Down Home Toasted Barrel Finish

Neat. First pour. MGP from a toasted barrel! I'm a big fan of bourbon finished in toasted barrels and I had not encountered an MGP with a toasted barrel finish before today. Based on the cost of $69, I estimate this is a 5 to 7 year old MGP. The color is a rich, dark hue from the additional barrel aging, though not as dark as Woodford Double Oaked or 1920. It resembles a 12 year old MGP. On the nose, it presents as typical 5 year old MGP. It reminds me of a certain popular bourbon. A youthful, green note from the MGP is prominent, more so than I prefer. Beneath that, I detect pleasant notes of butterscotch, chocolate, and nutmeg. If I were tasting this blind, I wouldn't identify it as having a toasted barrel finish. The toasted marshmallow note found in other toasted products is present but very subtle. I suspect it wasn't in the second barrel for very long, perhaps three months. With more time, a delightful buttery and flaky pastry crust aroma emerges. The green note also evolves, becoming more reminiscent of apple than just young whiskey. While the finishing process seems to have smoothed out the sharp edges of young MGP that I dislike, I don't believe it introduced significant new complexity to the aroma. Oh, the texture is superb. Incredibly oily and smooth. I can tell this isn't chill-filtered due to the numerous suspended particles in my glass. It starts with a sweet cinnamon apple flavor. That apple note is quite vibrant initially, but it gradually deepens. Butterscotch reappears, leading into a pleasant salted milk chocolate. The legs are very impressive. Toasted marshmallow emerges and concludes with a nice, lingering MGP cherry note. Ultimately, this bourbon won me over. The initial youthful aroma was a drawback, and the toasted barrel finish is a subtle enhancement. However, the flavors on the palate and in the finish are compelling. Beginning with apple, transitioning to dessert notes, and finishing with cherry is a distinctive profile for an MGP. I would be keen to sample an older MGP that spent more time aging in a secondary toasted barrel. As it is with this bottle, the toasted barrel significantly improved a young MGP, but it falls short of the 1920 MGP I was anticipating. Nevertheless, it remains a solid value for an MGP at this price point.

Drank it neat. Received a sample from Louisville Bourbon Club #2. Batch 1 was somewhat disappointing. The toasted barrel finish did not enhance the MGP profile I enjoy; it only dulled the sharp edges of a young MGP. Still enjoyable, but not the Double Oaked MGP I anticipated. A whiskey acquaintance provided this sample so I could observe how Down Home is developing their Toasted barrels. On the nose, I detect notes more typical of scotch. The first impression is salty jerky, followed by a bright, prominent young MGP note. Charred caramel. A whisper of raspberries. That salty jerky note is unexpected; I appreciate it but it's not the direction I foresaw. Texture is oily, though not fully creamy. Brown sugar on the palate. A surge of vanilla, shifting to charred caramel, an unanticipated hint of almond with raspberries throughout the medium-long legs. This represents an improvement over Batch 1, showing their learning and refinement of this concept. However, I suspect the MGP is too immature and raw to fully realize this concept. The double barrel process isn't yielding the creamy chocolate or toasted marshmallow I desire. I believe almond or coconut is the novel characteristic it imparted to the MGP with the barrel. I'm enjoying this, yet it still falls short of my expectations for a toasted MGP.

I'm genuinely glad I wasn't the one to add this. It's a bit sad that I'll have to reduce the score, as a perfect 5.0 seems unrealistic for anyone who has actually tasted whiskey. Full disclosure: I've had the opportunity to try some samples from the individuals involved with this. I tasted their 5.5-year-old expression for free and received a sample of this while it was still aging, long before it was finished in the toasted barrel. Let's just say, I'm VERY glad they hadn't completed the aging process for that sample, as it was not good. This all began, however, with my appreciation for their batch 2, 12-year-old, which I absolutely loved. Nose - Vanilla and overripe banana. Now, my scotch-drinking friends might exclaim, "OMG, YOUNG!" and while that's not inaccurate, this one somehow works. Honestly, I detect a strong note of whiteboard marker alongside the alcohol and sweetness. As I delve deeper, I discover more cream, vanilla, and robust flavors. Taste - Now I detect more shoe polish, vanilla, cream, bananas, and chocolate. That said, there's a funky oakiness, cardboard, and watery oak contributing. This is typically a flaw in bourbon, but here it creates a remarkably complex and unique profile. I must admit, for under $70, this is an entertaining whiskey. A solid 2.25, and in my opinion, a winner. I mean, folks, a 2.25 for a $65 whiskey, and it's polarizing? That's definitely one to buy and check out.

This is delightful. The aroma presents rye, pie crust, and the faintest hint of berries. The palate is dominated by tart cherry, with a touch of rye spice and good balance. It might still be a bit too intense, as I suspect a little water would reveal more flavors. The finish is medium-short, with rye spice, alcohol burn, and a faint cherry reappearing long after it has faded.

Smoky, baked flavor. Evokes hickory wood pellets for a smoker or sawdust for an animal enclosure. Very wood dominant. Not awful, but likely not what one seeks in bourbon.

Advent calendar blind tasting, Day 13: Smells spicy. A long, fruity mid-palate with notes of leather and cocoa. A fiery cinnamon finish.