Review #213 - Barrell Vantage
Another Barrell Craft Spirits blend, this time revolving around virgin oak finishing barrels - this is Barrell Vantage. It takes distillate from at least three sources - Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee - and after the initial aging in new charred American white oak barrels, we move to the finishing process.
These finishes are all virgin oak barrels, and include Mizunara, which might add a slight sandalwood or coconut flavor; French oak, which tends to add some spice; and toasted American oak, which could add more toasty oak notes and some sweeter vanilla or coconut.
We specifically have batch 3 of the Vantage product, which comes with a strength of 57.31% ABV.
Barrell Vantage
USA - Bourbon
Price Paid: USD 79 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 79 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 57.31% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished is Mizunara oak, French oak, and toasted American oak casks
Details: Distilled in Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky; batch 3
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 100%, 80% (blind tasting), and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Richly oaked - as you might expect, a lot of wood notes. Toasty, wood sugar, nutmeg, barbecued wood, and pepper all waft off of the glass; there are just little hints of orange fruit and tart nectarine in there, too. With time, much more dusty and grainy character comes forward, with peanut shells, starchy sweetness, and clove.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thick, with quite a bit of spice and heat. Oaky, tannic, bitter dark chocolate, and black pepper; buttered popcorn, burnt sugar, cinnamon, and clove. In the mid palate, a nutty character develops, like candied pecans, and there's a bit more sweetness on the back end, like caramel and oranges.
Finish: Medium-long, warming, and oaky. There's a hint of wood smoke now alongside the wood tannins and bitter burnt sugar; slightly more one-dimensional in the finish, although we found hints of orange pith, salt, and butterscotch in the aftertaste.
Final Note: The oak influence is heavy, of course, but it's all a little bit simpler than we expected. Not bad, but lacking some complexity and refinement to elevate it to the next level. On the positive side, it has a great mouthfeel and solid spice notes - a great bourbon for a chilly day.
Our Average Rating: 6.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.90
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