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RIBBON CUTTING: Barrell Craft Spirits Unveils New Blending Facility

Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville, KY), independent blender of unique aged, cask strength whiskey since 2013, unveiled its new state of the art blending facility in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, during a private ribbon cutting ceremony. The event was hosted by Bourbon Authority Susan Reigler and featured speakers Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville and Mayor Carol Pike of […]

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Since that time, the company’s commitment to innovation, quality, and transparency has had a significant impact on Kentucky and the larger whiskey industry. In 10 short years, Founder Joe Beatrice has built BCS into a national brand sold in 49 U.S. states which has won countless awards from the industry’s most prestigious competitions and earned the respect and praise of the most esteemed whiskey authorities. He has also inspired several other non-distilling producers to pursue blending with whiskey. Today, Joe remains intimately involved with every step of the production process at BCS, using his exceptional palate alongside the BCS blending team to choose and create great spirits.

Large office spaces encourage a free-flowing discussion of creative ideas around innovative product development. The new blending operation features (8) blending tanks with 64,000 gallons of capacity, allowing BCS to increase its blending capacity by over 500%. New bottling lines are capable of a one million case annual throughput on a single shift, ready to package innovative releases. The facility will support the growth of current brands and new product launches. BCS also recently acquired an historic 18,000-barrel rickhouse – strategically located just minutes away from the new blending facility – which features 42 ricks and five levels and offers a multitude of locations throughout to provide unique character to each cask.

“We’re thrilled to unveil our new state of the art blending facility and to continue our 10-year legacy of developing sought-after award-winning blends that push the boundaries of American whiskey,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice.

“I am proud to celebrate the expansion and 10^th anniversary of Barrell Craft Spirits, a local blender of unique, aged whiskey and rum. They have recently invested $15 million back into Louisville’s economy and are creating new high-wage jobs for our residents,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Congratulations on your success and continued growth!”

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Barrell Craft Spirits Unveils New State-of-the-Art Blending Facility

The new blending operation features (8) blending tanks with 64,000 gallons of capacity, allowing BCS to increase its blending capacity by over 500%. New bottling lines are capable of a one million case annual throughput on a single shift, ready to package innovative releases.

Award-Winning Independent Blender Commemorates 10 Years of Blending Expertise

Barrell Craft Spirits Unveils New State-of-the-Art Blending Facility

Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS), the original independent blender of unique aged, cask strength whiskey since 2013, unveiled its new state-of-the-art blending facility in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, during a private ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event was hosted by Bourbon Authority Susan Reigler and featured speakers Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville and Mayor Carol Pike of Jeffersontown.

10 years ago, BCS set out to source exceptional bourbon casks from established producers and to blend and bottle them at cask strength. The goal was to elevate barrels of whiskey into something greater than the sum of their parts. Since that time, the company’s commitment to innovation, quality, and transparency has had a significant impact on Kentucky and the larger whiskey industry. In 10 short years, Founder Joe Beatrice has built BCS into a national brand sold in 49 U.S. states which has won countless awards from the industry’s most prestigious competitions and earned the respect and praise of the most esteemed whiskey authorities. He has also inspired several other non-distilling producers to pursue blending with whiskey. Today, Joe remains intimately involved with every step of the production process at BCS, using his exceptional palate alongside the BCS blending team to choose and create great spirits.

After a decade of pushing the boundaries of blending, BCS is celebrating a new blending facility that can support its rapid growth. The 31,000 square foot facility was designed specifically to support how BCS operates as a company under one roof in the most efficient manner possible. Large office spaces encourage a free-flowing discussion of creative ideas around innovative product development. The new blending operation features (8) blending tanks with 64,000 gallons of capacity, allowing BCS to increase its blending capacity by over 500%. New bottling lines are capable of a one million case annual throughput on a single shift, ready to package innovative releases. The facility will support the growth of current brands and new product launches. BCS also recently acquired an historic 18,000-barrel rickhouse – strategically located just minutes away from the new blending facility – which features 42 ricks and five levels and offers a multitude of locations throughout to provide unique character to each cask.

