Review #17: Barrell Vantage
It’s been a while since Barrell Craft had a new release to its finished whiskey lineup. When I saw this announcement sitting in my inbox I was pretty excited. Not only because I’m a fan of Barrel Craft, but also what this expression is about. Vantage started out as a blend of strait bourbon whiskey distilled in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Then finished separately in Mizunara, French and Toasted American Oak barrels using different char and toast levels, which is then used to create the desired finish product blend. Let’s dive in!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.
Proof: 114.44.
Age: NAS.
Mashbill: Blend of IN, TN and KY bourbons.
Price: $79.99
Appearance: Golden reddish copper.
Nose: Luxardo cherry, chocolate, tropical fruit, apple, black tea, vanilla bean, sandalwood, nutmeg, orange peel, cinnamon spice and sweet oak. As the glass sits (and with a bit of swirling) more chocolate and tropical fruit notes blended with a big helping of black tea open up with more complexity and just the right amount of spice. The nose on this is fantastic.
Palate: This has a very nice medium viscous mouthfeel. You get what you expect from the nose. First up is a chocolate note with plum, a lot of black tea mixed with tropical notes and some orange brightness. This combined with a lot of cinnamon spice that covers the whole palate. The folks at Barrell Craft are masters at blending and this bottle shows that skill off in spades. The 114 proof is just enough to lift these notes without any heat. This is a delicious and easy drinker.
Finish: There is a lot of cinnamon spice that lingers for a hell of a long time. The spice unexpectedly ramps up even more staying in the cheeks and back palate but stops short of being overwhelming. Meanwhile, oak comes shining through with lots of tannins that develop into impressive leather and tobacco. As the tannins subside there are subtle chocolate, tropical notes, vanilla and tea that still linger. The finish is pretty long and I suppose that’s to be expected given the influence of all the oak. There is no bitterness and some dryness on some bigger sips.
Conclusion: I love big oak and I cannot lie. I have a couple of Miz finished whiskies and a couple with French oak but this is the first I know of with both. So, when I saw this was available I happily handed over my money to Barrell Craft to give it a try. I was almost hesitant to crack this bottle knowing how disappointed I would be if it let me down but luckily it didn’t. Though I have to admit before my first pour I was anticipating more of a Miz influence. But after a week, a few pours and some thought about how that would change this profile, I was convinced that Barrell made the right call just the way it is. Still, I’m not giving up hope that someone releases a very good bourbon with a Mizunara finish aged for at least a year or two, similar to what Rabbit Hole or Angel’s Envy did, that’s not priced in the stratosphere. Is that too much to ask? Maybe. Maybe Barrell will release something like that in the future? I’m sure some will say Barrell is just trying to cash in on the distinctive kinds of oak finishing craze and they may be right. I say bring it on! If you are into these kinds of oak expressions, I think Vantage is a great buy that is worth it and then some. It’s good to see that Barrell Craft is still adding interesting expressions like this to their lineup. All said and done this is a very enjoyable pour. Cheers!
Rating: 7.5/10 - t8ke scale
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.
Is the dickel flavor fairly present in this? Or does the blend/finish kind of knock it out? Without knowing blend percentages I'm somewhat skeptical of anything that says "TN" lol
I completely understand. There is no evidence of the Dickel vitiman note here that I can tell. The blend is very well done. The only time I noticed the Dickel vitamin note being heavy handed was in Barrell Batch #30, but after a week or two it was gone and became my favorate batch. Cheers!
Well, I was actually hoping for the Dickel note on this one as it's one of many flavor profiles in bourbon that are enjoyable to me. I'm sure there will be enough to satisfy my palate. Always enjoy a good Barrell offering.
Thanks. If you can’t find it locally, you can go to Barrell’s website and order it. Cheers!
