13th Colony Barrel Symphony Composition No. 1 Bourye
The Stats
- Distillery: 13th Colony Distilleries
- Location: Americus, Georgia
- Type: Blend of Straight Bourbon & Straight Rye Whiskeys
- Style: Cask Strength
- Proof: 116.2 Proof
- Age: 6-Year Bourbon / 7-Year Rye
- Blend: 87% Straight Bourbon / 13% Straight Rye
- Release: Barrel Symphony Composition No. 1 (Limited Release, 2026)
- MSRP: $90
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Most whiskey makers spend years trying to perfect either a bourbon or a rye. 13th Colony decided not to choose. Barrel Symphony Composition No. 1 combines six-year bourbon with seven-year rye into a single cask-strength whiskey that feels more intentional than experimental. Plenty of American whiskeys are labeled as blends, but this release treats blending as the feature rather than the fine print.
The result is a whiskey that carries the sweetness bourbon fans expect while giving rye just enough room to steal a few solos. More importantly, neither one overpowers the other. After spending time with this bottle, we came away thinking the name fits surprisingly well. Every flavor has a role, and together they create something that’s a little different from almost anything else on our shelf.
The Whiskey Behind the Bottle
13th Colony Distilleries has built a reputation for releasing bold, limited-production whiskeys that often punch well above their age statement. While much of its early lineup relied on sourced whiskey from Indiana, the Georgia distillery has gradually begun incorporating its own distillate into newer releases as its barrels mature.
Barrel Symphony Composition No. 1 marks the debut of what appears to be an ongoing series. Instead of releasing another single bourbon or rye, 13th Colony blended 87% six-year straight bourbon with 13% seven-year straight rye before bottling it at a healthy 116.2 proof.
That 13% rye may not sound like much on paper, but it changes the entire personality of the whiskey. Rather than tasting like a high-rye bourbon, Barrel Symphony develops its own identity, balancing dessert-like richness with layers of baking spice and pepper that continue to build as the glass opens up.
If future “compositions” continue exploring different blends and proportions, this could become one of the more interesting annual releases to watch.
Tasting Notes
Aroma
Warm honey, orange peel, vanilla tea, toasted pecans, buttered French toast, cinnamon, and fresh-baked bread lead the way. As it opens, the sweeter citrus notes slowly give way to richer bakery aromas with toasted nuts and warm spices. It’s an inviting nose that keeps revealing new layers every time you revisit the glass.
Taste
Brown sugar, buttered French toast, cinnamon-coated pecans, peach cobbler, toasted bread, black pepper, and gentle rye spice arrive with a rich, oily mouthfeel. The finish is long and warming, lingering with toasted oak, sweet baking spices, pepper, and just enough rye spice to remind you this isn’t simply another cask-strength bourbon.
Finish
The finish is long, warm, and wonderfully layered. Toasted oak, cinnamon, cracked black pepper, and lingering rye spice slowly take over as the sweeter notes fade. The rich mouthfeel hangs around for quite a while, leaving behind buttery pastries, toasted nuts, and just enough spice to invite another sip.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
8 / 10 - very good
We expected this to feel like a compromise between bourbon and rye. Instead, it feels like both styles became better teammates.
The bourbon provides richness and dessert-like sweetness, while the rye adds structure, spice, and a little extra complexity without ever taking over. It’s balanced, flavorful, and unique enough that we kept going back for another pour just to see what else we could find.
At around $90 MSRP, it isn’t an everyday bottle, but it earns its place as a limited release. If you enjoy high-proof bourbons with extra spice, or you’re looking for something that lands somewhere between bourbon and rye without sacrificing the strengths of either, this is an easy recommendation.
Buy or Skip:
Buy
Barrel Symphony Composition No. 1 isn’t simply a bourbon with extra rye spice or a rye softened by bourbon. It feels like a whiskey built around balance, allowing each component to contribute something the other can’t.
If you enjoy high-proof bourbons, high-rye mash bills, or you’re curious where the line between bourbon and rye begins to blur, this bottle is easy to recommend. At around $90, it isn’t inexpensive, but it offers something genuinely different from the crowded world of cask-strength releases. More importantly, it succeeds because it’s delicious, not because it’s different.
We’re also excited to see where this series goes. If Composition No. 1 is the opening movement, we’ll gladly be back for the next performance.
Where Does It Rank?
Every whiskey we review is scored using the same 10-point scale, making it easy to compare bottles across styles, distilleries, and price points. Explore our complete whiskey rankings to see how every bottle stacks up.
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Product Features
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Durable 100% polyester outer shell with soft foam interior
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Care Instructions
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Wipe clean with a damp or soft, non-abrasive cloth
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Air dry thoroughly before storing