“I am proud to celebrate the expansion and 10^th anniversary of Barrell Craft Spirits, a local blender of unique, aged whiskey and rum. They have recently invested $15 million back into Louisville’s economy and are creating new high-wage jobs for our residents,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Congratulations on your success and continued growth!”

Barrell Craft Spirits Rolls Out The Blended Barrell Bourbon

Kentucky blending house Barrell Craft Spirits has rolled out the Barrell Bourbon blends – a pair of blended bourbons with different cask finishes – for their new Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish series which will feature two blends each year. Barrell Craft Spirits Amburana Bourbon is a blend of select Indiana and Kentucky-made bourbons with a […]

The post Barrell Craft Spirits Rolls Out The Blended Barrell Bourbon first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Barrell Craft Spirits Amburana Bourbon is a blend of select Indiana and Kentucky-made bourbons with a quartet of Indiana bourbons aged for five, six, seven, and 10 years combined with a single Kentucky bourbon aged for five years, a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, finished for one-to-two months in Amburana casks, bottled at 58.21% alcohol by volume [116.42 proof] and is said to offer notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and vanilla.

Barrell Craft Spirits Tale of Two Islands blends a trio of Indiana bourbons [aged for five, six, and nine years, respectively] with a duo of Maryland bourbons aged five and six years, has a mash bill of 73% corn, 23% rye, and 4% malted barley, finished in rum casks for four to six months, bottled at 59.11% alcohol by volume [118.22 proof] and is said to offer notes of coconut and doughnut.

Both Barrell Craft Spirits Cask Finish Series blended bourbons are being made available for $90 per bottle via the official BCS website [barrelbourbon.com].

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NEW RELEASE: Barrell Craft Spirits Inaugural ‘Cask Finish Series’ Debuts 2 Labels – Amburana & A Tale of Two Islands

Louisville, KY based Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS, est 2013)), recently announced a brand new annual production launch – Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series. The limited-edition Series utilizes the company’s blending and finishing expertise to make bespoke blends of straight bourbon whiskeys with unique finishes. The Cask Finish Series will introduce two blends each year, beginning […]

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Cask Strength Series: ‘Amburana”

Amburana is a blend of Indiana (5, 6, 7, & 10-year) and Kentucky (5-year) bourbon whiskeys, which were further matured in sustainable Amburana casks. Per the brand, Amburana casks are challenging to work with as they impart strong cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla spice notes. True blending expertise is required to enhance the bourbon with Amburana and maintain balance. The BCS blending team created a bourbon blend of two mashbills with different char levels finished in Amburana casks. A vatting of individual casks without finishing was then layered in to add depth, richness, and complexity, ensuring the bourbon shines through first and foremost. Featuring a derived mash bill of corn (75%), rye (21%) and malted barley (4%), the blend was bottled at cask strength (116.42 proof).

Cask Strength Series: ‘A Tale of Two Islands’

The second blend in the Cask Finish Series builds upon the legendary BCS 2018 Tale of Two Islands Rum: a Jamaican Rum matured in peated Islay single malt casks. For the 2023 Tale of Two Islands offering, BCS chose to feature a blend of straight bourbons from Indiana (5, 6, & 9-year) and Maryland (5 & 6-year). The team then used the empty casks from the 2018 offering to finish the blend of straight bourbons. The sweetness of the rum and the smokiness of the Islay casks mingle together with the underlying bourbon for a classic bourbon with notes of old-fashioned donut and coconut macaron. With a derived mash bill of corn (73%), rye (23%), and malted barley (4%), the blend was bottled at cask strength (118.22 proof).

“We’re thrilled to continue our 10-year legacy of developing sought-after award-winning blends that push the boundaries of American whiskey,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “The intent for this Series is to produce unique blends that showcase the finishing cask, while respecting the underlying bourbon blend.”

Both expressions are available for purchase online via the BCS website at barrellbourbon.com and in select retailers later this month for the suggested retail price of $89.99 per 750ml bottle.

