Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023

NEW YEAR

New Year. New beginnings. New traditions. Every autumn, we create a very special blend of bourbons to toast the coming year. Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024 is a tribute to the fresh possibilities and sense of optimism that every new year brings.

2024 New Year Bourbon

View Previous Batches

BLEND COMPONENTS:

Kentucky Bourbon: 8 years old

Indiana Bourbon: 5, 6, & 9 years old

Tennessee Bourbon: 8 & 15 years old

Wyoming Bourbon: 11 years old

New York Bourbon: 5 years old

Texas Bourbon: 5 years old

Ohio Bourbon: 5 years old

Maryland Bourbon: 5 & 6 years old

DERIVED MASH BILL:

Corn: 72%

Rye: 22%

Malted Barley: 5%

Wheat: 1%

A blend of straight bourbon Whiskeys
Bottled in Kentucky
113 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES

Our 2024 edition of New Year Bourbon contains the largest selection of states and bourbons in a single release in 2023. By creating this blend, we look to celebrate some of the most exciting bourbon being distilled across the US. New Year 2024 is bright and rich on the nose with a bouquet of fresh and baked fruit followed by syrupy desserts. On the palate, the freshness evolves to a silky concentration of baked goods and dark chocolate. A touch of water enhances the cinnamon, creating notes of snickerdoodle and stroopwafel along with caramelized fruit.

Neat

Appearance: Saffron yellow

Nose: Opens with a richness and brightness. Fresh and baked apples, lemon, stewed peaches, and amarena cherries appear first, followed by caramel, chocolate covered espresso beans, ganache, and lemon vanilla cream.

Palate: Silky, with notes of cherry, cinnamon doughnuts, apple cider, vanilla, and cardamom. The sweetness of baked goods lends a clear weight to the palate with caramel apples, honeycomb, and baked peaches. This is rounded out by a touch of toasted coriander and dark chocolate.

Finish: Lemon cream, cinnamon, apple cider.

With a few drops of spring water

Snickerdoodle, Stroopwafel, baked apples, grilled peaches, dark chocolate.

PRESS

VinePair includes Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024 in their list of The 30 Best Bourbons for 2024

Hood Sommelier reviews Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024 and reflects on the power of blending

VinePair reviews Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024, saying, "Barrell Bourbon takes the bold step of blending liquid from eight different states — and pulls it off as few others could do."

Thank you to The Wall Street Journal for featuring Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024 in their Arts & Culture section as one of this winter's most sought after bottles.

DrinkHacker calls Barrell Bourbon New Year 2024 "the best New Year release yet"

Whiskey Raiders say Barrell Bourbon New Year 2024 is a "great way to usher in 2024" and "demonstrates Barrell is adept at staying on its toes while releasing unique, multi-provenance whiskey blends all year long."

Inside Hook calls Barrell Bourbon New Year 2024 ideal for "holiday parties where you have to balance complexity and crowd-pleasing flavors with a story."

Paste Magazine reviews New Year Bourbon, calling it a "really fun blend, and one that feels quite apropos for the celebration of the holiday season."

Hood Sommelier reviews Barrell New Year Bourbon 2024 and reflects on the power of blending

The Bourbon Judge gives a "buy" rating to both Barrell Foundation and Barrell Bourbon New Year 2024

Previous New Year Releases

Previous Batches

NEW YEAR 2023

A selection of 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys

Distilled in TN, IN, KY, OH, WY, NY, TX & MD

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

113.54 proof cask strength bottling

Aged in American white oak barrels

AWARDS

Whisky Advocate Rating of 92

Whiskey Raiders 2023 Best Whiskey Awards

FLAVOR NOTES

In the whiskey industry, the past is always with you. But we’ve set ourselves apart by always keeping one eye on the future. Maybe that’s why we love celebrating the New Year so much. Each autumn, we create a very special blend of bourbons as a toast to the new beginnings and fresh energy of the year to come. Making New Year Bourbon gives us an opportunity to see the pillars of our brand through clear eyes, celebrate the inherent creativity of our blending process, and rededicate ourselves to our forward-thinking, quality-driven line of spirits. Released at the beginning of December, Barrell New Year Bourbon 2023 is a tribute to the optimism that every new year brings.

