Barrell Bourbon Batch 031 Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

This most recent release from the skilled folks at Barrell Craft Spirits is drawn from 6, 7, 10, 15 and 16 year old barrels sourced from the (now familiar) states of Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. The company says the 6, 7 and 10 year old bourbons were of two groups, a wheated bourbon and a 99% corn bourbon, and this served as the foundation. The older whiskeys were used to tie it all together.

Keen observers invariably believe the Tennessee casks used by Barrell Craft Spirits have been sourced from Cascade Hollow (ex-George Dickel), because previously they were specifically identified as having come from Tullahoma. Nowadays, that is less certain, both because the Tullahoma has been dropped and because certain Tennessee craft distillers have been around long enough to furnish barrels that could now be 6 and 7 years old. Indiana, however, undoubtedly continues to mean MGP, and the use of 99% corn bourbon screams it. As for Kentucky, that has long been anyone’s guess.

The resulting whiskey, cask strength as always, came out at 111.2 proof. Barrell Bourbon’s reputation for uncut, unfiltered whiskeys leads many to expect every release to be a 120+ proof barn burner, but in truth a proof point like that is actually pretty normal.

The Bourbon
The look of this bourbon is light amber, bright enough to verge on copper. With a strength in the mid-50s ABV, I decided to give it a try without water, and I was rewarded with a nose that was neither hot nor overtly woody. A sip, however, was a bit hot, so in went the water.

The scent runs with a current of tropical fruit salad coated with brown sugar and caramel drizzle, but atop that is a sprinkling of crushed, green pine needles. The flavor turns slightly dry, with a fruity side of papaya and lemon drops balanced against a light gloss of peppery oak. The finish grows drier turning earthier and more peppered.

The Price
More than 27,000 bottles of Batch 031 were shipped, with an official price tag of $90.