The award-winning line of Barrell Craft Spirits releases are currently sold in 49 US states.

For the latest in Bourbon, visit www.thebourbonreview.com

The post NEW RELEASE: Barrell Craft Spirits Inaugural ‘Cask Finish Series’ Debuts 2 Labels – Amburana & A Tale of Two Islands first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Barrell Craft Spirits Introduces Bourbon Batch 035 and Rye Batch 004, Each Are Barrel Strength

COPY DIRECTLY FROM BARRELL CRAFT SPIRITS (Louisville, KY) Barrell Bourbon Batch 035, which struck gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is a multi-mash bill blend of six and seven-year-old spicy and earthy, high-rye, high proof oak forward barrels. They were combined with a blend of eight-year-old softer, lower-proof barrels with concentrated notes of […]

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COPY DIRECTLY FROM BARRELL CRAFT SPIRITS (Louisville, KY)

Barrell Bourbon Batch 035, which struck gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is a multi-mash bill blend of six and seven-year-old spicy and earthy, high-rye, high proof oak forward barrels. They were combined with a blend of eight-year-old softer, lower-proof barrels with concentrated notes of dark cherry and butterscotch.

After mingling for two months, 13-year-old barrels with dominant fruit flavors were layered in. A portion of these barrels had more tropical fruit notes and the other portion showed more dried and candied fruit notes. The resulting bourbon is peppery and intriguing on the nose, and sweet and long on the finish. The blend was bottled at cask strength (116.24 proof). SPR of $90

Rye Batch 004 is a blend of straight rye whiskeys from Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Canada. 10-year-old Indiana Rye barrels with notes of brown sugar and a touch of smoke had five and six-year-old barrels layered in for fruit and spice character. 14-year-old Canadian barrels were added for their dry herbal notes.

The result is fruit-forward rye with layers of depth. With a derived mash bill of rye (89%), corn (7%) and malted barley (4%), the blend was bottled at cask strength (115.7 proof). SRP $90.

“It’s incredible to think we’ve launched 35 unique bourbon batches over the past 10 years, which truly speaks to our passion for pushing the creative envelope every day,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “We’re also thrilled to launch our first rye batch since 2020 which marks the debut of our new back labels that will become a staple of nearly all our future releases. As longtime champions of transparency, this further underscores our commitment to informing consumers about what’s in their glass of whiskey.”

Founded in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky, BCS selects and blends products that explore different distillation methods, barrels, and aging environments, and bottles them at cask strength. BCS’s extensive stocks of high-quality casks mean it can craft extraordinary blends that maximize the nuances of each ingredient. Creative finishes, a liberated approach to blending, and a deep-seated commitment to releasing each whiskey at cask strength guides every product release.

For more brand info, visit http://www.barrellbourbon.com

For the latest in Bourbon, visit www.thebourbonreview.com

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Barrell Craft Spirits Debuts Rye Whiskey in “Private Release”, 10 Unique Finishes

Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville, KY) has added Rye to its Private Release offerings. For this series, BCS selected Rye whiskeys from Indiana and Canada and then blended them into unique recipes with variations on a theme. Beginning with 10 initial selections, each release will feature a blend of Rye whiskey designed for its unique finishing […]

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Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville, KY) has added Rye to its Private Release offerings.

For this series, BCS selected Rye whiskeys from Indiana and Canada and then blended them into unique recipes with variations on a theme. Beginning with 10 initial selections, each release will feature a blend of Rye whiskey designed for its unique finishing cask.

Each offering in the series is produced as a limited-release, has a distinct flavor profile and contains between 150-180 total 750ml bottles, with an SRP of $109.99. To learn more and buy online, please visit www.barrellbourbon.com/privatereleaserye

The BCS Private Release Rye Series includes:

Rye Whiskey finished in an Armagnac Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in a Bourbon Whiskey Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in an XO Cognac Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in an Oloroso Sherry Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Madeira Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Ruby Port Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Barbados Rum Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in a Sauternes Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Tokaji Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrel

“We’ve expanded our successful Private Release program to include rye whiskeys featuring unique finishing barrels and casks from around America and the world,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “For more than 10 years, we’ve led the industry in micro-blending and have proudly pioneered many of these finishes being utilized by other producers today.”

