Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: P.X. Sherry / Batch 001
The Stats
- Distillery: Barrell Craft Spirits
- Location: Louisville, KY
- Type: Blended & Finished Straight Bourbons
- Age: 6 Years
- Components: Sourced from undisclosed distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee
- Proof: 115.52 (57.76% ALC/VOL)
- Derived Mash Bill: 80% Corn, 16% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
- Release: March 2025
- Price: $85
For years, Barrell Craft Spirits has built its reputation on blending — sourcing and marrying whiskeys from across states, ages, and mashbills to create something greater than the sum of its parts. But with the new Cask Finish Series, they’re taking that expertise into a different arena: secondary maturation. The debut release, finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, is bold, high-proof, and unapologetically specific in its flavor direction.
The problem? That direction isn’t for us.
A Familiar Formula, with a Sherry Detour
The base is classic Barrell — a blend of Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee bourbons, bottled at cask strength. On paper, the PX sherry finish should add depth and sweetness. In practice, it pushes the bourbon into a lane we don’t enjoy: raisin-heavy, wine-forward, and a touch bitter in a way that doesn’t play well with the high-rye spice.
For us, sherry and bourbon aren’t a happy marriage. The finish feels less like an enhancement and more like a takeover, muting the base whiskey’s vanilla, caramel, and oak in favor of dark fruit syrup and tannic bite.
Tasting Notes
Aroma:
Dense waves of raisin, fig, and date — the hallmark PX notes — along with molasses, cocoa powder, and mild baking spice. The bourbon’s core aromas are buried deep under the sherry blanket.
Taste:
Full-bodied and syrupy up front, with dark fruit compote, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mid-palate brings walnut and bitter chocolate, but the bitterness leans sharp rather than complex. The bourbon itself feels like a background player.
Finish:
Long, warm, and heavily sherry-driven — clove, dried cherry, espresso bitterness. The oak peeks in at the very end, but the aftertaste stays firmly in wine territory.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
4.5 / 10 - Below Average
Overall, we respect the craft here, but the flavor profile just isn’t for us — especially at $85. The PX sherry finish dominates from start to finish, bringing heavy raisin notes and a bitterness that doesn’t play well with the bourbon’s character. While the proof is solid and the execution polished, the end result feels more like a sherry showcase than a balanced blend.
Arthur – 4/10: The proof is nice, but this is not my flavor profile—too much raisin, too much sherry, and not enough bourbon character.
Scott – 5/10: I appreciate the experiment, but the sherry is heavy-handed and the bitterness distracts. I’d reach for a standard Barrell blend over this any day.
If PX sherry finishes are your thing, you might find this rich and indulgent. For us, it’s a mismatch — a well-made whiskey that doesn’t land.
