Barrell Craft Spirits Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine Bourbon Review

 

An American blender that has earned my respect is Barrell Craft Spirits. Based in Louisville, Barrell has been at it for over a decade and has won its fair share of awards (including some from me). Almost every release is at cask strength (last year, it released Foundation, which was not); Barrell wants to leave the proofing adventure to each individual’s preference.

 

In complete transparency, not everything Barrell has done has been perfect. There has been the occasional dud, but they’re few and far between.

 

Last year, Barrell introduced its Cask Finish Series, which, to date, have been winners. The newest addition is Ice Wine.

 

If, like me, you’re not a cork dork, you may be unfamiliar with ice wine. Ice wine is a dessert wine made from grapes that stayed on the vine beyond the normal Fall harvest and, during the winter, froze. They’re usually picked at night to ensure they don’t thaw. Their frozen state creates a more concentrated sugar content. Ice wines can come from anywhere; most originate from Canada, Germany, and China. In the United States, ice wine must be made from naturally frozen grapes.

 

Barrell started Ice Wine by blending Bourbons from Indiana (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 years), Kentucky (5 and 8 years), Tennessee (9 and 15 years), and Wyoming (9 years). Barrell’s sources are undisclosed, but over the years, I’ve been able to whittle them down to what I suspect are MGP (Indiana), Jim Beam (Kentucky), George Dickel (Tennessee), and Wyoming Whiskey (Wyoming). The finished mashbill is 71% corn, 24% rye, 4% malted barley, and 1% wheat.

 

After maturation, the blend spent an undisclosed finishing period in former ice wine casks. Packaged at 53.26% ABV (106.52°), the 750ml carries a suggested price of $89.99.

 

I am grateful to Barrell for providing me with a sample of this Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious.

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. It possessed a dull, orange-amber color. The liquid formed a thick rim with watery tears that raced back to the pool.

 

Nose: Ice Wine smelled sweet with peaches, honeydew, cantaloupe, and honey. As I continued to sniff, I discovered caramel, vanilla, and lime zest. I found milk chocolate and nougat when I pulled that air through my lips.

 

Palate: The whiskey’s mouthfeel was thick and creamy. There were flavors of lime, honey, and graham crackers on the front. As it moved to my mid-palate, I tasted candied ginger, raisins, and apricots. The back offered toasted coconut, white pepper, and oak tannins.

 

Finish: The long finish was a rollercoaster of fruity sensations. The lime, apricots, and raisins competed for my attention. Yet, the pepper and ginger balanced those. The oak and coconut seemed as if they wanted to unite those components. Coconut was the very last to bow out. The duration clocked in at 1:44, rating it as long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One fun thing about barrel finishing is that, if done properly, you can taste both the main spirit and what was in the barrel. I’ve only had a few ice wines and didn’t think they were overly memorable (I’m not a wine guy). Yet, I immediately recalled what those tasted like when I took my second sip of Barrell’s Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine. The Bourbon notes were muted yet still identifiable, meaning the finish didn’t completely overtake the original.

 

For the record, coconut is one of my favorite flavors; I was thrilled with its prominence.

 

Ice Wine is a fun whiskey to sip, and it goes down easy (perhaps a bit too easy). I could feel the alcohol content on the roof of my mouth, but aside from that, the sweet notes did a great job of camouflaging it. Ice Wine is unlike any whiskey – Bourbon or otherwise – that I’ve tried. I believe it is well worth the price of admission, and it earns every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.