Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbons aged up to 18 years. Barrels for this release were selected from four different collections: barrels with rich cherry and nutty notes, spicy tropical fruit-forward barrels, barrels with pronounced herbal and dark chocolate notes, and barrels with oak-forward coconut notes. The last group underwent a secondary maturation in toasted virgin American oak casks before being added to this intricate and seductive blend.
102.2 Proof (51.1% ALC/VOL)
Louisville-based Barrell Craft Spirits is the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum. Recognized for our blending expertise since 2013, we skillfully design, produce, and launch leading, unique products that surprise and delight whiskey aficionados and novices alike.
As the most innovative, forward-thinking, and progressive whiskey blenders in the nation, we have an unrelenting drive to break the status quo by selecting and blending products that explore different distillation methods, barrels and aging environments, and bottle them at cask strength. All blends are not created equal – experience matters. We don’t simply follow a recipe or blend by consensus. Rather, we blend based on years of expertise and experimentation. We personally taste and blend hundreds of products each year and have experimented with thousands of unique blends over the past 10 years. We are passionate perfectionists fueled by curiosity.
As industry trailblazers, we’re passionate about continually pushing the boundaries of blending and exploring opportunities to source and blend outside the box. Our ultimate goal is to elevate barrels of whisky into something greater than the sum of their parts and to showcase the world’s most exciting spirits. In the process, we’re flattered to have inspired many others to begin blending with whiskey.
We were awarded Best Bourbon twice at the internationally acclaimed San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) - in 2017 and again in 2020. Other SFWSC awards include Best Small Batch Bourbon and Best Overproof Rum, as well as 23 Double Gold medals and 20 Gold medals. We’ve also received high honors at the NY International Spirits Competition, LA Spirits Competition, and Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC), including Chairman’s Trophy for Barrell Dovetail and our Private Release Whiskey. Barrell Craft Spirits is consistently highly rated by Whisky Advocate and was named Best American Whiskey of 2018 in Forbes.
Our award-winning line of products is currently sold in 49 U.S. states as well as in Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK and Australia.
Nose: Concentrated, bright, and fruity. There are so many distinct flavors packed into this whiskey that they seem to appear and disappear in rounds for as long as you can concentrate. Quickly tangerine, mango, and lime zest unwind followed by pineapple, passionfruit, and toasted coconut flakes. Once the nose adjusts, cream soda, syrup smothered French toast, and Nutella emerge. These are framed by a mineral side, contouring the decadence with clay and gunpowder.
Palate: Focused squarely on a deep, mature woodiness. There’s a surprising restraint shown on the secondary oak usage with gentle and subtle like vanilla and clove. Instead, a more complex flavor emerges, reminding me of old cedar chest, freshly cut pine, and coconut husk. Some spirit character does peek out at the periphery, most noticeably in notes of sweet cherry and tart apple. Moroccan mint tea, mahlab, and harissa lend a welcome complexity.
Finish: The herbal notes arrive first, with a burst of celery, dill, and allspice. The heat fades to reveal lingering creaminess on the palate showcasing notes of nougat, praline, and white chocolate.
Uproxx ranks Gold Label Bourbon #2 in "The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked," saying, "This is 21st-century bourbon at its best — perplexing, provocative, and profound." Barrell Vantage and Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023 also made the list.
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Jake Emen of Man Talk Food reviews BCS Gold Label Bourbon, giving it a score of 93.
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Breaking Bourbon sips Barrell Gold Label: “there is no debate when it comes to the fact that Barrell Gold is a great bourbon.”
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Whisky Advocate reviews Barrell Gold Label, giving it a high score of 92
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Drinkhacker reviews Barrell Gold Label Bourbon, saying, “you’ll be hard pressed to find anything else quite like this on the shelves.”
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Whiskeyfellow reviews Barrell Gold Label Bourbon, saying, “stupendous. It is gorgeous. It is delicious. It is amazing.”
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Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label listed in 50 Things We Want by Brobible
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Barleycorn Drinks includes BCS Gold Label in their 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
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Barrell Craft Spirits Launches Limited-Edition and Ultra-Rare BCS Gold Label Bourbon
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