Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 Review

There’s no better way to bring in 2021 than with the Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021. A yearly blend and celebration of a new year, a new start, and new opportunities. This year’s release is made from bourbon aged 5-11 years and sourced from 7 states (KY, TN, IN, NY, TX, WY, and CO). A combination of distilling powerhouses and rising stars.

While I’m not in love with everything they do, I’ve yet to have a bad, or even a middling, batch of the Barrell bourbons or Barrell ryes. These guys are a true testament to what can be achieved through blending when you strive for flavor and aroma above all else. Let’s hope they keep it up.

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: USA (KY, TN, IN, NY, TX, WY, CO)

Distiller: Multiple
Blender: Barrell
Mash: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Wheat + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS (5+ years)
ABV: 59.65%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 2021
Bottle: 2,548

Price: $90*

White background tasting shot with the Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it. — “Each autumn we construct a very special blend of Bourbon to use as a toast to the year to come. The New Year Bourbon has gradually woven itself into our annual routine. In the busiest time of year, we take some time to think only about the pillars of our brand, the creativity of our blending process and a dedication to forward-thinking and quality driven line of spirits. In a year where so much of what we know and count on has been turned upside-down, we have found some comfort in this tradition.” – Barrell Bourbon

Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy oak

NOSE
Chocolate covered cherries, oak, spice, tannic dryness, copper, vanilla ice cream, butterscotch, maple and herbal with a strong note of that “TN” profile coming through.

PALATE
Herbal, caramel, oak, biscuits, nuts, copper, dried corn, vanilla, spice, leather and candied orange peels.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, biscuits, spice and Tennessee Whiskey.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good sense of balance, full body and a rich oily feel.

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 – Overall

Aroma is deep, heavy and complex and is absolutely my favorite part of this whiskey with that “Tennessee Whiskey” (George Dickel) profile threading through the sweet, spicy and earthy notes; Palate isn’t as rich as the aroma, like a 3/4 volume version, but still with that TN profile weaving and threading everything together; Finish is nice and long and fades out slowly to that sweet dried corn TN profile.

Warm, heavy, aromatic, flavorful… I don’t know what else I could need here, this is great.

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 – Final Thoughts and Score

On the whole, I like the Barrell Batch 24 more, but this is uniquely interesting and more diverse in its profiles, just not as rich and inviting as the 24. This seems to be a younger, more spirit-driven whiskey, overall, than some of the previous Barrell batches I’ve had, but that’s not always bad. Sometimes it’s nice to pull back the oak just a tad and show more of the underlying spirit.

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 is delicious. It’s a whiskey that’s diverse, complex, unique and multi-faceted. It’s a reflection of the hodge-podge of states it came from and, in a way, a reflection of America. I hope 2021 ends up more like this whiskey and less like the dumpster fire that 2020 was even though we’re not off to the greatest start.

I know it’s a bit late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

SCORE: 4/5

*Disclosure: The bottle for this Bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 back label

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2021 Review
$90

Summary

Warm and heavy, it manages to still be nuanced with layers that take time, and a little water, to work through. But each layer just keeps getting better.

Overall

Nose

(4)
Palate

(4)
Finish

(4)
BBF

(4)

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