Classic, with caramel on the nose, vanilla and spice on the palate, and a creamy finish. A splash of water introduces a plethora of tropical fruits to the nose while the syrupy palate displays a range of rich liqueurs.

Neat

Appearance: Chestnut brown.

Nose: A classic bourbon opening of brioche and caramel. Added to that is a woodsy underpinning of sandalwood and a wisp of smoke. It evolves through a range of sweets: amaretto, coconut macaroons, and cream soda. Gooseberry, quince, and lime cordial add a bit of lift. A range of mineral notes round it out with flint, limestone, and beeswax.

Palate: Though cask strength, the heat is kept in check by syrupy oak sugars. Black cherry soda and roasted molé take center stage. Vanilla is notably strong here and joined by fellow oak spices nutmeg, cardamom, and aniseed. The oak is well balanced by herbaceous rye notes along with rose hip, wormwood, and peppercorn.

Finish: Candied chili pepper and preserved lemon flash across the Horchata takes over as a creaminess builds, adding white chocolate, and cashew. As the flavors slowly fade, a waxiness lingers on.

With a few drops of spring water

Passionfruit, mango lassi, and ripe banana herald a broad range of tropical fruits. Meanwhile a leafy side expands, exhibiting cigar, tarragon, and peppermint. A rich sweetness overwhelms the palate, converting every note to its liqueur form: limoncello, maraschino, anisette and creme de menthe.

PRESS FOR NEW YEAR 2023

NEW YEAR 2022

A selection of 5, 6, 7, 9, 14-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys

Distilled in TN, IN, KY, OH, WY, NY & TX

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

115.34 proof cask strength bottling

Aged in American white oak barrels

AWARDS

Whisky Advocate Rating of 92

FLAVOR NOTES

New Year. New beginnings. New traditions. Every autumn, we create a very special blend of bourbons as a toast to the year to come. Barrell New Year Bourbon 2022 is a tribute to the fresh possibilities and sense of renewal that every new year brings. After the last two years, we’re also feeling particularly grateful for the amazing community of friends and partners that has supported Barrell Craft Spirits.

The nose is opulent, with clear notes of carrot cake and butterscotch pudding. The palate retains a creamy character but incorporates a much bolder tart-cherry acidity and pronounced minerality. Water reverses that dynamic, brightening the nose with a lemony freshness while imbuing the palate with a chewy, savory richness.

Neat

Appearance: Wildflower honey.

Nose: This nose is sweet, a little tangy, and shows white chocolate and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The fruit comes through with nectarine, watermelon rind, and key lime pie. Grassy sugarcane nods toward a freshness not usually seen in such rich bourbon blends.

Palate: A sturdy wood tannin suits the bold acidity of sour apple candy, tart raspberry, and pineapple. As the palate adjusts, soy milk, banana pudding, and hazelnut streusel soften the impact. Tonka bean and cinnamon bring the first evidence of oak spice. Minerality is remarkably bold, displaying well-salted pretzel, iron, and gunpowder.

Finish: Rather gentle, returning to the soft, grassy tones from the nose. Green tea, pandan leaf and chocolate mint yield to a final, peppery flourish of grains of paradise.

With a few drops of spring water

Notes of lemon drops, coriander, lemon verbena and lemon pith. There’s some spice too, such as nasturtium and parsley. The palate, meanwhile, gains an oily texture and savory edge, reminiscent of rib-eye steak.

PRESS FOR NEW YEAR 2022

NEW YEAR 2021

A selection of 5, 9, 10, and 11-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys

Distilled in KY, TN, IN, NY, TX, WY, and CO

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

113.9 proof cask strength bottling

Aged in American white oak barrels

AWARDS

Whisky Advocate Rating of 93

FLAVOR NOTES

Each autumn we construct a very special blend of Bourbon to use as a toast to the year to come. The New Year Bourbon has gradually woven itself into our annual routine. In the busiest time of year, we take some time to think only about the pillars of our brand, the creativity of our blending process and a dedication to forward-thinking and quality driven line of spirits. In a year where so much of what we know and count on has been turned upside-down, we have found some comfort in this tradition.

