"The Barrel Bachor"
Released February, 2024
Age: 7 years, 6 months
Type: Straight bourbon finished in a cherry brandy barrel
Proof: 112.3
Mash bill: 99% Corn/ 1% Malted Barley
Finishing time: 6 months
Distillery: MGP
Bottler: J&B
Tasting notes:
Nose: This is wild. Light blue Mr. Sketch is the first thing that comes to mind but there's also some purple in there. Moving away from simulated flavors, there are notes of cherry candy, mulled wine and orange peel.
Palate: Have you ever tried something blind and on just the front of the palate, immediately asked your friend how much it would cost to acquire what you're drinking? It's like that. The front of the palate is a fruit bomb with flavors of raspberry, red pixy stix and red apple. The mid palate shifts towards cinnamon, dark chocolate and barrel char. The back of the palate mimics the fruity front and finally brings in more distinct cherry notes.
Finish: Long and strong, it coats the palate well and lets the cherry flavors continue to shine though never fully dominate.
Overall: In whiskey, one could envision two ways to a complex palate. One is a diverse mash bill with plenty of time in cask. The other, borrowed from our scotch friends, is a monotone mash bill with just the right amount of second barrel finish to impart notes without dominating. This one came out just in time to achieve that balance and charmingly masquerade as something with many more years under its belt.
*It's worth noting that the author of these notes playfully chuckled at Josh when he shared what he was doing. Skepticism was rampant. These obscure finishes fail often. The author of these notes was wrong.