Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Barrell Craft Spirits, sourced from distilleries in Indiana & Tennessee.
Proof: 123.8, bottled at cask strength.
Age: NAS.
Finishings: Finished in Rum, Port & Dunn Vineyards Cabernet barrels. Secondary maturation in toasted American oak casks.
Mash bill: Not disclosed.
Retail Price: $199.99.
Appearance: Light bronze.
Nose
This leads with cherries, tropical fruit, toasted oak, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla beans, supported by green tea, nutmeg, lemon-peel brightness, and moderate cinnamon spice. This is blended to perfection with very little proof heat.
Palate
With a creamy mouthfeel, the nose moves right onto the palate with toasted pecans, cherries, ripe apricots, toffee, subtle molasses, brown sugar, vanilla beans, green tea, and a moderate amount of cinnamon spice. What you get from the palate matches the nose in flavor, balance, and drinks well at its proof.
Finish
Cinnamon spice builds and lingers with toasted oak, cherries, green tea, sweet molasses, vanilla, and a hint of nutmeg with orange peel, coconut, and delicate pipe tobacco. Spice carries through as the sip closes out with subtle cherry, vanilla, toasted oak, and pipe tobacco for a long finish.
Conclusion
After comparing the original flagship Dovetail and Dovetail Gray Label to Toasted Dovetail, there’s still a lot to love about the original. However, Toasted Dovetail’s more refined, better-balanced profile aligns more closely with the experience of Dovetail Gray Label, even though it has more similarities with the flagship Dovetail on paper. The Barrell Bourbon website describes Dovetail using “finished bourbon”, but you won’t find the word “bourbon” on the label. This points to Barrell using MGP Light Whiskey (99% corn, 1% malted barley) as a component (George Dickel Bourbon as the other). MGP Light Whiskey is aged in used oak, which, by design, results in a profile light on tannins (which are what bring out more typical barrel-character flavors). This gives Light Whiskey a more neutral profile, making it a versatile and unique component for blending and for use in a variety of cask finishings. The downside is that Light Whiskey can be divisive among whiskey drinkers, which is why I think Toasted Dovetail will appeal to a wider audience. The secondary maturation in toasted American oak adds a layer of flavor and complexity while keeping the original Dovetail profile intact, creating the best of both expressions.
Maybe the reason that Barrell priced Toasted Dovetail at $199 is that it’s a limited release, but if this becomes part of Barrell’s permanent lineup, I hope they’ll drop the price closer to the flagship Dovetail. Toasted Dovetail is a fantastic, well-balanced, and delicious whiskey from nose to finish. If you’re a fan of the Barrell Dovetail lineup or looking for an excellent dessert-like wine-finished whiskey, this is a release that you’re likely to enjoy.
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: 8.3/10.
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.
