Barrell Craft Spirits New Year 2025 Bourbon Review

 

Good Lord, it is unbelievable how fast 2024 has raced by. Thanksgiving is upon us next week; I’ll have my annual Whiskeyfellow Awards coming out shortly after that; then it is Christmas, and before you even realize it, 2025 will be here!

 

Each year since 2016, at about this time, the whiskey blending experts at Barrell Craft Spirits release its New Year Bourbon. It seems to encompass the various partner distilleries Barrell works with placed in a single bottle.

 

“New Year. New beginnings. New traditions. The new year is a time of renewal and fresh starts, a chance to reflect on past accomplishments and look to what lies ahead. Barrell New Year Bourbon 2025 celebrates the possibilities and optimism that every new year brings.” – Barrell Craft Spirits

 

The 2025 Release is packaged at 56.05% ABV (112.1°). It is a blend of Bourbons from Kentucky (5, 6, and 9 years), Indiana (5, 6, 7, 11, and 12 years), Tennessee (8, 9, and 15 years), Wyoming (9 and 12 years), a 5-year from New York, another from Ohio, and Maryland (6 and 7 years). Some of the distillery partners I’ve been able to nail down over the years include Jim Beam, George Dickel, Ross & Squibb (MGP), and Wyoming Whiskey. I’m not yet comfortable with my suspicions to discuss the Ohio, New York, or Maryland sources.  

 

The final mashbill wound up at 75% corn, 20% rye, 4% malted barley, and 1% wheat. A 750ml has a suggested price of $84.99.

 

The last New Year I had a chance to review was for 2023. I don’t have any left, but I’m ready to #DrinkCurious to discover how the 2025 version will compare. I must thank Barrell Craft Spirits for providing me with the newest release in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. It looked like bright copper. A thick rim discharged crazed, thick, almost watery tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included pineapple rind, ginger, Asian pears, and floral notes. Notably missing was anything I could identify as corn, vanilla, caramel, or even oak; that’s unusual for Bourbon! When I drew the air into my mouth, I tasted sourdough bread.

 

Palate: New Year’s texture was light and creamy. The palate started with sage, chamomile, and thyme. My mid palate encountered lemon oil, peppermint, and grapefruits. Flavors of oak tannins, vanilla, and allspice hit the back.

 

Finish: The citrus notes, especially the lemon oil, carried into New Year’s finish. They were offset by allspice, fennel, sage, and chamomile. Surprisingly, creamy vanilla muted those sensations. I timed the duration at 1:36, making it medium-long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Barrell’s New Year 2025 reminded me much of Thanksgivingtime. There were so many herbal, savory notes, and it just defied what Bourbon drinkers expect from, well, Bourbon.

 

I have always been impressed with what Joe Beatrice and his team at Barrell Craft Spirits can accomplish. I wanted to like New Year 2025. Herbal notes aren’t my jam, and this Bourbon shone a bright light on it.

 

Here’s where things become murky. New Year 2025 is still a well-crafted Bourbon, and it wouldn’t deserve a Bust rating – that’s reserved for distilled garbage. I predict New Year 2025 will be very polarizing, perhaps more so than any whiskey in recent memory. My Bar rating is the most appropriate because it is so different and off-profile. 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.