Review #14: Barrell Bourbon Batch 008B as a Mystery Sample

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This was my first mystery sample review, courtesy of u/bananavanman and it was a lot of fun. I had a sneaking suspicion that this was going to be a Barrell or a Dickel. On the other hand my wife thought the sample bottle looked like poison but I took the risk and drank it anyway.

On a side note switching to a Glencairn for my neat tasting was an excellent choice and I’m going to start looking for a similar rocks glass.

Abv: 129 proof (64.5% ABV)

Age: 10 years

Review

Color: A dark, appealing amber

Neat

Nose: Very sweet with vanilla, almost like a cake, with just a hint of something spicy

Taste: Smooth and sweet to start with vanilla notes, bordering on cloying but never quite getting there, a little sticky like a vanilla toffee

Finish: The sweetness gives way to warm baking spice and just a touch of a burn. Very nice

On a rock

Nose: The sweetness is still present but is more like sugar or honey than vanilla cake

Taste: The ice tames the sweetness and stickiness and the vanilla notes are back, very nice if a bit simple

Finish: Smoother with a balance of sweet and spice. The spice lingers nicely

Conclusion

I was very excited to get to try another Barrell after my middling experience with the first bottle. I enjoyed this one much more. While the flavor notes were somewhat similar they way they felt in my mouth and especially the way they lingered along the addition of a small baking spice note brought this much closer to the flavor profiles I enjoy.

I nearly gave this an 8 but I’m still not sure I would buy a bottle of it now that I’ve already tried it.

7 - a great whiskey I’d order at a bar

You can see u/bananavanman’s review for another take.

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