Barrell Craft Spirits Cigar Blend Bourbon Review

Blending is an art form. A good artist has the desired masterpiece in mind. The challenge is getting there. In blending, it takes a dash of this, a dab of that, and an eye of newt (okay, maybe not that last one). The long and short of it is that unless you rely on dumb luck, mixing stuff randomly usually turns out awful. I’m proof of that. I abandoned my infinity bottle projects several years ago; I took excellent whiskeys and made something that made my left eye twitch uncontrollably.

 

One American blender that has earned my respect is Barrell Craft Spirits. Based in Louisville, Barrell Craft Spirits 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 (three years ago, it released Foundation, which was not); Barrell Craft Spirits wants to leave the proofing adventure to each individual’s preference.

 

With some things, Barrell Craft Spirits is transparent, and others, not so much. For example, they’ll tell you what state they source their whiskeys from, but not the actual distillers. In some ways, it is obvious who the distiller is. In others, it is a combination of experience and guesswork.

 

Cigar Blend Bourbon is a blend of Kentucky (assumed Jim Beam), Tennessee (assumed Cascade Hollow), and Indiana (assumed Ross & Squibb/MGP) whiskeys that were aged in 53-gallon, new, charred oak barrels, then finished in Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks. The result is a cask strength Bourbon weighing in at 111.2°.  

 

This whiskey is the first “cigar blend” that Barrell Craft Spirits has released. I have had many cigar blend whiskeys, and for the most part, they’re very good. And, while I’m confident that I can tell you how this one tastes and behaves, you should know that I don’t indulge in cigars.

 

Barrell Craft Spirits was kind enough to provide me with a sample of Cigar Blend in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and learn all that we can!

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana distilleries
• Age: 7.5 years (oldest in the blend is 18 years)
• Mashbill:
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels, then finished in Madeira, Armagnac, Rum, and Hungarian oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 55.6% ABV (111.2°)
• Price per 750mL: $84.99

 

Appearance: I used my Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. While I was aware five different cooperages were used, I wasn’t prepared for how dark the liquid was. It reminded me of topaz. A medium rim produced thick, fast, randomly spaced tears.

 

Nose: After allowing plenty of time for the Bourbon to breathe, I began my sniffing journey. I encountered a marriage of vanilla custard, dark chocolate, ripe plums, sweet tobacco, older leather, spiced nuts, and glazed pastries. When I drew the vapor through my lips, I found dried tobacco leaf and old leather.  

 

Palate: Cigar Blend Bourbon possessed a heavy, creamy mouthfeel. There was a short blast of cinnamon and oak initially. On my second attempt, I tasted ripe plums, cherries, and dates on the front of my palate. The middle offered RC cola, dry leather, and dark chocolate. Then came flavors of torched cedar, umami, and cinnamon on the back.

 

Finish: Cinnamon, clove, umami, dry oak, leather, and tobacco leaf remained on my tongue and the top of my throat. It was warm and spicy, lacking any of the sweeter notes from the palate. It ended as it began: very level. At 2:56, it suddenly vanished. It was a very long duration.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: From the nose to the finish, there is nothing not to like and everything to love. I relished what was in my glass and had to stop myself from refilling my glass again. That’s because while Cigar Blend Bourbon wasn’t hot, I did feel its potency fairly quickly. It is something to enjoy when you’re positive you don’t have to drive anywhere (or do math).

 

I will go out on a limb and suggest that Cigar Blend Bourbon is the best I’ve had out of Barrell Craft Spirits, and they’ve had some real winners. Spend the money and get a Bottle. You won’t be disappointed. 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.