Barrell Craft Spirits is known for their cask strength batched bourbon products, along with their range of finished bourbons, whiskeys, and rums. In October 2023, Barrell Craft Spirits introduced Foundation Bourbon, a consistent, ongoing release and the company’s first release not bottled at cask strength.

‍‍Expanding on that concept, in January 2025, the company announced the addition of Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon, a new ongoing release. Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon is made from the same base whiskeys, ages, and has the same derived mashbill as Foundation Bourbon, however, it adds secondary maturation in new American oak casks.

There’s a delicateness to the aroma, which opens on lively scents of tropical fruit, apricot, raisin, and creme brulee. Classic vanilla and caramel are present, along with a hint of honey. White pepper spice adds depth and just enough pop to bring some spice into the mix, but the bourbon maintains a sweet, gentle, tempered baseline. Overall it’s a very satisfying start to the sip.

True to Barrell’s nature, the palate is strikingly balanced through and through. A rich, sugary mix of sweets in the form of crisp tropical fruits, caramelized oak, and sugar-coated raisin sets up the senses for further accents of milk chocolate and dry leather. This is all delivered with a satisfying, buttery mouthfeel that carries weight but never overpowers. White pepper spice emerges on the backend of the bourbon’s rich, delightful palate.

The finish brings more spice and dryness than the rest of the sip, though it still leans into the sweeter side. Allspice and white peppercorn up front are joined by burnt brown sugar and honey as the sip trails off. Balanced and satisfying, the finish ends with a pleasant lingering sweetness.

Barrell Craft Spirits is one of American whiskey’s early adopters of the concept of blending bourbons from multiple sources and arguably holds the unofficial title of America’s preeminent blender. Launched over a decade ago, the company released only barrel proof spirits with a focus on bourbon, but in all of those cases, every product was a one-off batch made from a unique blend and bottled at the resulting proof; whatever it turned out to be. In October 2023, the company launched Foundation Bourbon, which was bottled at 100 proof and built from a repeatable blend. A sharp deviation for the brand, Foundation Bourbon was their first consistent ongoing product. It was met with a warm reception from the bourbon community as it maintained the core tenets of what Barrell Craft Spirits had become known for, but also came in at a much more affordable price point.

Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon doubles down on the concept, effectively taking everything that works with the core Foundation Bourbon and amplifying it. Unlike many double barrel bourbons such as Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon, Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Bourbon, Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whiskey, and others, Foundation Double Barrel stays away from the more common and dominating heavy oak notes, instead intensifying the more lively flavors found in the base Foundation Bourbon.

Like everything else Barrell Craft Spirits does, the Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon blend is complex. The barrels used for secondary maturation were toasted rather than charred, and various underlying bourbons were finished from 3 months to up to 2 years to create the first batch. Using toasted barrels was intended to help avoid overwhelming the bourbon with excessive wood influence. Using a wide range of different sourced bourbons and finishing times contrasts many double barrel bourbons, which simply take the same bourbon and age in secondary barrels as a set group, with each barrel in the blend intended to taste and be finished for about the same amount of time. It’s this attention to detail that ultimately produces a highly refined bourbon as a result.

As we recently discussed in an article titled, Will There Be A Bourbon Price Reckoning?, the bourbon industry might be on the precipice of experiencing some downward force on overall pricing. Introducing a high quality product that rivals other bourbons twice its price may be a response to this pressure, and in any event, is certainly a welcome addition to the bourbon marketplace. Considering Barrell Craft Spirits releases run the gamut of price, with most centered around $90 per bottle, adding another sub-$60 bottle to their brand portfolio will undoubtedly get attention from consumers who may not have even considered the brand’s other offerings. Most importantly, the overall quality is present, giving consumers access to Barrell’s careful blending style (and a double-oaked product to boot) at a good price point.

Just like Barrell Foundation Bourbon and many other Barrell Craft Spirits products, Barrell Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon is subtle in its delivery of flavors. Being double barreled typically means being oak-heavy, but that is not the case here. Instead, vibrant flavors are simply amplified, and overall balance is well-maintained. Double Barrel Foundation Bourbon is just as approachable as Foundation Bourbon, and coming in at about the same price, choosing between the two will likely be more of a matter of preference, which is a refreshing change of pace in its own right. Regardless, in a changing bourbon landscape where the pendulum on value and affordability is starting to swing in the other direction, Double Barrel Foundation Bourbon offers a complex drinking experience at a solid price with a proof point that will appeal to almost anyone.