Barrell Craft Spirits Barrell Bourbon Batch 29 6 year old

A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana 

Selection of 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, and 15-year-old barrels 

Aged in American white oak barrels 

Bottled in Kentucky 

115.88 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES

Many bourbons just taste like caramel, some older bourbons taste like oak, but this -- this bourbon is a cherry bomb. At times bright and juicy, at others, brooding and oxidized, but while there are many flavors to be found, cherry stands above them all. 

Nose: Supporting notes that span sweet desserts, woodsy herbs, and rich oils, but their presence is an afterthought to the singular and intense focus of this whisky’s nose, and that focus is squarely on old, comforting cherry. The oak is sweet and nutty, displaying amaretto and sweet, raisonated grapes. Deeper bass notes of sweet potato pie, walnut shells, and freshly ground coffee flesh out the aromatic register. The influence of rye is subtle here, potpourri, earl grey tea, and bouquet garni whisper at the periphery. 

Palate: The candied texture that falls short of syrupy and a just-gentle tannin suggest minimal oak extraction but significant concentration over long years spent slowly evaporating in a rickhouse. Like the nose, a bright, juicy acidity puts the focus squarely on a note of cherry so monumental that almost nothing else breaks through. A bit more floral than the nose, candied violet and lavender are just able to peek through, along with a steely minerality. Eventually, some oxidized notes evoke an old oloroso sherry, among them hazelnut, molé sauce, and stewed mushroom. 

Finish: A gentle, yet complex finish that makes one imagine a flavor wheel in thin air. This mysterious yet fruity bourbon leaves the palate with blood orange, rosehip, hibiscus, and sumac. 

​With a few drops of spring water 

Lychee, pineapple and honeydew melon emerge, and heather, sage, and cigar smoke lend a welcome complexity. This is followed by baklava, Boston cream pie, and a creamy brown ale, which lends a subtle hoppy note to the finish.

Some new press on the batch 29

Drew Beard of Drinkhacker reviews Barrell Bourbon Batch 029, rating it a 8.5/10 and calling it "surprisingly delicate but still engaging."

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 029 scores second place in a blind taste test for UPROXX’s recent article Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskeys From 2021, Blind Tested And Ranked.

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Breaking Bourbon reviews Barrell Bourbon Batch 029, saying that this release “offers a range of different flavors that all come together while still maintaining a familiar-enough bourbon-centric base to satisfying results.”

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Bourbon Culture reviews Barrell Bourbon Batch 029, saying, "if you liked Batch 020 [...] this will also be right up your alley."

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Bourbon and BS Podcast sip Bourbon Batch 029 in their recent episode, discussing the whiskey and how it pairs with their cigar choice for the week.