Peychaud's Barrel-Aged Bitters

Rating: 16/23 Is there a need for bitters aged in whiskey barrels for my whiskey cocktails? Perhaps these will provide an answer. Hmm, these come across as unusually thin. I would have expected more flavor from whiskey barrel aging compared to not doing so. I question if the bitters being so potent on their own causes aging to dilute them, as whiskey flavor isn't solely dependent on the distillate and barrel. This might result in a lot of water being incorporated during the whiskey barrel aging process. Whatever the cause, more of these bitters (by volume) are needed than with other bitters. There's a pleasant wood and vanilla presence, but the watery taste is a significant drawback. That said, regular Peychaud's bitters are already milder than Angostura, so part of the issue is that inherent mildness of Peychaud's. I truly don't understand why Peychaud's dilutes their bitters so much. The difference between this and regular Peychaud's is considerably smaller than the difference between regular Peychaud's and Angostura. I still don't see any advantage to this product for a whiskey cocktail, though it might work for a gin cocktail or something similar. Alright, on its own with something like Compass Box Artist's Blend, this shows considerable promise. It's quite specific in its applications, however. It seems to perform best with spirits that have clearly been aged in bourbon barrels (surprisingly), acting more as an enhancement to the spirit than a cocktail component. At least, in a traditional cocktail. I'm unsure how to approach this. I believe this would pair best with something fairly mellow that is finished in bourbon barrels and needs a touch more sweetness. Now that I've grasped this, my assessment of its potential has greatly improved. The key question is how much benefit it offers that simply adding bourbon wouldn't. My hypothesis is that the barrel influence is more concentrated here with less of the bourbon itself, making it more effective at simulating additional barrel aging. After all, a major discovery I made while experimenting with blending at home was that allowing wood chips to dry with the liquid results in a markedly different (and generally superior) effect compared to introducing the liquid and wood chips separately into the spirit being "aged." I suspect these bitters were aged in dried bourbon barrels (or perhaps with chips from dry barrels). I think there's also a hint of orange present, which is beneficial. Having worked through this, I now understand the purpose of this product and can envision keeping it on my shelf. It could even become a favorite if it can improve slightly disappointing malt whiskey with consistency. Generally, I rank Angostura considerably higher, and regular Peychaud's slightly higher as well. This particular product seems more challenging to find a suitable drink for than Peychaud's and substantially more challenging than Angostura, which is almost universally compatible. Consequently, I won't rate it above a 17, but I can't imagine rating it below a 14. I feel the true application for this might be in cocktails consisting solely of a spirit and several (not just a couple) dashes of this. Then, remember that it's a cocktail, so it shouldn't be as strong as the base spirit and should incorporate some bitters flavor. Some pairings that worked well: Compass Box Artist's Blend, Ford's Gin, Plantation 3 Star, Knappogue Castle 12. However, I also found many pairings that did not work. I believe the most reliable choices are mild spirits that would benefit from more bourbon barrel character. Irish whiskey, for instance, seems like a generally good match, particularly since it often has some alcohol flavor it aims to mask. Spirits with significant prior wood aging did not fare well, and those already possessing a tannic bitterness were particularly ill-suited. At one point, I thought this couldn't possibly score lower than a 16, and later, I felt a 16 might be generous. So, I'll settle on a 16. One final observation: its color is surprisingly red. Keep this in mind as it can affect your cocktail's appearance. Regular Peychaud's is red, but this is notably redder.

Not as essential as the original, but I assure you, it's also a worthwhile experience. The barrel aging contributes a distinct roundness and oak character, along with other expected flavors.