle, minimal oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Irish pot still and grain blend, astringent cereal malt, hay, grass, iodine, light saltiness likely from a coastal Scottish malt, honeysuckle and light honey, dry baking spices, unripe green apples, and sharp ethanol. The finish is medium-long, but not in a good way. The drier tannins build at the back of the throat with young bourbon and single malt astringency, acetone, and a harsh ethanol finish. A friend visited Louisville last year and bought a couple of bottles when most things on my list were unavailable. The Wilderness Trail Rye Cask Strength was amazing, but this panicked purchase was not. We shared the bottle, and he liked this much more than I did. Initially, it was acceptable, possessing the character of Scottish and Irish blends with hints of American whiskey. Over time, it has become woodier, drier, and more bitter. I've mostly finished this bottle by mixing it with ginger beer because sipping it neat is unpleasant. I could find many Scotch and Irish bottles under 90 proof that are far superior. I made the mistake early in my infinity bottle journey of attempting to combine bourbon, rye, non-peated Scotch, and non-peated Irish. It was terrible and eventually discarded after two years of blending over 100 whiskeys. This tastes like that same failed experiment, but at an inflated price that's a rip-off. My current infinity bottle of only bourbon and rye is excellent, and my Scotch/Irish infinity is developing well. Barrell should adopt a similar approach; they have the sourcing and blending expertise to create a superior product.