Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend - 98 Points Wine Enthusiast
CIGAR BLEND
Barrell Cigar Blend is a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys aged 7.5 to 18 years finished in Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks, delivering layered notes of dark fruit, molasses, and warm spice. Distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, bottled at 111.2 proof and crafted in Kentucky.
APPEARANCE: Maple Syrup.
NOSE: The heady, piquant scent of crusty sourdough bread strikes first. A distinctly fruity note plays second fiddle to the toffee, pipe tobacco and dusty cedar chest of the casks themselves. The oxidized wine imparts walnuts, dry autumn leaves, and leather of rancio, going as far as miso in the savory direction. As the whiskey breathes, pastries emerge ranging from sticky buns and eclairs to sweet potato pie. Fruits resolve into pear, persimmon, and a splash of grape soda.
PALATE: Warm cola with the cinnamon dialed up. Slightly burnt cornbread, pistachio ice cream, and a vanilla so pungent it's perfume-like. The texture is big, rich and chewy, full of oils, sugars and tannins. The Armagnac makes its presence felt with dried cherries and dates, while the oak brings notes of pu'er tea, and fernet. Underneath that earthiness one finds a bit of dried mushroom and soy sauce.
FINISH: The combination of oak, spice and fortified wine reads as sweet vermouth, as if you're swallowing a sip of Manhattan. Clove is particularly pungent, as is juniper berry and cocoa powder. There's a rich mineral vein running through it containing slate and salt. As it lingers there's ample opportunity to focus on facets of rosehips, cinchona bark, black truffle and incense.
WITH A SPLASH OF SPRING WATER: The nose is awash with butterscotch hard candy. Beneath it, it's mostly the fruits which have been shuffled about, now reading as Mirabelle plum, honeydew melon, and hint of sun-dried tomato. On the palate the rum emerges showing a very clear molasses note backed up by café au lait and cinchona bark.
AWARDS:
- Wine Enthusiast rating of 98
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2026) - Double Gold
- LA Spirits Awards 2026 - Best Unique Barrel Finish
- LA Spirits Awards 2026 - Platinum
- ASCOT Awards 2026 - Double Platinum
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