Sweet syrup | Light tobacco leaf | Dark fruits | Aged leather | Oak | Nicely integrated

Dark fruits | Rye spice | Berry | Light vanilla | Aged oak | Light mixed nuts

Rye spice | Aged oak | Leather | Green peppercorn | Subtle tobacco leaf | Lingering chewy oak & spice | Very nice finish

Barton 1792 Distillery has gone all in on extended barrel aging. Starting in 2021 with three different wine barrel finished varieties, the company is back in 2022 with four new barrel finishing types. Each of the base bourbons was aged for 5-6 years before being finished in barrels for another 1-4 years. In Sherry Finished Bourbon’s case, the company finished it for 1-4 years in used sherry barrels that held oloroso sherry previously.

The sherry barrel finish impact starts off before you even raise the glass, as its dark mahogany color is hard to ignore. The bourbon kicks things off with a nice integration of slightly sweeter scents along with more traditional earthy aged notes. The palate carries over the same trend and adds in focus on rye spice and mixed nuts, while the finish rounds things out on a lingering chewy oak and spice note that will have you taking long pauses between sips. The sherry barrel influence is clear here, along with the extended time the whiskey spent in the barrels. The fact that this happens to be the highest proof of the 2022 releases certainly doesn’t hurt either. The Thomas S. Moore aging series isn’t always a guaranteed delight, but this year’s Sherry Finished Bourbon definitely deserves your attention.