For the latest on NEW RELEASES, please visit us at www.thebourbonreview.com

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Bringing the Heat: Barrell Craft Spirits Releases 140 PROOF Barrel Strength “Gold Label Dovetail”

Louisville, Kentucky, based Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS) recently introduced BCS Gold Label Dovetail. This limited edition and ultra-rare expression (per the brand) boasts the same blend of whiskey finished in rum, port and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Barrels as its classic, iconic counterpart, which won the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and earned a […]

The post Bringing the Heat: Barrell Craft Spirits Releases 140 PROOF Barrel Strength “Gold Label Dovetail” first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

BCS Gold Label Dovetail is created with the same finishing and blending method as Barrell Dovetail, but incorporates whiskeys aged up to 25 years, resulting in a more powerful and robust blend.

“Over the past several years, Dovetail has become a highly regarded expression within the BCS portfolio of products and the American Whiskey world,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “Following the recent success of BCS Gray Label Dovetail, we decided to apply the concept of ‘Dovetail’ to our oldest, rarest stocks. We left these component whiskeys in their finishing casks even longer and included some very high proof barrels to create a blend with an intensity matched only by its nuance and layering.”

Founded in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky, BCS selects and blends products that explore different distillation methods, barrels and aging environments, and bottles them at cask strength. Per the brand, BCS’s extensive stocks of high-quality casks mean they can craft extraordinary blends that maximize the nuances of each ingredient.

BCS Gold Label Dovetail was distilled in IN, TN and Canada and bottled in Kentucky at 140.18 proof (70.09% ABV). The new expression is now available at select retailers within the brand’s current 49 U.S. markets and online via the BCS website at www.barrellbourbon.com. The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $499.99.

In addition to BCS Gold Label Dovetail, Barrell Craft Spirits® offers multiple other special releases that highlight its blending expertise including: Barrell Seagrass, which won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Barrell Armida, which earned Best Barrel-Aged Bourbon at the LA Spirits Awards; Barrell Vantage, a blend of straight bourbons finished in Mizunara, French and Toasted American Oak Casks; and the various other BCS Gold and Gray Label bottlings.

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Barrell Vantage Bourbon Review

The process behind Barrell Vantage, and other Barrell Craft Spirits blends for that matter, is unique. The bourbons that comprise Barrell Vantage are distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Each of the three component bourbons are then finished separately in Mizunara, French and Toasted American oak barrels. In addition, different char and toast levels for the barrels are used. Once the secondary finishing is deemed complete, the individual finished bourbons are then blended, rather than being blended together prior to finishing. This allows for greater flexibility in creating the final product. So how is it? Read on to find out!

The post Barrell Vantage Bourbon Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Barrell Vantage
“A blend of straight bourbon whiskeys finished in Mizunara, French and Toasted American oak.”
Distilled in Indiana, Tennessee & Kentucky
114.44 proof
MSRP: $79.99 at barrellbourbon.com
Review

Please enjoy our Barrell Vantage Review!

Barrell Craft Spirits Uses A Unique Process For Whiskey Blends

Barrell Vantage Bourbon Review - Front Label

Tasting Notes – Barrell Vantage Review

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Pear and dried apricot, vanilla, syrupy brown sugar sweetness & burnt caramel, light grassiness and dry woodiness as well as subtle floral notes in the back; a touch of wintergreen & cinnamon; Moderate alcohol
Taste: Brown sugar, & caramel; more dry woodiness and oak; dried apricot and sweet apple juice; a bit of barrel char
Finish: Rapidly building capsaicin spiciness, with lingering dry oak and char, but also sweetness and fruit, too. Very long finish with a moderate burn.

Barrell Vantage Is A Very Complex Bourbon

Barrell Vantage is a very complex bourbon, presumably due to its very complex composition. Who would have thought? All those different bourbons and barrels blended together create quite a few flavors. Like an everlasting Gobstopper, this is one whose flavors change throughout, from nose to finish, each being different.

