Barrell Whiskey Private Release AH-20 Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Barrell Whiskey Private Reserve (note the picture is not AH-20)
(Credit: Barrell Craft Spirits)

I look forward to new releases from Craft Barrell Spirits because they are always cask strength and consistently in the B+ category. In the uncommon event a release doesn’t receive that scoring, it is more often an A- than B.

Lately the company has given me something else to look forward to, as it does more interesting things with it’s releases. Take the bizarre sourcing for some of its rye whiskeys, for example. Another recent twist is the Private Release series.

Barrell Whiskey Private Release AH-20 is sourced from “Kentucky Whiskeys.” That euphemism usually refers to a product like Early Times, the best known example of a whiskey made from a bourbon distillate, but aged in a used barrel. Because bourbon requires new barrels, it can’t be called bourbon. However, the “Kentucky Whiskey” designation has no regulatory force, so who really knows? I’ve seen at least one website describe the source stock as light whiskey, albeit with no attribution.

What is known is the single largest constituent was 18 years old and finished in a Pear Brandy cask. That stock was used to create the entire AH Private Reserve series, which to date has some two dozen different spins on it, with each spin yielding 150 to 200 bottles. AH-20 came out at 121.18 proof.

The Whiskey
Once in the glass, Barrell Whiskey AH-20 has a copper cast to it. The nose leads with thick and very thick caramel, with a dusting of cinnamon and a strong note of apples and pears. Once one gets past that sticky caramel opening, a trickle of mustiness runs throughout.

Sipping on this ultra-aged, peculiar whiskey is a much fruitier experience than sniffing it, but loses none of the heavy caramel character. The palate just shows more balance, and reminded me of eating a caramel pear (which I used to make when I lived in DC and had a pear tree), albeit one with a more candied character than the norm. That musty aspect is still there and still pervades as a light touch, now from start to the start of the finish.

That last point jinked away from what heretofore has been a sweet, rich experience. Even with some water in this over 60% alcohol whiskey, the finish opened spicy and hot, and those two aspects were quite distinct from each other. Both fade fast, though, leaving the fruity note to stand alone and linger for a spell.

The Price
While the typical Barrell Craft Spirits release sees a four digit production run, these Private Releases see fewer than 200. That might explain the recommended price tag of $109.