Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Whiskey 24 Year (2021 Release)

As a spirit lover, I'm always looking for a good deal or a new bottle that seems intriguing. While browsing, I saw news about a 24-year-old Canadian whiskey from Barrell, finished in Armagnac and oloroso casks, which immediately activated my inner whiskey hunter. I started searching for a bottle, but it was hard to find, as my usual online shops didn't have it and it seemed likely to be snatched up by clever resellers with inflated secondary prices. Fortunately, someone told me to check Barrell's website, which had various bottles at retail price that you can just add to your cart, pay with Apple Pay, and they'll arrive in a few days. Now that the search is over, it's time to enjoy my new find. The aroma is gentle and light, beginning with powdered sugar, then floral and grassy scents like a spring meadow with morning dew, followed by persimmons, mangoes, and honeydew, then roasted nuts and chocolate-covered raisins, fading into ginger, wintergreen, spearmint, and pine-needle-covered forest floors with a slight ethanol sting. The flavor has a medium-full body, starting with chamomile tea and lavender petals, then fruits like persimmons, Bosc pear, and salted mango, followed by banana leaves and a stream flowing over forest rocks, along with chocolate-covered almonds, fading into ginger, wintergreen, spearmint, and pine needles with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is long with chamomile tea, blooming lavender, orange blossom, apple peel, dark chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, roasted fennel, wintergreen, spearmint, and forest floors. This is a very complex spirit. The nose is soft and balanced with sweetness, florals, tropical fruits, light nutty notes, and earthy spices, which carry over to the palate. It begins with tea and floral notes, then tropical fruits that give way to leafy notes, mineral undertones, and chocolate-nutty flavors before earthy spices emerge. The finish is long, with tea, floral, citrus, nutty notes, and earthy spices that linger for minutes. Barrell consistently releases high-quality products, but this is a true masterpiece. The finishes are subtly different and enhance the complexity with additional flavors without overwhelming the base spirit. There are some resemblances to my Lock Stock and Barrel 18, so a comparison is appropriate. When compared side-by-side with Lock Stock and Barrel 18, the Lock Stock seems younger and harsher, while the Barrell is lighter with better balance, bringing those unique floral, forest, tropical fruit, and chocolate-nutty flavors that make me want to pour another glass. At $250, this is a pricey indulgence, but with a 24-year age statement and unique finishes, it seems worth the splurge.

Nose - butterscotch, vanilla, sawdust, orange zest, milk chocolate, sweet floral notes, cornbread, powdered sugar, spearmint, pineapple, with a moderate ethanol burn. Taste - butterscotch, lemon meringue, ginger, vanilla, tangerine, walnut, chocolate, apple, white pepper, mint, rye bread, anise, pineapple, light oak, with a moderate to high alcohol bite. The finish is medium length with butterscotch, citrus, and minty rye flavors. This is the final Barrell review from my collection, a 24 Year Gray Label Canadian whisky that was finished in sherry and armagnac casks. These releases are extremely expensive, priced at $250, making it a luxury just to sample this one. The nose is very light and effervescent, with detectable notes of butterscotch, powdered sugar, tropical fruits, and sweet floral elements. The palate is similarly light and fruity but carries more heat than the nose suggests. It offers more tropical fruits and citrus, along with some chocolate-covered walnuts and a pleasant rye character. To begin, these lighter whiskies typically aren't my preference. I find their subtlety and complexity are lost on me, which is likely happening here as well. It's a great whisky, but I can easily imagine it being much more appreciated by others who favor this style. After reviewing nine Barrell products, the 16 Year Seagrass was my absolute favorite. A huge thank you to a friend for providing this generous sample, along with most of the others I reviewed in this series.

This was a birthday pour from last night. Unable to locate a 44-year-old, I opted for a 24-year-old. I had anticipated enjoying the Seagrass 16 year more than this (review forthcoming), but this one proved to be a pleasant surprise. On the nose, it reminds me most of Redbreast 12 Cask Strength in my collection. It exhibits fruity, even tropical, notes. The palate begins with butterscotch, transitions to a tropical fruit medley, and concludes with rye-like spices and pepper. The complexity and evolution of distinct flavors are truly enjoyable. It is exceptionally good. It surpasses the Redbreast Cask Strength, which is currently among my favorites. The Redbreast presents with more heat and lacks the complexity found here. I've wavered between a 4.75 and a 5, but I'm settling on a 5. Furthermore, I unexpectedly preferred this to the Seagrass 16. I extend my sincere gratitude once again to a friend for this delightful birthday treat.

Decided to spend a little bonus money on something that sounded appealing due to its cask finishes, but which I was almost certain would not meet expectations. The aroma was a bit unexpected, but great, reminding me of vanilla ice cream with some light tropical fruit and wintergreen in the background. On the first taste, it's a mouthful of sherry, similar to a Glendronach 15 Revival but with a distinct grain presence. The finish is where the armagnac dominates. Oak is present but not overpowering. I'd describe this as a well-aged Canadian whiskey that manages to capture some of what I enjoy about Scotch and Armagnac. This is the best North American whiskey I've encountered yet. I chose this bottle over the Grey Label Seagrass, and I'm really glad I did.

Smells of grapefruit pith, fresh grated ginger, lemon pulp, maple sugar, cream steeped with vanilla pods on the stove, and newly cut lumber soaked with rain. The taste is like a lemon cream puff dusted with powdered sugar, zesty ginger and clove pie spice with a strong alcohol burn, and an orange-tinted caramel taste upon exhaling afterwards.

Caramel, berry, and vanilla notes are present, with immense flavor and a rather hot/intense character.