Barrell Craft Spirits "Decade" 20-Year Canadian Whisky 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.

 

Don’t take those glowing words to mean that Barrell gets a pass from me simply for existing. Not everything it has produced has been a winner; I’ve panned my fair share of its whiskeys that don’t meet my standards.

 

Barrell Decade is the subject of today’s review and the newest entrant into the brand’s Black Label Series. Whiskeys in this series come with eyebrow-raising prices. But the labor and time involved carry a premium.

 

“Black Label Series is a new concept which takes us back to Barrell Craft Spirits' roots of creating unique whiskies in extremely limited quantities while showcasing cutting edge blending methods and techniques which set us apart. Expert whiskey blending is about vision and bringing together the best qualities of each of these casks. Barrell Decade represents a full ‘Decade’ of distillation. This is whiskey blending at its finest which was well worth the wait.” - Barrell Founder Joe Beatrice

 

I have to give Barrell points for ingenuity with Barrel Decade. The team took Canadian whisky barrels filled in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 – a full decade – and blended them one at a time, essentially creating layers upon layers. The whiskies then went through a secondary maturation process at its Louisville, Kentucky, facility, using both Spanish Brandy and Hungarian oak casks. The whisky carries a 20-year age statement, representing the youngest component in the blend (from 2004).

 

Whoops! It is time to hit the brakes and explain why there are various spellings of whiskey and whiskeys in this review. In the United States and Ireland, the proper spelling is usually ‘whiskey’ and ‘whiskeys,’ while the rest of the world uses ‘whisky’ and ‘whiskies.’ Brands are free to use whichever spelling they want. I try to be cognizant of each region’s preferences, but I don’t change quoted texts. And now, back to the regularly-scheduled programming…

 

So, how does Barrell Decades taste? Thankfully, Barrell has provided me with a sample of this whisky in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out!

 

• Whiskey Type: Canadian Whisky
• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Age: 20 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: Undisclosed primary maturation, secondary maturation in Spanish Brandy and Hungarian oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 71.35% (142.7°)
• Price per 750mL: $199.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn Canadian whisky glass to sip this whisky neat because, well, it’s Canadian whisky and I happen to have a few of these vessels on hand. The whisky’s color was brushed yellow gold, and it created a thin rim, but big, sticky droplets stuck to it. There were thick, somewhat slow tears that fell. They were tightly spaced.

 

Nose: As Barrell Decade is a hazmat whisky (meaning, it is at least 140°, and when shipping by air, it must be declared as hazardous material), I gave it plenty of time to breathe – about 15 minutes. Afterward, I smelled floral perfume, apricots, and white grapes. I drew the air through my lips and found nougat and dried apricots.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thin yet silky. There were white grapes, peaches, and fresh apricots on the front of my palate. Midway through were notes of star fruits, English toffee, and mild oak. I tasted black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger spices on the back.

 

Finish: I was shocked to find a finish that, initially, was on the mild side. The limestone, apricots, and white grapes were intense. And then, it became an explosion of spices, particularly ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon, and then remained level. It was like the Energizer Bunny. Near the end, which occurred at 3:16, my right eye began to tear. Then it faded into oblivion.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Barrell Decade started easy, but the proof became more evident on the finish; it took a while to get there, and when it did, it became a bit overwhelming. And, of course, it seemed to run forever.

 

Out of curiosity, I added two drops of distilled water to see what might happen.

 

The whisky’s clarity clouded a smidge, and the aroma of toffee wafted from my glass. The white grapes became more pronounced on the nose; the floral aspect vanished. Its texture became thick and creamy, and the finish was significantly tamed, including the duration, which I timed at 2:24. The palate became far fruitier, especially with the grapes and apricots.

 

Undiluted, this was an interesting whisky that I liked, but I didn’t like it for $200.00. With only a small amount of water, my opinion changed. It still had a warming, building finish, but it wasn’t overwhelming. I loved what it did to the texture and palate. That finish was still incredibly long.

 

On my Bottle, Bar, or Bust scale, it takes my Bottle rating, but you’ll want to add some water. 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.