Tannic oak | Leather | Mixed peppercorn | Tobacco leaf | Faint vanilla bean | Dry earthy scents | Ethanol

Light syrup | Berries | Muddled brown sugar | Dry tannic oak | Leather | White peppercorn spice

Dry tannic oak | Light smoke | Heavy barrel char | Leather | Incredibly dry

In order to produce Barrica OLO bourbon, a high-rye bourbon is sourced from MGP and undergoes an initial step of being enhanced with French oak staves. The whiskey is then finished in an Oloroso sherry barrel for a minimum of 12 months. According to the company, they have been producing this and their Barrica PX whiskey since 2020.

Opening with intense dry earthy scents, the bourbon quickly makes you realize that it was exposed to various forms of oak before being bottled. Continuing onto the palate brings a few sweeter notes up front in the form of syrup and berries before transitioning over to dry tannic oak and leather, which become rapidly more noticeable the longer you explore the midpoint. Rounding things out, the finish slams home the point that that nose highlighted in terms of how much oak this whiskey was exposed to. Dry notes are instantly noticeable and suck out as much moisture as possible. It’s an underwhelming way to end the sip, with the dryness lingering for a long time, forcing you to reach for a glass of water to rehydrate your mouth.

The whiskey being reviewed comes from barrel number 2 and is bottle number 3.