Barrell Bourbon Batch 020

Barrell Bourbon Batch 020 was blended from a selection of barrels from Tennessee and Kentucky. We started with 10-year-old barrels with a lush, prominent fruit profile and balanced them with 14-year-old oak-forward barrels resulting in a complex bourbon with an engaging brightness. Appearance: Light amber maple syrup with a burnt sienna core. Nose: Opens sweetly, showcasing butterscotch, and hazelnut liqueur alongside deeply hued fruity notes of brandy, montmorency cherry, and black currant. With time the nose is lifted by lighter fruits -- pears poached in spiced wine and mirabelle plum; as well as by myriad flowers -- rose, cherry blossom, and hibiscus. Soft, woody spices in the form of star anise, and cedar lend balance while the whole is given depth by a surprising savory side, showcasing pain levain, cultured butter, toasted sesame and enoki mushroom. Palate: Delivers much of the sweetness of oak without tasting particularly oaky; opening on honey, nougat, nocino, and salmiak. It seems almost roasted, tasting of espresso and charcoal pencil, before notes of oolong tea and forest floor reveal its depth. Finish: Quite intense, with an array of fruits, particularly cranberry and kumquat, enlivened by a mineral signature of salt, graphite, rock pools and mastic. It fades gently on an assortment of spices, aniseed, licorice, cocoa nib, and hyssop.