Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Armagnac Review

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I’m getting behind in my reviews of Barrell Craft Spirits products, so I was pleased when my good friend Brad brought this bottle over for a tasting night a couple weeks ago. I’ve always known that Barrell Craft Spirits are masters at blending whiskies together, but I think it gets forgotten sometimes just how good their finished whiskies can be. That’s why I was excited to experience what they they could do with some Armagnac casks.

Armagnac, for those of you who might not know, is a spirit distilled from grapes (a brandy in general terms). There are a few differences from it and its closest relative – Cognac – but I’ll let you read about what those differences are here. Just know that as far as the bourbon community is concerned, Armagnac may be the closest spirit in terms of taste profile to whiskey. This is because Armagnac spends years (decades) maturing in oak casks. When Armagnac is finally complete, it resembles a dark, rich and oily liquid with lots of tannic qualities.

Perhaps the most famous example of an Armagnac-finished bourbon is the one made by Joseph Magnus – their Cigar Blend. But at over $175 a pop, it falls more into a “special occasion bottle” rather than an “anytime sipper.” But I love the taste of Joseph Magnus which is why I’m always on the lookout to find a less expensive version that comes close to its taste. Bardstown Bourbon Company had one of the closest ones back when they released the first version of their Collaboration Series “Chateau de Laubade.” I’ve tried other producers as well, but now it’s time to see what Barrell can do.

Barrell Craft Spirits Cask Finish Series

The first thing I want to say about this most recent iteration of their Cask Finished Series is just how much old stocks they’ve used for the blend. It was only two years ago when they did a dual inaugural release where they used Amburana casks and some old rum casks (Tale of Two Islands). Those two used a blend of 5 to 9-year-old barrels. But the newest batch of the series sees bourbon as old as 15 years and as young as 7-years-old. And don’t forget the price for this series has remained pretty much the same, so you’re essentially getting a more value for your money.

One thing I don’t like about Barrell’s new direction

One bone I have against this blend is that I’m positive there’s a high percentage of MGP’s “99/1” (99% corn, 1% malted barley) bourbon mash bill used in it. I’ve previously mentioned how I find this component to be one of the more boring bourbons available on the market because there is no flavoring grain. To me, it only contributes caramel, vanilla and cornbread to the blend. Yawn. And while I admit that MGP markets this mash bill’s primary purpose as a blending component, it brings nothing to the table that a standard bourbon mash bill already would.

I guess my beef with Barrell using so much 99/1 is that everyone loved them for their ability to take the quirkiest mash bills and getting them to work together harmoniously. That was the secret to their success. But somewhere along the way, they determined that creating new and unique blends from scratch must have gotten too hard, so they concentrated on stretching the shit out of their liquid streams by injecting every batch with a flood of 99/1. Now everything tastes basically the same. As the kids used to say “I miss the old Kanye.”

Now that I got that off my chest, it’s time to see how this tastes. Will the base blend and the Armagnac casks remind me of the good ol’ days? Let’s dive in. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: At first pass, I’m picking up on all of the sweet fruit scents in my glass – the only odd thing is that they’re somewhat light. I was expecting it to be heavier and “darker.” I smell a note similar to grilled apricot (basically, caramelized fruit flesh) and cinnamon raisin bread with honey butter. Other fruit notes include ripe berries and date syrup. There’s even a slight botanical note that I can’t tell how it ended up in this dram. Odd.

Palate: I pick up on some herbal notes right off the bat. That’s not saying they’re the strongest flavor on my tongue, but they are the least expected which makes them stand out. These combine with a spicy kick of cinnamon stick that lights my tongue up. Sipping on this more, I’m enjoying the fruity combination of nectars, jams and syrups all made with various fruit. There are two fruit flavors that stand out to me as I drink this. The first resembles a Dry Orange Curacao liqueur and the second is melon rind. I can’t remember the last time I tasted the latter in a whiskey. Anyway, these all kind of clash with the drying oak and tobacco leaf flavors that seem like the influence of those Armagnac casks. Finally, I’m finding the alkaline, mineral-forward hint of cocoa powder which I typically associate with Dickel. That tracks.

Finish: Spice (cinnamon, allspice, clove and anise) simmer near the back of my throat while a tannic, drying sensation rests on my tongue. Sweetness comes from molasses but the other fruit notes kind of fade away. The finish is a little more simple than I wanted it to be, but it’s not bad.

Score: 7.4/10

The finish imparted on this bourbon was not as noticeable as I thought it would be. I think the average bourbon enthusiast, if given this as a blind pour, might not even realize what they’re drinking was finished at all. I have two theories on why that may be. The first is because the Armagnac flavors are so complimentary to the bourbon that they seamlessly blended right in. The second could be the Armagnac casks were either somewhat “tired” (meaning they had been used a couple times in the past) or that the length of time it was finished was too short.

Whatever the reason behind the so-so finish was, I still found the bourbon to be enjoyable enough and possibly worth the $85 or so that it cost. It’s not like it was a boring bottle by any means, it’s just that if what you’re after is a “Cigar Blend Lite,” this won’t do it for you.

Final Thoughts

There’s not much to expand on here except to say that Cask Finish Series: Armagnac offers a refined sipping experience where the finishing cask doesn’t overwhelm the bourbon underneath. The flavors do hit hard (113 proof will do that for ya), but it won’t equal the same level of robustness that Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend does.

Where does this fall in with the other Cask Finish Series? I would say squarely in the middle. At least the blend of 7 to 15 year old bourbons doesn’t make it seem like such a bad financial decision to spend your money on. Just know that cask-finished whiskies don’t always taste the same from brand to brand. So while Barrell’s attempt at an Armagnac finish is certainly welcome, it might not be exactly what you’re looking for.