It’s been a while since Barrell Craft had a new release to its finished whiskey lineup. When I saw this announcement sitting in my inbox I was pretty excited. Not only because I’m a fan of Barrel Craft, but also what this expression is about. Vantage started out as a blend of straight bourbon whiskey distilled in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Then finished separately in Mizunara, French and Toasted American oak barrels using different char and toast levels which is then used to create the desired finish product blend. Let’s dive in!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.
Distilled In: Indiana, Tennessee & Kentucky.
Proof: 114.44.
Age: NAS
Mash bill: Not stated.
Price: Retail $79.99.
Appearance: Golden reddish copper.
Nose
Butterscotch, chocolate, baked apple, banana, papaya, black tea, vanilla bean, sandalwood, nutmeg, orange peel, cinnamon spice and oak. As time goes by, more chocolate and tropical fruit and a black tea come forward with just the right amount of spice. The nose on this is fantastic.
Palate
This has a very nice medium viscous mouthfeel. You get what you expect from the nose. First up is chocolate and toffee with banana, papaya, baked apple, sandalwood with a lot of black tea mixed with some orange brightness. All this combined with a burst of cinnamon spice and oak that lingers through the finish. The folks at Barrell Craft are masters at blending and this bottle shows off that skill. This is a delicious and easy drinker.
Finish
There is a lot of cinnamon spice that lingers for a very long time. The spice unexpectedly ramps up again staying in the cheeks and back palate but stops short of being overwhelming. Meanwhile, oak shines through and slowly develop into soft and pleasant tannins along with subtle chocolate, tropical fruit, vanilla and tea that still linger. The finish is pretty long and I suppose that’s to be expected given the influence of all the oak. There is no bitterness and some dryness on some bigger sips.
Conclusion
I have a couple of Miz finished whiskies and a couple with French oak but this is the first I know of with both. When this was available, I happily handed over my money to Barrell Craft to give it a try. I was almost hesitant to crack this bottle knowing how disappointed I would be if it let me down but luckily it didn’t. Though I admit I expected Vantage to have more of a Miz influence. But after a week and a few pours later, I love this profile right where it is. I’m still waiting for someone to create a release using a great bourbon base, finished in Mizunara for at least a year or two (similar to what Rabbit Hole and Angel’s Envy did) that’s reasonably priced. Is that too much to ask? Maybe. Mizunara is expensive and hard to work with, but also one of my favorites. If you’re into these kinds of oak expressions like I am, Vantage is a great buy and a very delicious pour. I’m happy to see Barrell Craft adding interesting expressions like this to their lineup and look forward to what’s next.
Rating: 7.8/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
