Shortbarrel Bourbon's Sapsquatch Batch III Review

 

You may have heard whiskey geeks use the term shortbarrel. Have you wondered what that meant? While, like many whiskey terms, there’s no legal definition for it, a shortbarrel is one where the angels have stolen more than half of the liquid inside (or, in layman’s terms, due to evaporation). Shortbarrels tend to be coveted because they’re often packed with flavor and proof.

 

That’s how, in 2020, three friends, Adam Dorfman, Clinton Dugan, and Patrick Lemmond, met with a barrel broker and decided to turn their favorite hobby into a whiskey brand. Before that, they had picked over 350 barrels in four short years! They named their brand Shortbarrel Bourbon.

 

“[A shortbarrel] makes an immediate impact on the first sip, then reveals layers of complexity all the way through the exceptionally long finish. While not every shortbarrel is a winner, through their experience picking barrels for others, the founders have prided themselves on finding those exceptional barrels that make you want to return again and again.

The company was named Shortbarrel because that is the profile the founders strive to achieve with every bottle – a spirit so compelling, from the moment it touches your lips through to the long finish, that you can’t wait to have another sip to uncover the other flavors that lie within.” – Shortbarrel Bourbon

 

Now, I can tell you that over the last 15 years, I’ve picked my own fair share of barrels. I can also tell you that I was nowhere near Adam’s, Clinton’s, and Patrick’s numbers, which translates to about one barrel pick every four days!

 

In 2023, the trio purchased Old Fourth Distillery, Atlanta’s first legal post-Prohibition distillery, and in 2025 opened a kitchen, bar, and retail shop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest.

 

I can tell you this much: in its rather short tenure, Shortbarrel Bourbon has developed a cult following. Their whiskeys are challenging to acquire on a good day.

 

Today, we’re exploring Sapsquatch Batch III, a blend of between 20 and 30 barrels containing 6- to 8-year-old Bourbons. After maturation, they were dumped into stainless-steel tanks for 6 to 8 weeks. During that time, Sugar Maple Infusion Spirals were added, which Shortbarrel suggests “conditions” the Bourbon.

 

After the conditioning, the whiskey is put into toasted barrels from Kelvin Cooperage that previously held Vermont and Ohio maple syrups for a finishing cycle. Those two states were deliberately chosen, as Vermont tends to offer rich, robust flavors, while those from Ohio are often bright and delicate. Shortbarrel Bourbon explains that their goal was not to be something “sugary-sweet.” Instead, they wanted to harvest the syrups’ flavors and qualities.

 

Sapsquatch Batch III is available starting today and can be purchased from https://o4d.com/ and https://shortbarrelbourbon.com with shipping to 48 states. A 750mL will set you back $89.99. Each is packaged at 50% ABV (100°).

 

Is it worth buying? We’ll answer that the way we normally do: we’ll #DrinkCurious. Before we get there, I must take a moment and thank Shortbarrel Bourbon for providing me with a sample of Sapsquatch in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distillers: Jim Beam, Barton, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River, and MGP
• Age: 6 years
• Mashbill: Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley and 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels, then finished in Kelvin Cooperage toasted oak that previously held maple syrup
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $89.99
• Non-chill filtered

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore Sapsquatch neat. The burnt orange color was clear and bright. A medium rim formed, releasing thick, fast, randomly-spaced tears.

 

Nose: I gave Sapsquatch about 15 minutes to rest before nosing it. However, while I was waiting, I couldn’t help but notice how oaky the air in my whiskey library was. Once I brought the glass to my nostrils and inhaled, I detected maple sugar, oak, molasses, cherry-vanilla ice cream, and root beer. Inside my mouth, the aroma tasted of dense cocoa.

 

If Shortbarrel Bourbon wasn’t going for a dessert whiskey, so far, it missed the mark. However, I’m not complaining. I do, and I don’t want to drink it; I’m mesmerized by its smell.

 

Palate: I gave in. The first sip provided an incredibly oily texture with a punch of toasted oak. The second unveiled maple syrup, pecan pralines, and very dark chocolate on the front of my palate. I tasted dried figs, black cherries, and nutmeg on the mid-palate, while the back featured toasted oak, spiced nuts, and pipe tobacco.

 

So far, this is a mix of sweet, savory, and spicy. I’m still not complaining. But Shortbarrel hit its mark, definitely avoiding the sensation of a dessert whiskey.

 

Finish: There was a tsunami of black cherries, figs, maple syrup, tobacco, toasted oak, and dark chocolate. It just kept rolling in wave after wave. As each receded, black pepper was left behind; intense at first and diminishing as time wore on. Speaking of time, Sapsquatch lasted 1:53.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I found Sapsquatch to be intriguing, captivating, stunning, attention-getting… I could continue with the adjectives, but I’m sure that you get the point. I even caught myself uttering, “Damnnnn” while staring at my glass.

 

If Sapsquatch Batch III is representative of what it has to offer, I totally get its cultish fanbase. What’s it cost again? Who cares! It is an amazing finished Bourbon that I’m thrilled to have in my whiskey library. KUDOS to Adam, Clinton, and Patrick; this one deserves so much more than my 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.