Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Distilled in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana.
Proof: 117.5, bottled at cask strength.
Age: Indiana: 6, 7, & 8 years old, Tennessee: 7 & 13 years old, Kentucky: 8 years old.
Mash bill: (Derived) 78% Corn/18% Rye/4% Malted Barley.
MSRP: $84.99.
Appearance: Golden Caramel.
Nose
Crème Brule, brown sugar, butterscotch, vanilla bean, hazelnuts, mint, fennel, nutmeg, cherry & tropical fruit cup, green tea with a moderate amount of cinnamon spice and rich oak.
Palate
Toffee, pralines, butterscotch, vanilla bean, hazelnuts, nutmeg, banana rind, mix of tropical fruit, green tea, and oak. A decent amount of cinnamon spice kicks in mid-sip with a hint of tobacco and continues through the finish. This has a very good medium viscous mouthfeel and the overall balance is fantastic. The spice is a bit more elevated than I expected but doesn’t take away from the other flavors. This is a very delicious pour that manages to drink under its proof.
Finish
A fair amount of cinnamon spice continues with cherry, vanilla bean, banana, and green tea. Tannins of soft tobacco with cinnamon lingers to create a pleasant and medium-long finish, that leans on spice more than oak.
Conclusion
I’m always impressed by how Barrell Craft can create something unique from their usual sources, yet still taste like Barrell Craft. Batch 035 has a lot of great well-balanced flavors, but the standouts are the rich toffee and tropical fruit. Batch 035’s derived mash bill points to this blend leaning toward Indiana and Kentucky, and less Tennessee, which also coincides with what I’m getting from this profile. This isn’t a positive or negative thing, just saying that Batch 035 has less dark oak and tobacco in favor of sweeter caramel with more fruit and spice. Batch 035 also comes with some very good herbal rye flavors that keep the sweeter notes in check.
Although I’ve enjoyed some Barrell batches more than others, I’ve always found them to be worth the purchase. Batch 035 is another great Barrell Bourbon release that is a refreshing change from the norm.
Rating: 7.5/10.
The sample used for this review was provided courtesy of Barrell Craft at no cost and without any stipulations. The opinions of this review are my own.
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.
