Style: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 6 years
Proof: 114.62
Region: Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee
Over the past few years, Louisville, Kentucky-based Barrell Craft Spirits have been bottling some of the most sought-after whiskeys in the bourbon enthusiast community. They’re a non-distilling producer that sources high-quality, well-aged barrels from different distilleries and deftly blends them at cask strength and without chill filtering.
Their latest release, Batch 34, has an age statement of 6 years but is blended from barrels aged for 6, 8, 10, and 15 years. giving this whiskey a significant amount of color and depth. This one may not be for the faint of heart – It clocks in at 114.62 proof. Don’t let the high proof scare you off, Barrel Batch 34 is rich, complex, and worth seeking out.
Tasting Notes
On the nose, Batch 34 is very dense. The aroma is full of rich baking spices, orange peel, and shortbread with a hint of stonefruit – almost like a peach cobbler.
For a bourbon that is 57.3% alcohol by volume, it goes down surprisingly smoothly. The baking spice on the nose is still the most prevalent flavor on the palate, but it’s bolstered by a buttery sweetness that’s reminiscent of a holiday cookie or maybe a donut. Adding a few drops of water tempers the spiciness and allows a bit of rich, wet oakiness to come through.
The finish is long and lingering. It fills the mouth with cinnamon, clove, and allspice and has a slight prickle to it that’s reminiscent of a heavily carbonated ginger ale.
Final Thoughts
Batch 34 packs a punch but it’s loaded with the kind of rich, pleasing flavors that are often found in heavyweight allocated bottles that collectors and enthusiasts go crazy for. It’s vibrant fruity and spicy with enough sweetness to balance out the high proof. Barrell has crafted a sophisticated bourbon that combines flavors and aromas of spice and citrus, with a robust dessert-like sweetness that ties everything together. Whether you prefer your whiskey neat, on the rocks, with a splash of water, or in a cocktail, this bourbon is easy to drink.
