Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon bottle

Credit: Lost Cargo

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label represents some of Barrell’s oldest stocks and most-premium blends. Released annually, Gray Label Bourbon is bottled at cask strength and is a blend of whiskey from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Until the 2022 release, this was a 15-year old, age-stated release. In 2022, Barrell made a blend from bourbons of “varying ages made from five different mash bills. After marrying, the blend goes into casks made using 36-month air-dried staves that previously held Gray Label Bourbon, to rest and further mature3Barrell Gray Label Bourbon.”

Batches

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label BourbonRelease 5

September 2022 100.58 proof,

The first non-age-stated release. this is a blend from bourbons of “varying ages made from five different mash bills. After marrying, the blend goes into casks made using 36-month air-dried staves that previously held Gray Label Bourbon, to rest and further mature1Barrell Gray Label Bourbon.”

Barrels made from 36-month air-dried staves are not often used in bourbon production, in part because they are much more expensive than casks made with kiln-dried staves. We view them, however, as a key component for achieving long, complex flavors and a rich mouth feel. The result of mingling in these unique casks is a mellow, sophisticated spirit that concentrates the flavor of a higher-proof bourbon into a lower-proof blend, with a gentle oxidative character and deep dried fruit notes. This is a bourbon with the complexity and density of age, without over-oaked chalkiness.
– Barrell

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label BourbonRelease 4

2021 100.4 proof, aged 15 years,

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label BourbonRelease 3

2020 104.9 proof, aged 15 years,

12,000 bottle batch2Press Release

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label BourbonRelease 2

2019 106.52 proof, aged 15 years,

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label BourbonRelease 1

2018 105.1 proof, aged 15 years,

Images

Bottle seal detail

Bottle seal detail

Credit: Lost Cargo

Cork detail

Cork detail

Credit: Lost Cargo