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.
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