Barrell Craft Spirits Vantage Cask Strength A Blend Of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Whisky Advocate Score: 95, #3 on the Top 20 Whiskies of 2022 List

Established in the blending world, Barrell Craft Spirits has demonstrated its finishing prowess with a series of creative releases that marry different cask types. Vantage is the most recent and, to us, the most successful. The nose has a bake shop sweetness, with aromas of sugar cookies, nutty chocolate brownies, Funfetti cake, earthy dried tobacco leaves, and strawberry candies underneath. The creamy palate delivers rich chocolate, Red Hots, and with water added dried leaves and snickerdoodles. The big cinnamon spice on the finish ties this one up beautifully. 

Appearance: Burnt sienna
Nose: Creme brûlée, coconut oil, and chocolate pudding invoke the creamy richness of toasted American oak. Tarragon, nutmeg, and warm cola are the dry, extractive spices highlighting the French oak. Mizunara’s incense and grilled pineapple notes take the profile in a totally different direction.
Palate: Sweet and oily with a pronounced espresso note. It’s pleasantly rich on the tongue, which obscures much of the tannin – surprising given how much wood is present. The French oak’s robust spice notes inflect a maple syrup sweetness.
Finish: Green grapes and red plums burst above the barrel notes for the first time. It’s spicy, too, with za’atar, crystallized ginger, and Szechuan peppercorns.

With a splash of spring water: The nose grows earthier, exhibiting graham cracker and dark chocolate. The spirit’s rye grain emerges, not just with pumpernickel but also celery and chive blossom. The palate grows sweeter, tasting of maraschino liqueur and pavlova. It finishes on grapefruit zest and kola nut.