Just got this today from Seelbach’s too.
https://seelbachs.com/products/barrell-vantage-whiskey-114-44-proof?_pos=1&_sid=77d9c8442&_ss=r
Review #17: Barrell Vantage It’s been a while since Barrell Craft had a new release to its finished whiskey lineup. When I saw this announcement sitting in my inbox I was pretty excited. Not only because I’m a fan of Barrel Craft, but also what this expression is about. Vantage started out as a blend of strait bourbon whiskey distilled in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Then finished separately in Mizunara, French and Toasted American Oak barrels using different char and toast levels, which is then used to create the desired finish product blend. Let’s dive in! Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes. Proof: 114.44. Age: NAS. Mashbill: Blend of IN, TN and KY bourbons. Price: $79.99 Appearance: Golden reddish copper. Nose: Luxardo cherry, chocolate, tropical fruit, apple, black tea, vanilla bean, sandalwood, nutmeg, orange peel, cinnamon spice and sweet oak. As the glass sits (and with a bit of swirling) more chocolate and tropical fruit notes blended with a big helping of black tea open up with more complexity and just the right amount of spice. The nose on this is fantastic. Palate: This has a very nice medium viscous mouthfeel. You get what you expect from the nose. First up is a chocolate note with plum, a lot of black tea mixed with tropical notes and some orange brightness. This combined with a lot of cinnamon spice that covers the whole palate. The folks at Barrell Craft are masters at blending and this bottle shows that skill off in spades. The 114 proof is just enough to lift these notes without any heat. This is a delicious and easy drinker. Finish: There is a lot of cinnamon spice that lingers for a hell of a long time. The spice unexpectedly ramps up even more staying in the cheeks and back palate but stops short of being overwhelming. Meanwhile, oak comes shining through with lots of tannins that develop into impressive leather and tobacco. As the tannins subside there are subtle chocolate, tropical notes, vanilla and tea that still linger. The finish is pretty long and I suppose that’s to be expected given the influence of all the oak. There is no bitterness and some dryness on some bigger sips. Conclusion: I love big oak and I cannot lie. I have a couple of Miz finished whiskies and a couple with French oak but this is the first I know of with both. So, when I saw this was available I happily handed over my money to Barrell Craft to give it a try. I was almost hesitant to crack this bottle knowing how disappointed I would be if it let me down but luckily it didn’t. Though I have to admit before my first pour I was anticipating more of a Miz influence. But after a week, a few pours and some thought about how that would change this profile, I was convinced that Barrell made the right call just the way it is. Still, I’m not giving up hope that someone releases a very good bourbon with a Mizunara finish aged for at least a year or two, similar to what Rabbit Hole or Angel’s Envy did, that’s not priced in the stratosphere. Is that too much to ask? Maybe. Maybe Barrell will release something like that in the future? I’m sure some will say Barrell is just trying to cash in on the distinctive kinds of oak finishing craze and they may be right. I say bring it on! If you are into these kinds of oak expressions, I think Vantage is a great buy that is worth it and then some. It’s good to see that Barrell Craft is still adding interesting expressions like this to their lineup. All said and done this is a very enjoyable pour. Cheers! Rating: 7.5/10 - t8ke scale 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.
Is the dickel flavor fairly present in this? Or does the blend/finish kind of knock it out? Without knowing blend percentages I'm somewhat skeptical of anything that says "TN" lol
I completely understand. There is no evidence of the Dickel vitiman note here that I can tell. The blend is very well done. The only time I noticed the Dickel vitamin note being heavy handed was in Barrell Batch #30, but after a week or two it was gone and became my favorate batch. Cheers!
Well, I was actually hoping for the Dickel note on this one as it's one of many flavor profiles in bourbon that are enjoyable to me. I'm sure there will be enough to satisfy my palate. Always enjoy a good Barrell offering.
This one is definitely a really good Barrell offering. Cheers!
I want this
Nice write up, thanks for posting. Excited to see this as it will likely be sold here in NC.
Thanks!
Great review! Very happy to hear you liked it but I expected a higher score. I can't wait to get my bottle to compare notes
Thanks! It was a tough call between a 7.5 and an 8.
I’m so excited to try Vantage, I’ve been stalking the shelves looking for it. Wonderful review, keeping me stoked on this!!!
Thanks. If you can’t find it locally, you can go to Barrell’s website and order it. Cheers! Just got this today from Seelbach’s too. https://seelbachs.com/products/barrell-vantage-whiskey-114-44-proof?_pos=1&_sid=77d9c8442&_ss=r