Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label Bourbon is a blend of 16- and 17-year-old straight bourbons. Barrels for this release were selected from four different collections: cherry bomb barrels with a rich mouthfeel, nutty oak-forward barrels, high proof and high complexity barrels, and barrels with pronounced milk chocolate notes. The last group underwent a secondary maturation in toasted virgin American oak casks before being added to this intricate and seductive blend.
A classically fruity bourbon, as sixteen years of maturation have produced an array of stewed and dried fruits of kaleidoscopic complexity. The overlay of toasted oak has rounded off all the sharp edges, leaving a soft and gentle profile that belies its high proof.
The color of burnt marmalade leads to scents of sweet toasted oak and decadent caramelized sugar, pipe tobacco and nutty toffee. The contrasting scents of tar and cedar smoke balance out the fresh sweet notes and lead to an impression of rich depth and roundness.
The palate is as rich and sweet at the scents promise; the brown sugar, vanilla and toasty cinnamon lead to candied ginger, and bitter currant and blackberry. There are underlying layers of pipe cigar and toasted oak that balance the initial sweetness into a well rounded, decadent delightful bourbon whiskey.
Bottled at 56.77 ABV - 113.54 Proof