Barrell 13 Year Old Gray Label 2024 Release Cask Strength Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750mL

1 of 3654 Bottles

The barrels harvested for this limited release were selected for their refined properties and extraordinary flavor profile. This complex blend, created with hand selected barrels ranging from 13 to 19 years-old, is an opulent bourbon with notes of dark chocolate, Amarena cherry, vanilla and brûléed orange.

Every facet of this bourbon is bathed in freshly scraped vanilla bean. A minty fresh and woodsy nose nevertheless retains its foundational cereal note of cinnamon raisin bagel. On the palate one is greeted by a sweet and oily mouthfeel that brings with it notes of demerara rum and apple pie spice. Water unleashes chocolate and coconut and reveals a complex earthiness to the aroma.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Maroon, with tones ranging from rust to baker’s chocolate.

Nose: Pungent vanilla bean is first out of the gate, woven through with goldenrod as you just approach the glass. They add lift to a treacly nose that ranges from dark brown sugar to woodsy sugarcane. The original grain character is well preserved, but advanced age has evolved it into tres leches cake, granola, and macadamia nut. Sage, tonka bean, and menthol play the herbal register here. Plump raisins and fig newtons round it out.

Palate: S’mores, amoretti, and oatmeal raisin cookie depict a palate balanced between biscuit-y and sweet. A marked spiciness shoulders its way in with notes of crystallized ginger, peppermint, and black peppercorn. Oak tannins give a bit of chew to a body that’s oily and rich with sugars. Meanwhile gentian root, sesame seeds, and apple peels comprise the humus layer.

Finish: Fresh ginger, fennel seed, and cardamom rush up through the exhale. The tongue is left with a pronounced bitterness that inspires thoughts of cocoa powder and grapefruit peel. Gradually, a gentle sweet vermouth takes over; later joined by a grainy signature of skillet cornbread.

With Water: Everything becomes coated in gooey chocolate ganache. All throughout there are various forms of coconut – macaroon, -oil, -water. Demerara rum takes over the palate, accompanied by nutmeg, and lime zest. The finish simplifies into apricot and cherry eaux-de-vie.

"Strawberry Honey Bunches of Oats, cherrydipped vanilla soft serve, and raspberry jam, oh my! The red fruit brigade is here, marching alongside pleasantly sugared flavors. If you’re enjoying the nose, then odds are the palate will similarly please, as cream soda, French toast topped with powdered sugar, cherry Robitussin, and coffee coat the mouth. The finish cements this as a breakfast whiskey of sorts—maple syrup, fresh coffee, and a bowl of berries round out the ride." - Julia Higgins, Whisky Advocate (92 Points)

"2024’s Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon delivers an enjoyable sip that dials in complex sweet notes with a savory undertone." - Nick Beiter, Breaking Bourbon (Well Above Average)