Bourbon, '12 Year French Oak'

• Limited release blend of straight bourbon whiskeys sourced, blended, finished, and bottled by Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky
• Composed of a selection of straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Wyoming that have been aged at least 12 years
• Final blend finished in toasted French oak casks from 3–36 months
• 3000 bottles produced
• On the nose, pear brandy and pineapple develop with time into cinnamon doughnut and stewed fruits along with hazelnut, cocoa powder, and a whiff of resin and incense. On the palate, generous layers of coffee cake and maraschino cherries are pricked with notes of hard spice, peppercorn, and sage smoke, leading to a lengthy, classic bourbon finish with enough exotic woodiness to reveal the French oak accent
• Non-chill filtered; bottled at a cask strength of 54.25% ABV

Employing French oak to finish a whiskey introduces distinctive flavor notes of caramelized butter and vanilla along with a unique tannic structure, a glowing contrast to the familiar flavors American oak provides. For this handsome blending of 12-year-age-stated bourbons, the finishing regimen—no surprise, given Barrell’s artfully rigorous approach to cask selection—hints at devotion, if not fanaticism. Receiving anywhere from 3 to 36(!) months final maturation in hand-selected, custom toasted French oak barrels (Barrell’s longest finishing program to date), the resulting juice is captivating and electric.