Stopper - Barrell Vantage Review — Stopper – Barrell Vantage Bourbon Review

The fruit is very noticeable in the nose to me. Dried apricot as well as softer sweet fruits like pear and apple are there, too, but not at the same time. Floral notes are in the back, blending with a dry woodiness and some barrel flavors, too. The taste is quite sweet with more fruit and caramel, with dry woodiness and oak becoming more apparent. Considerable spice appears in the long finish but the fruit and sweetness are there, too. While the various types of oak are present, the oak is far from overbearing.

Am I The Only One Who Gets Fruit Notes?

As a side note, the majority of Barrell Vantage bourbon reviews I have read do not really seem to pick up the fruit that I do. Try as I might, it is still there for me, so it may be there for you, too. The flavors I get are also quite different from Barrell’s tasting notes, but I find that is often the case with the tasting notes from distilleries.

A Very Enjoyable Bourbon

This is a very enjoyable bourbon. It won me over on my first taste of it at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and it continues to impress. If you enjoy a complex bourbon with a bit of fruit up front, you will enjoy this one.

Are you a Barrell Bourbon fan? I am too!

We hope you have enjoyed our Barrell Vantage Review! If you would like to read more about another Barrell whiskeys, check out our Barrell Seagrass Rye Review! Cheers!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!

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New Release: “Gray Label Bourbon” by Barrell Craft Spirits, 100.58 Proof Cask Strength

Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville) just announced the release of Gray Label Bourbon, constructed from bourbons of varying ages made from five different mash bills. After marrying, the blend goes into casks made using 36-monthair-dried staves that previously held Gray Label Bourbon, to rest and further mature. Cask strength, clocking in at 100.58 proof, it uses […]

The post New Release: “Gray Label Bourbon” by Barrell Craft Spirits, 100.58 Proof Cask Strength first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville) just announced the release of Gray Label Bourbon, constructed from bourbons of varying ages made from five different mash bills. After marrying, the blend goes into casks made using 36-monthair-dried staves that previously held Gray Label Bourbon, to rest and further mature.

Cask strength, clocking in at 100.58 proof, it uses liquid from KY, TN, and IN.

Retail pricing is $250 per 750ml.

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NEW RELEASE: Barrell Craft Spirits Launches “Gray Label Dovetail” at 131 Proof

(LOUISVILLE) This week Barrell Craft Spirits, which launched Barrell Dovetail in 2018, released BCS Gray Label Dovetail, which uses the same award-winning blend and finishing method as Dovetail, but with older and more rare barrels, aged up to 20 years. The new, limited-edition expression was bottled at 131.54 proof and bears an SRP of $249.99. BUY […]

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Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Dovetail

BUY HERE

Key Facts

Whiskey finished in rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards cabernet barrels
Distilled in Indiana, Tennessee and Canada
Aged in the US and Canada
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
131.54 proof cask strength bottling

Tasting Notes (Brand Provided)

Nose: Green grape, tart apple, and pollen lead into one very vivid note of just-pressed cider. The notes of gooseberry jam, cranberry sauce, and dried apricot are pronounced and defined. Maple walnut ice cream, tahini, and leather provide a subtle, savory undertone.

Palate: Robust and impeccably balanced, with flavors ranging from strawberry rhubarb pie to fennel pollen. Flan and coconut oil provide a rich and creamy texture that balances some light sandy tannin and modest astringency. Depth seems to come mostly from the oldest Canadian whiskeys, in the form of fennel, poppy seed and peppercorn. Allspice, ginger, and cola notes from the French and American oak round it out.

Finish: A burst of licorice candy and molasses gives way to
Earl Grey Tea with honey. The palate is left with a range of dusty mineral notes, among them necco wafers, oyster shell, and squid ink.

With a splash of spring water: Classical notes of crème brulée and funnel cake take the lead. The complexity here is more savory, with shiso, tomato, and tajin. An unexpected burst of lychee on the finish yields to charcoal and paraffin.