An Award-Winning Bottler Delivers a Tantalizing Single Barrel
Barrell Bourbon “K&L Exclusive” 14 Year Old Cask Strength Single Barrel #E522 Straight Bourbon ($109.99)
Barrell Bourbon’s founder, Joe Beatrice, has created America’s preeminent independent bottler of spirits. Working only in small batches or single barrels, Barrell has assembled the finest portfolio of casks available in the United States. They have won a bevy of major awards ranging from 2018’s Best American Whiskey according to Forbes’ Fred Minnick to Best Small Batch Bourbon at the 2019 San Francisco Spirits Competition, as well as a host of double gold awards. Their dedication to quality cask selection and bottling whiskies unadultered at cask strength has earned them the awards and reputation in the industry to perpetuate their penchant for access to the very best any distillery or broker has to offer.
While we have long loved Barrell’s small-batch whiskeys here at K&L, this is the first time we’ve been able to select from their already vetted selection of casks for an exclusive bottling. We jumped at the chance and sorted through a host of samples of extremely old Tennessee bourbon. While they won’t confirm where the whiskey comes from, it’s not a secret in the industry that George Dickel has old whiskey to sell, while other Tennessee producers do not. What we know for sure is that this 14-year-old whiskey is delicious and tastes like a better, older, full proof version of some of the 9-year-old Dickel casks we have bottled in the past. Namely, it is toned down on the big, buttered popcorn notes and amped up on the chocolate, dusty cocoa notes without picking up too much wood tannin. It’s a perfectly balanced whiskey in a style we don’t often get to see. It’s what happens when the palates at Barrell narrow down a huge selection of Tennessee whiskey into only the best handful of casks, and then we at K&L take the cream of that crop. The barrel only yielded 128 bottles, so act fast to secure yours, as they won’t be here long.
K&L Notes: While there is a plethora of aged Tennessee whiskey on the market at the moment, there is certainly an enormous variation in the quality of those casks. Careful selection by Barrell and a subsequent selection by us at K&L have led to this beauty being bottled. At 14 years old, it really shows its age in all the best ways. It’s dark and spicy without being overly tannic. The sweet brown sugars have caramelized perfectly into a robust and complex whisky expressing notes of chocolate, citrus, and a lively herbacous note to be savored. Clocking in at nearly 108 proof, it’s a powerful whiskey, but not overly hot.
Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 19, 2019
This new single barrel from Barrell Bourbon is BIG on spice and fruit, like a dessert you’d bake in autumn or winter. Cinnamon apples and cobbler come out on the nose with candied citrus and toasted oak. A nice supple mouthfeel is balanced with the spices which hit different points on my palate and light up my cheeks. Rich vanilla coats the tongue before a menthol medicinal finish.
Stefanie Juelsgaard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 19, 2019
Bottled exclusively for K&L and made at George Dickel, this bourbon is a great addition to our Tennessee whiskeys. Bottled at cask strength, this guy shows lots of chocolate, muscovado, and apple crumble notes on the nose. Though it is rich and sweet in the mouthfeel, the cask strength nature keeps it from being cloying and offers a toasted sourdough element. The 14-year aging process has helped it to blend seamlessly and given it spice and length. A touch of citrus at the end gives it an unexpected lift and leaves you wanting just a little bit more.
Cameron Hoppas | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 19, 2019
This is a sophisticated cask strength bourbon. While it carries classic, big bourbon aromas, it’s incredibly well-integrated and smooth–dark, rich and woody. The foundation deep aromas of cereals, burnt sugar, and licorice, with pretty delicate aromas of dried brush, sweet spices and fresh mint. It has a dense weighty body and concentrated flavors that match up to the cask strength ABV. Powerful, smooth, and elegant.
