Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Proof: 100.
Blend components:
Kentucky: 8 yrs old.
Indiana: 5, 6, & 9 yrs old.
Tennessee: 8 yrs old.
Maryland: 5 & 6 yrs old.
Secondary Finishing: New American oak casks.
Mash bill: (Derived) 73% Corn/23% Rye/4% Malted Barley.
Price: $54.99.
Appearance: Golden caramel.
Nose
Hazelnuts, toffee, butterscotch, cacao, orange citrus, red berries, apricots, dates, vanilla wafers, sorghum, nutmeg, sage, and allspice. A noticeable underlying Dickel oak funk adds some darkness and character to this profile without the minerality. Oak may be the star of this release, but there are also a lot of fruit and rye herbal flavors that give this profile a surprising amount of complexity for its proof point with very little heat.
Palate
The nose carries nicely to the palate with toffee, pecans, brown sugar, butterscotch, orange peel, apricots, vanilla bean, sage, nutmeg, leather, and allspice. The palate matches the nose with the balance of toasted oak, fruit, and herbaceous flavors and the same noticeable but subtle Tennessee whiskey influence. This has a slightly thin but creamy mouthfeel, with only a moderate amount of allspice. It’s a super enjoyable and delicious sipper that drinks dangerously easy.
Finish
A moderate amount of allspice continues through the finish with toasted oak, apricots, berries, orange citrus, figs, green tea, nutmeg, and soft leather, with some dark pipe tobacco coming through towards the end of this long and delicious oak-forward finish.
Conclusion
I was skeptical when I first heard of the Foundation line and admittedly uninterested, but the release of Double Barrel piqued my oak-loving curiosity. Double Barrel’s blend features a lot of delicious oak that never overpowers the stone fruit, orange peel, vanilla, and herbal flavors that make up its very delicious and complex flavor profile, which reminds me of an Old Fashioned. Speaking of which, I’ve found that Double Barrel does make a great Old Fashioned. The older whiskeys in the blend and the extra oak finishing give Double Barrel some darker flavors, which make it more representative of its profile than its 5-year age statement. Barrell Craft has knocked it out of the park with its goal of creating a delicious and versatile 100-proof bourbon that’s great for sipping or using in cocktails. Barrel Foundation Double Barrel has exceeded my expectations and is a recommended buy.
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.
Rating: 7/10.
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.