On the nose, an array of fresh, primary fruits sits atop a creamy base of horchata and toasted nuts. The palate starts bright and fresh, but water unlocks a whole beehive’s worth of flavor- honey, wax, flowers and pollen.

Neat

Appearance: Goldenrod fading to a rim of lemon chiffon.

Nose: Distillate driven, but with ample variety of primary fruit flavors, among them gooseberry, apple, watermelon rind, and peach. The oak is fresh but quite gentle, smelling of vanilla, toasted coconut, and sawdust. Corn lends a strong creamy foundation of toasted almond, lemon curd, and baguette. Cilantro and wintergreen hint at some light rye spice.

Palate: Despite the strength and minimal tannin, sweetness lends a clear weight to the palate. It opens fresh and grassy, on Yorkshire pudding with mushy peas, genepy, and thyme. As it sits on the palate, juicy fruits emerge, notably persimmon, raisin, and black tea with lemon.

Finish: An initial burst of minerals: limestone, flint, and steel. These give way to a potpourri of herbs and spices: apple blossom, hyssop, wild mint and clove.

With a few drops of spring water

Curiously, the nose mirrors the development of the undiluted palate. An initial plume of chalk dust gives way to a fragrant bouquet of elderflower, rose, and lavender. Water also teases out a little oak spice, suggesting mulled wine and cola. The palate grows spicier too, exhibiting sassafras, nutmeg, and maple syrup. The finish, though, is where it really shines: honey, beeswax, hay, heather and gentian flower paint a vivid picture of a beehive on a steamy summer day.

PRESS FOR NEW YEAR 2021

NEW YEAR 2020

A blend of 5 and 10-year-old Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Distilled in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, New York, and Texas

Aged in American white oak barrels

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

109.4 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES

To celebrate the successes of the past year, and to toast the New Year, we’ve created Barrell Bourbon New Year 2020 Limited Edition. It’s comprised of reserves from some of our batches and other choice barrels coming from 5 distilleries in 5 states.

Ripe peach aromas hover over a sweet core of pecan pie, dried fig and hot cocoa in this warm and charming bourbon. Deep and contemplative, tingly mulling spices and meadow herbs vie for attention. A drop of water unleashes an explosion of tropical fruit.

Neat

Appearance: A core of worn gold transitions through burnt orange to deep russet.

Nose: Starts warm, bursting with fresh, ripe peach atop buttercream frosting. Rich pastry notes of buttered grits, pecan pie, cider donut and chocolate soufflé provide ample depth. The bright meadowy nose evolves through red clover, yellow gentian, marigold and mint tea. There is a slight prickle of toasted oak and mulling spices but seeking beyond them reveals fruit including dried fig, pear, and maraschino cherry.

Palate: Deep and comforting wintery flavors of kirsch-spiked cocoa, mulled cider and Irish coffee lend tingly warmth to the opening. As bourbon rests on the palate, prickly alcohol invokes peach Bellini and meyer lemon. As it mellows, darker flavors of hazelnut, hickory, dried fig and grains of paradise expand.

Finish: Sweet and savory, as sassafras transitions through chestnut honey and moss before closing out on vanilla meringue and incense.

With a few drops of spring water

A fruity cascade of lime juice green papaya salad, honeydew melon, coconut and lychee are softened just a bit by a hint of green cardamom.

NEW YEAR 2019

A blend of 5, 8, 11, 14, and 15-year-old Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Distilled in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Texas, Illinois

Aged in American white oak barrels

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

112.1 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES

To celebrate the New Year, we've created Barrell Bourbon New Year 2019 Limited Edition. It's comprised of reserves from some of our batches and other choice barrels coming from 6 distilleries in 6 states. Throughout the year we set aside particularly inspiring barrels that we believe will make an interesting contribution to the New Year release. We do dozens of test blends to find the combination we believe to be the best and most interesting from our barrel inventory to make our New Year blend a truly unique expression.

