Bourbon, 12 Year 'Toasted Oak'

• Limited-release cask-finished bourbon sourced, blended, finished, and bottled by Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky
• The second release from the BCS Red Label Series
• Composed of straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee
• Final blend finished in slow-toasted American oak barrels
• Aged a minimum of 12 years (whiskeys in the blend are aged from 12–15 years)
• Dark copper in the glass, this whiskey aims for decadence right out of the gate with notes of warm cinnamon rolls and maple syrup, gently supported by a kiss of toasted barrel, leading to vanilla pound cake, licorice, and loads of baking spice along with strawberry jam and light notes of lemon zest. The toasted oak finish announces itself further on the palate, with notes of uncured tobacco and tea leading to roasted parsnip, cocoa powder, and mint. The finish is bright and fresh, with lingering notes of lychee, almond, and coconut.
• Non-chill filtered; bottled at a cask strength of 56.7% ABV

Barrell’s often elaborately finished blends have a (very pleasant) way of diverting one’s attention from Barrell’s core expertise: the careful selection and subsequent blending of a range of young to fully mature whiskeys. The Red Label series shows Barrell returning to its roots, with toasted American oak providing an elegant but restrained foil for the virtues of the spirits combined inside. This expression has big shoes to fill: The first release, finished in French oak, was named the #12 Best American Whiskey of the Year by Fred Minnick.