Reviews of 2BAR Spirits: Flagship Bourbon, Bottled-in-Bond, Wine Cask Finished, Amaretto Finished, Barrel #991

 

In South Texas, there was a family ranch called 2BAR. It was owned and operated by Nathan Kaiser’s family for five generations. Among other things, his ancestors were moonshiners. The ranch was known for quality, independence, and hard work.

 

Fly across the country to Seattle, Washington, where, in 2010, Nathan founded 2BAR Spirits, meant to pay homage to the family ranch. Nathan heard about his family’s moonshining history, but no one handed down the family recipe. NOTE: This is not how family brand backstories usually go – typically, someone found their grandpappy’s grandpappy’s recipe hidden behind an old cupboard that was discovered in an antique store.  

 

It took two years, and in 2012, the distillery officially opened for business, with Nathan embracing his grain-to-glass philosophy. Only Washington grains are used – 2BAR sources corn and wheat from a single farm. They mash, ferment, distill, age, and bottle everything on-premises, and Seattle’s first to accomplish that with Bourbon.

 

Nathan’s distilling team is 100% woman-run. 2BAR’s Head Distiller is Madeline Kelly and its Distiller is Sonie Watson. The team started with smaller cooperage: 15-gallon barrels, then 30-gallon, before graduating to the more standard 53-gallon. Their Bourbon mashbill is 60% corn, 6% wheat, and 34% malted barley. That’s very unusual, but there are four barley strains: Chocolate, Crystal 150, Chrystal 120, and 2-row. That classifies it as a six-grain Bourbon!

 

Today, we will explore five of its Bourbons: its flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, Wine Barrel Finish, Amaretto Barrel Finish, and Barrel #991 Single Barrel. The opportunity (and samples) comes via the graciousness of 2BAR Spirits in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

Before I #DrinkCurious, I must stress responsible sipping. I’m not interacting with these whiskeys in a single sitting. Doing so would be useless due to palate fatigue, plus I have no desire to get blitzed.

 

Also, I’m approaching each Bourbon with a neat pour in a fresh Glencairn glass.

 

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 

• Age: 4+ years in 53-gallon, new, charred oak
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750ml: $25.99

 

Appearance: The flagship Bourbon presented as a dull golden color. The liquid formed a medium-thick rim and a wavy curtain of tears.

 

Nose: I smelled a lot of corn and ethanol up front. Also present were oak, rose petals, and butterscotch. Inhaling the vapor through my lips brought muted vanilla.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thin and watery. The front of my palate found corn and milk chocolate; I encountered caramel at my mid palate. The back included charred oak and black pepper.

 

Finish: Vanilla, ethanol, milk chocolate, and black pepper rounded the finish. Its duration was 1:09, placing it in the medium-short venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Some Bourbons work well at 80°. They still retain easily discernable flavors. 2BAR Straight Bourbon Whiskey was one of those “I’m here” whiskeys. There’s not much to it; I found the individual notes muted. Would this make for a good cocktail? Perhaps; unfortunately, that’s not how I judge whiskeys. It isn’t an offensive Bourbon, so I’m granting it my Bar rating.

 

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Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

• Age: 4+ years in 53-gallon, new, charred oak
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750ml: $37.99

 

Appearance: 2BAR Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon possessed an inviting orange-amber color. A fragile rim jettisoned tightly-spaced, medium-thick, slow tears.  

 

Nose: The aroma included notes of corn, milk chocolate, vanilla, raw almonds, and rose petals. I drew the air into my mouth and ran into a big blast of vanilla extract.

 

Palate: The soft, creamy texture introduced the front of my palate to vanilla, corn, and almonds. Midway through, I tasted cinnamon and oak. The back featured leather, rye spice, and black pepper.

 

Finish: There was a ton of black pepper, cinnamon, and oak spices. Then the char and leather followed. Dark chocolate came out of nowhere. The duration ran 1:12 before falling off, and just before I gave up on it, another wave rolled in, bringing the total to 2:42, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon shares the same mashbill as the flagship, yet these compare like night and day. They shared almost nothing in common. I enjoyed this whiskey. It had flavor, character, and depth. The finish held my attention. For the money, I believe this Bourbon is well worth buying a Bottle.  

