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Breaking Bourbon Award Winning Single Barrel Club picks are selected by Breaking Bourbon, and whenever possible with the help of Patreon supporters. The bottles are made available to Patreon supporters first by pledge tier. If any bottles remain after all supporters have had an opportunity to purchase, they are made available to the public on a first come, first served basis. Each barrel is sponsored by a retailer partner, who sells the bottles directly to end purchasers.
**These selections are being released together via retailer partner Mash&Grape**
Retailer Partner: Mash&Grape
Name: Barrell Bourbon (Barrell #S168)
Company: Barrell Craft Spirits
Distillery: Undisclosed distillery in Tennessee
Age: 14 Years
Proof: 96.4
Mashbill: Undisclosed (Corn, Rye, Malted Barley)
Yield: 144 Bottles
Release Date: November 2019
Retailer Partner: Mash&Grape
Name: Barrell Bourbon (Barrel #E546)
Company: Barrell Craft Spirits
Distillery: Undisclosed distillery in Tennessee
Age: 14 Years
Proof: 109.5
Mashbill: Undisclosed (Corn, Rye, Malted Barley)
Yield: 131 Bottles
Release Date: November 2019
JOIN HERE FOR ACCESSFor this pick, we met up with company founder Joe Beatrice and master distiller Tripp Stimson at their Louisville, KY location. This is where the magic happens, and by magic we mean incredible blends come to life. While we might have doubted the concept initially, Barrell has undoubtedly proven their knack for putting together fantastic blends.
After a nice tour and the chance to meet with everyone on the Barrell team face to face, we headed into their tasting room.
Since we’ve gotten to know Joe pretty well over the years, and had the opportunity to spend time with Tripp previously as well, it felt more like a reuniting of long-time friends than a distillery visit. Between the conversation we managed to slip in a few single barrels, and a few more, and then a few more after that. You get the idea. This lead us down a few different paths, from readily available barrels, to some that had just been pulled, their house blend, and into experimental blends either soon to be released or just getting started.
We found ourselves drawn to the unique qualities of the higher proof 14 year old bourbons, all coming in around 110 proof, but also found ourselves liking the contrast found in the lower proof group, all coming in around 95 proof. Each being 14 years old and presumably from the same distillery in Tennessee, we were surprised at the variation among the group.
Going in with the idea that we’d be selecting a single barrel, we quickly realized we wanted two - a high proof and a low proof combination to showcase very different resulting products from their 14 years in the barrel. After some deliberation we settled on our favorites.
But we weren’t done yet. A few other barrels led us down another rabbit hole. At the end of it rum...a lot of it. We found ourselves drawn to the Jamaica, Barbados blends, and eventually settled on a favorite. But why not finish it in one of our bourbon barrels we just selected? Look for a post on this with more information in the near future.
For the two barrels of bourbon we selected this might have been the easiest nicknaming yet. As we were talking and sipping, Joe threw out the idea that the low proof could be sipped during the week, while the high proof could be saved for the weekend. The concept of a “Weekday” and a “Weekend” bourbon stuck immediately, and became the inspiration for the sticker concept we eventually landed on.
SBC #12 “Weekday”On the nose a warming cinnamon spice, fresh cornbread, and orange zest promote deeper inhales. Sweet honey and butterscotch introduce the sip, and are quickly joined with a warming cinnamon spice, baking spices, and a trace of anise. Mouthcoating and heavy on the tongue. Robust spice and a hint of citrus begin the lingering finish, with sweet caramel and a touch of raisin overtaking the spicy elements as it trails off. Overall it’s surprisingly spicy and full of flavor for the proof. It’s a quintessential Barrell Bourbon, and succeeds in avoiding heat in favor of focusing on flavors making for an easy bourbon to imbibe in.
SBC #13 “Weekend”A subtle and well balanced array of scents comprised of vanilla, graham cracker, and aged oak give way to complex sip ahead. Seasoned oak, leather, tobacco, and a touch of smoke balance with a delicate rye spice on the tongue. The whiskey’s finish further accentuates its complexity, introducing unsweetened chocolate and toffee to the array of flavors that carry over from the sip. A light rye spice develops on the backend. Despite the higher proof, this bourbon is understated and complex with very little indication of its true potency. It deviates from the robust spicy flavor profile found in “Weekday” along with many Barrell Bourbon batches, instead showcasing the results of incorporating the more wood-heavy elements into the sip. It’s sure to please those wanting something a bit more obviously aged, delivering a fantastic sip.
While these are each single barrels selected for the unique flavor profile they offered, we experimented with a fun way to enjoy them in true “Barrell” fashion - blending them together! Inspired by their nicknames, Weekday and Weekend, we put together a week of blending fun for your sipping enjoyment!
Monday: Just another manic Monday | 100% Weekday | Proof 96.4
Tuesday: Mix it up a bit | 90% Weekday + 10% Weekend | Proof ~97.71
Wednesday: Humpday needs a kicker | 60% Weekday + 40% Weekend | Proof ~101.64
Thursday: Almost here... | 50% Weekday + 50% Weekend | Proof ~102.95
Friday: It’s go time! | 15% Weekday + 85% Weekend | Proof ~107.54
Saturday: Tomorrow’s gonna hurt | 100% Weekend | Proof 109.5
Sunday: Sunday funday | Whatever you want...any percentage combo, or mix in something from another Barrell Single Barrel, Barrell Bourbon (or anything) Batch, or mix up a cocktail | Proof *Calculate as follows:(alcohol content x volume) + (alcohol content x volume) = proof
For example, calculating Tuesday’s blend would yield the approximate proof as follows:
(96.4 x .90) + (109.5 x .10) = 86.76 + 10.95 = 97.71
Distillers, Producers, and Retailers: If you would like to be a part of this program and get your name in front of millions of bourbon enthusiasts, contact us.
Please note these bottles will not be sold by Breaking Bourbon, but will be sold by retailers we partner with in order to fulfill the orders and ship the bottles directly to Patreon supporters. Breaking Bourbon will receive no compensation from our partner retailers under these agreements (with the exception of a bottle from each barrel for editorial purposes). If you represent a retailer and ship to consumers and you’re interested in partnering just let us know!
