For Thanksgiving yesterday I decided to pop the bottle of Barrell Craft Spirits 15 Year Old Bourbon, the 2020 release. While I have reviewed many Barrell releases, this one is a premium fifteen year old release, which includes their amazing 15 year old Cascade Hollow bourbon coupled with 15 year old bourbons from Kentucky and Indiana. This is the first opportunity I have had to try or buy the limited edition Barrell Craft Spirits Release of their bourbon.

This bourbon is 104.9 proof. The color is a beautiful dark amber with reddish tones around the edges, just as any good 15 year old bourbon should. The nose is great; floral with grains, vanilla, oak, leather, and dark fruits. On the swirl is a nice film with lots of legs. The palate is extremely rich, which the Tennessee bourbon really coming through; I am betting this is 50% of the Tennessee bourbon. But then, wonderful cherry notes, macadamia nut, lots of oak, Sumatran coffee, Indonesian clove, and vanilla. The mouthfeel on this bourbon is very nice, rich and thick but not too syrupy. The finish is long and lingering with the dark fruits becoming dense and mulled, with smoky oak and hickory on the back end, as well as some pepper and clove.

This is an amazing bourbon, although it is not for the price conscious. At $200 a bottle, it certainly paired nicely with the Habanos Cohiba Siglo VI I smoked yesterday, both in cost and taste. But, then again regular releases of Barrell Bourbon are in the $80 to $100 range, and given how old the bourbons are in this blend, I certainly can’t say this bourbon is overpriced. If given the opportunity I would definitely buy another bottle.