Light cinnamon | Baking spices | Allspice | Caramel

Barrel char | Caramel | Vanilla | Allspice | Light aged oak | Hint of leather | Rich

Baking spices | Toffee | Dry leather | Long

Dark Arts Whiskey House is a niche whiskey blending, rebarreling, and finishing house located in Lexington, Kentucky, and is headed by Macaulay Minton and David Peet. Dark Arts Whiskey House makes single barrels available for stores and private groups by appointment at their facility in Lexington, Kentucky. Their 10 year old barrels are only bottled as single barrels currently, and not included in any of their small batches. Dark Arts also explores finishing these single barrels as well, which so far has included 1980’s Armagnac and Oloroso Sherry barrel finishes.

The barrel in review was not finished, instead leaning into bourbon’s more traditional flavor profile side. A mixture of spices defines the aroma, with caramel underneath. On the palate the bourbon’s age becomes more obvious, with barrel char, aged oak, caramel, vanilla, and a hint of leather combining with allspice carried over from the nose. It’s rich and straightforward. Baking spices, toffee, and dry leather define the bourbon’s long finish.

Single barrel as from MGP are common, but those with double digit age statements are much less so, with most clocking in under 10 years old. Dark Arts bottled one that is sure to please fans of barrel proof bourbon, and excite fans of MGP looking for something with a higher age statement.