Barrell Bourbon Batch #026

Barrell Bourbon Batch 026 was created by combining 9, 10, 11, 13, and 15-year-old barrels in several blending steps. The first was a fusion of 9-year-old high rye barrels peppery and pointed on the palate, 10-year-old oak forward barrels, and sweet, toasty 11-year-old barrels for mouthfeel and classic baking spice notes. The second balanced citrus-forward 10, 12, and 15-year-old barrels with spicy, floral 9-year-old high rye barrels. These two blends were gradually co-mingled resulting in an intriguing bourbon that dances between fruit and spice long into its finish.

• A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
• Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana
• Selection of 9, 10, 11, 13, and 15-year-old barrels
• Aged in American white oak barrels
• Bottled in Kentucky
• 112.64 proof cask strength bottling

Like a well-aged Sauternes, a complex array of fresh, dried, and cooked fruits dominates the aroma, supported by pungent florals and a delicate layer of barrel-spice. The palate is concentrated and extractive, having pulled quite a lot of sugar and peppery spice from the cask. Water tames it, bringing forth a panoply of tropical fruits on the nose and creamy desserts on the palate.
Neat:

Appearance: Pumpkin pie. 
Nose: Immediately bright and fruity, smelling of white peach, creamy coconut, and prickly rhubarb, followed by dried or cooked fruits, among them golden raisin, candied grapefruit peel, and roasted red pepper. Pungent florals are intermixed, notably rosehip and meadowsweet. As one’s nose adjusts, richer, sweeter notes of beeswax, toasted almond, and tiramisu arrive. They sit atop a dusting of allspice, spearmint, ginger ale, and charcoal.
Palate: A bit brash, but well balanced and with only modest tannin. Initially the flavor is dark and complex, on molasses, black cherry soda, and root beer barrel candy. The palate is rounded out by slate, salt, green apple and a little horseradish.
Finish: Advances the cooked-fruit theme put forth by the nose, cycling through candied grapefruit peel, grape jam, cardamom and allspice. It fades with a mineral tingle of iron and wood smoke.

With a few drops of spring water:
Tropical fruit aromas become the focus, particularly starfruit, pineapple, and limoncello. Geranium and vanilla lend to the exotic feeling. The palate grows richer and silkier, with toasted pumpernickel, quince paste, mocha, and horchata.