 

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Wine Barrel Finished

 

• Age: 3+ years in 53-gallon, new, charred oak, then finished in former wine casks
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750ml: $42.99

 

Appearance: This Bourbon was deep and dark with a slight reddish tint. It produced a bold rim with exceedingly widely spaced, thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: Notes of black cherries and plums were followed by corn and oak. It was a relatively simple experience. Pulling the air through my open lips brought black grapes.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thick and jammy. I tasted red currants, plums, and blueberries on the front. The middle seemed transitionary between the front and back without revealing identifiable flavors. The back featured French oak, dry leather, and cocoa powder.

 

Finish: French oak, dry leather, and cocoa powder remained, along with black pepper and clove. It fell off at 1:43, making it medium.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I have no idea what kind of wine was used, and 2BAR Spirits doesn’t state it anywhere on its website. However, its influence was unmistakable from start to finish, and the Bourbon seemed nothing like the flagship or Bottled-in-Bond versions. It was enjoyable and nice to have the fruit and spice notes interacting. This one is worth picking up and earns its Bottle rating.

 

 

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Amaretto Barrel Finished

 

• Age: 3+ years in 53-gallon, new, charred oak, then finished in Amaretto barrels
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750ml: $42.99

 

Appearance: The Bourbon had a dull orange-amber color, forming a thick rim with medium-spaced, dense, fast tears.

 

Nose: Almonds, unexpectedly, were prominent in my olfactory sense. Corn and vanilla came next. The whiskey smelled youthful – not sharp, but there was some green to the oak. I allowed the air to roll across my tongue, and it had a tinge of butterscotch.   

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was exceedingly thick and silky. Blanched almonds and butterscotch flavors permeated the front of my palate. The mid-palate included corn and cereal grains. The back was a blend of toffee and oak.

 

Finish: Oak, bitter almonds, vanilla, and toffee remained on the back. The duration clocked in at 1:16, making it a medium-short finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I must admit that this was the one I was most excited about of the five Bourbon samples. I’ve never had a whiskey finished in Amaretto barrels, and aside from the implied nuttiness, I didn’t know what to expect.

 

I found the nose slightly off-putting. The green oak note was responsible for that. The texture was lovely and perhaps the best part of this sipping experience. I would have liked a stronger Amaretto character to it. As far as the Bourbon qualities, those seemed almost lost. There was so much potential, but it never materialized. Perhaps this one is meant for cocktails.

 

I thought perhaps my palate was off, so I gave it to Mrs. Whiskeyfellow and asked her opinion. She wasn’t a fan, either. As a neat sipper, it takes my Bust rating, which makes me sad.

 

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Barrel #991 Single Barrel Bourbon

 

• Age: 6 years in a new, 30-gallon charred oak barrel
• Alcohol Content: 64% ABV (128°)
• Price per 750ml: $88.00

 

Appearance: The rust-colored Bourbon created a fragile rim with crowded, thick, slow tears.

 

Nose: Thick caramel teased my nostrils, followed by milk chocolate, oak, and leather. I was exposed to milk chocolate when I drew the air into my mouth.

 

Palate: The texture was thin but silky. Malt was the first thing I tasted… a bit of milk chocolate, a hint of cocoa powder, and a smidge of cereal. My mid-palate found vanilla, caramel, and hazelnuts, whereas the back featured oak, black pepper, and dry leather.

 

Finish: The longer finish included hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and milk chocolate – it could easily pass as Nutella. Yet, there was oak and dry leather on top of that. Overall, it lasted 1:23, making it a medium duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Usually, smaller cooperage lends to telltale signs that are less than pleasant. Barrel #991 overcame that challenge. Instead, I found a flavorful Bourbon that lacked anything resembling sawdust, and I just loved that Nutella finish! The price is on the steep side, yet I can be more forgiving as a craft distillery. Barrel #991 has character and depth and is well-balanced, and I’m happy to crown it with my Bottle rating.  

 

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Final Thoughts: 2BAR’s Bourbons were all over the place. I commend Madeline and Sonie for doing something different with the Amaretto barrel despite it not being a winner. I’m always intrigued and impressed with distillers willing to take chances instead of sticking another me-too whiskey on the shelf.

 

My preference order is the Wine Barrel Finished, Barrel #991, Bottled-in-Bond, the flagship, and the Amaretto Barrel Finished. This was a fun experience, and again, I appreciate 2BAR Spirits for providing me with this opportunity. 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.