Barrell Craft Spirits Cask Finish Series: PX Sherry 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 (two years ago, it released Foundation, which was not); Barrell wants to leave the proofing adventure to each individual’s preference.

 

That doesn't translate to my belief that everything Barrell has done has been perfect. There has been the occasional dud, but they’re few and far between.

 

Sherry is a fortified wine from white grapes grown in Andalusia, Spain. It is a protected designation, much like how Cognac must come from the Cognac region of France or how Bourbon must be a product of the United States. To be considered Sherry, the fortified wine must come from Spain’s Sherry Triangle in Cádiz.

 

Sherry can be all over the spectrum regarding color, dryness, and taste. Fino is the most pale and dry. Pedro Ximénez (or PX) is the darkest and sweetest and is considered a dessert wine. I’ve had many whiskeys aged or finished in various Sherry casks, and my favorite is PX. Something magical happens when PX Sherry influences whiskey.

 

Today’s review is Barrell’s Cask Finish Series: PX Sherry Bourbon. Barrell blended Bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee to create it. 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), and George Dickel (Tennessee). In the years that I’ve been reviewing what it produces, they’ve never said, “You’re wrong, stop publishing that.”

 

Each of those Bourbons aged between 6 and 15 years old. The Indiana components were 6-, 7-, 8-, and 12 years old; the Kentucky components were 9- and 10 years old; and the Tennessee components were 7- and 15-years old. As you can surmise from the name, the blend was then transferred to PX Sherry casks for a finishing cycle for an undisclosed duration.

 

The mashbill was 80% corn, 16% rye, and 4% malted barley. It is packaged at 57.76% ABV (115.52°), and approximately 9000 – 750mL bottles are available with a suggested price of $84.99.

 

Is this Bourbon another winner, or should it fall by the wayside? The best way to answer that question is to #DrinkCurious, and I must thank Barrell for providing me with this opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. The liquid was the color of chestnuts; it formed a thinner rim and crowded, pencil-thin, fast tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass beneath my nose and inhaled, I encountered leather, dark chocolate, raisins, and plums. As I continued to explore, I found oak and vanilla. Drawing the air through my lips brought dried cherries and figs.

 

Palate: The Bourbon’s mouthfeel was silky and carried a decent weight. The more times I returned to the glass, the thicker it became. The PX influence was heavy; I tasted thick honey, figs, and golden raisins on the front of my palate—the middle featured dark chocolate, toffee, and almonds.

 

Finish: Honey, figs, cherry pie filling, cocoa, oak, and dry leather stuck in my mouth and throat for what seemed to be an eternity. I pulled out my stopwatch, and the duration ran a whopping 3:57!

 

With Water: Just for kicks, and while it certainly didn’t need it, I added two drops of distilled water. That turned the fruity notes intense and slightly diminished the others. The texture became creamy, and the fruity notes exploded in my mouth again. It also highlighted the oak and introduced clove and vanilla bean. The finish was insignificantly shorter, and cigar notes were added.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Cask Finish Series: PX Sherry warmed my mouth and drank at its stated proof; it left the roof of my mouth with a slight buzzing sensation. Its sweetness was welcoming and provided an enchanting experience. I could easily imagine someone in my whiskey library with me and ignoring them – not to be rude, but because they weren’t as interesting as what was in my glass.

 

Barrell’s PX Sherry is a tremendous Bourbon worth exploring whether you pour this neat or add a few drops of water.

 

Barrell seems to be lowering the price of their Bourbons. Granted, it is only $5.00, but that’s a welcomed change in today's economy.

 

I have been impressed with the Cask Finish Series; each release seems to eclipse the last. I’m mindlessly smiling as I’m typing this – that means this one is an easy 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.