Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon 15 Year Old Release 4

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon 15 Year Old is the fourth release of the Louisville blender's top-tier Gray Label bourbon. Bourbons distilled and aged in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee were matured for 15 years, then blended, crafted and bottled in Kentucky without dilution at 100.4 proof (50.2% ABV). Barrell describes this release as a whiskey of evolution: rather than showing everything at once, it moves from gentle minerality through candied and earthy notes to fruit, herbs and spice, while the palate stays bright and cola-sweet. The 750ml bottle carries the brand's silver shield label with a hand-written bottle number, and is presented in a black gift box.

Tasting Notes: Chalk and smoke, honeycomb, cola and oak spice, drying to tobacco and walnut.

Nose: Chalk dust and wood smoke over toasted marshmallow, warm honeycomb and chocolate babka, then leather, apple and strawberry jam.

Palate: Syrupy and sweet with a vivid cola note, allspice, fennel seed and peppermint, plus green grape and strawberry meringue.

Finish: Dry and oily, with pipe tobacco, walnut and iced coffee before rhubarb jam and sumac.

Serve: Neat, then with a few drops of water to bring out more fruit.