Oak | Charred caramel | Vanilla bean | Boxed brownie mix | Slight graininess

Oak | Malted barley | Baking chocolate | Peppercorn spice | Light caramel chew

Rye spice | Fresh oak | Malted barley | Milk chocolate | Long

2Bar Spirits is located in Seattle, Washington, and was founded by Nathan Kaiser in 2010. The first distillery in Seattle to produce bourbon, Kaiser named the distillery after the family’s 5th-generation Kaiser 2BAR ranch in South Texas. 2Bar Spirits Bourbon was one of the first few bourbons we reviewed after the launch of Breaking Bourbon in 2014. At the time, it was a young 9 month old bourbon. Since that time, the company has produced an ongoing 3 year old bourbon along with single barrels ranging in age up to 6 years old. Their bourbons use a six grain mashbill, however, the company does not disclose the grain type or percentages used.

Opening on more traditional notes, 2Bar Bottled in Bond Bourbon also adds a pleasing boxed brownie mix along with slight graininess, which suggests this craft distillery hadn’t progressed completely on distillation techniques as of 4 years ago when this was barreled. Thankfully the rest of the sip proves this doubt wrong, as loads of chocolate and pleasing spice take hold, along with a dash of grounding oak. Over the past several years, it’s evident that 2Bar Spirits has come a long way, and their bottled in bond bourbon is a great example of the evolution a craft distillery can experience if things are done right.