Charred oak | Grated nutmeg | Brown sugar | Bundt cake | Faint cocoa bean | Dark caramel

Brown sugar | Bold cinnamon syrup | Rye spice | Cinnamon cake | Intense sweetness

Rye spice | Leather | Dry oak | Light barrel char | Lingering spice & dry oak

The Curated Barrel Project is spearheaded by Jake Norris and is an offshoot of his forthcoming Arvada-based whiskey distillery. Dubbed “The Curator,” Norris has over two decades of distilling and whiskey-design experience from his time as founding head distiller at Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and Laws Whiskey House. Joining Norris are partners Scott Kerkmans and Nate Grimm, along with Executive Creative Director Ryan Carver and project engineer Gene “JB” Salem. The goal for the Curated Barrel project is about rediscovering whiskey as a means of connection, not a status symbol.”

The entirety of the Curated Barrel project consists of 30 barrels of bourbon that will have 8 releases spread out evenly over 2 years. Batch 01, dubbed “The Control,” consists of a 7 year bourbon that serves as the foundation the entire project is built on, with the company releasing a new barrel-finished version of the bourbon once a quarter. Each bottle in the series is accompanied by a physical zine. This mini magazine, the size of a CD insert, is created by Norris and is “comprised of a series of short articles, stories, tasting notes, and a musical playlist to pair with its corresponding whiskey.”

The “Control” offers a nice base for the future collection to build off of. The bourbon delivers a classic aroma that leans into the sweeter side of things thanks to brown sugar and dark caramel. This sweetness is intensified in the midpoint as brown sugar and bold cinnamon syrup stand on top of the shoulders of rye spice. The sweetness tags out in the finish, allowing the bourbon to focus on rye spice and noticeable dry oak that linger.

It may come as a surprise to some that the control bourbon for a finishing series is good but not more. However, when you think about it, this is ideal for an experiment of this type. Had the control whiskey been exceptional, expectations would have been sky-high that every barrel finish it experienced would deliver similar results, which is unrealistic. Instead, “The Control” is an easy-to-enjoy bourbon that should work exactly as its name implies and allow those who try the entire series the ability to see how each barrel finish type impacts the final sip.