The nose is greeted by a fully laden dessert cart, resplendent with assorted dried fruits and nuts, chocolates, and other confections. On the palate, rye grain delivers a complex and harmonious blends of herbs and spices.

Neat

Appearance: The full range of oranges and reds one expects from a sugar maple at the peak of autumn.

Nose: The nose is decadent, with sweet aromas of hazelnut macaron, ganache, marzipan and root beer commingling with sweet cider and an assortment of dried fruits (apricot, fig, and candied orange peel). Classic floral dessert garnishes such as rose, apricot noyaux, and vanilla offer heady top notes. The bass clef is carried by oiled leather, marshmallow and dandelion roots, and granite.

Palate: Creme anglaise makes for a rich backdrop to showcase classic rye spices of nutmeg, sarsaparilla, amaretto and stewed raisin.

Finish: The rye grain really broadens its scope with notes of cocoa nib, candied ginger, Peychaud’s bitters, and absinthe blanche.

With a few drops of spring water

The nose takes grows creamy with notes of coconut milk, heirloom grits with butter and crème de menthe, while its floral character also gains more complexity with lily, goldenrod and grapefruit oil. The palate meanwhile takes on several additional layers of depth, with notes of black walnut, poppy seed, licorice root, black cherry soda, and guava.

NEW YEAR 2018

A blend of 5, 7, 9, 10, and 14-year-old Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Distilled and aged in Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, and Texas

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

111.2 proof cask strength bottling

Aged in American white oak barrels

AWARDS

Whisky Advocate Rating of 89

FLAVOR NOTES

New Year. New Beginnings. New Traditions. To celebrate the spirit of the season, we crafted this limited release bourbon. We mixed together barrels of different ages and mashbills, comprised of reserves from some of our batches, and other choice barrels coming from 7 distilleries in 5 states. Cheers to the New Year!

Christmas cake explodes from the glass, studded with slivered almonds, prunes, and black currents. The lightly roasted coffee note drifting up is reminiscent of the New Orleans classic, Café Brulôt, where clove studded oranges are floated in brandy, set aflame, then slowly extinguished with black coffee.

Neat

Appearance: Dark honey with ginger highlights.

Nose: Rich, deeply fruited and subtly spiced with slivered almonds, prunes, and black currents. Coffee notes are followed by soft oak, licorice, and vanilla flecked whipped cream atop hot cocoa, reminiscent of a finely aged Armagnac.

Palate: Like your first bite of a cheerily iced gingerbread man and rounded out by Twix candy bar, hazelnut cappuccino, and fig jam. The mouthfeel grows syrupy as it sits on the palate.

Finish: Creme de menthe melting into cocoa with a dash of steaming black coffee.

With a few drops of spring water

The oak gets pushed back, revealing Membrillo and raspberry pâte-de-fruit on the nose. Notes of cranberry, candied lime peel and curacao, and a finish that hints of pineapple upside-down cake.

PRESS FOR NEW YEAR 2018

Bourbon Scout gives Barrell Bourbon New Year 2018 bourbon an A+
Whiskey Reviewer reviews Barrell Bourbon New Year 2018 bourbon
New Bourbon Drinker reviews four new batches from Barrell Bourbon

NEW YEAR 2017

A blend of 5, 7, 8, 9, and 13-year-old Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Separately distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana

Aged in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

117.0 proof cask strength bottling

Aged in American white oak barrels

FLAVOR NOTES

New Year. New Beginnings. New Traditions. We came up with the idea of blending a bourbon to celebrate the New Year, and we gave ourselves free reign to develop something to capture the spirit of the season. It was the first time we blended barrels of different ages with different mashbills from different states, and we had a lot of fun doing it. To date, every release of our bourbon has been a marriage of casks produced in the same distillation season. We do this to highlight different production styles, aging techniques and age expressions. To commemorate 2017, we combined 5 to 13 year old barrels from several different states, which were distilled and aged using different techniques. We had one goal in mind, to make the most captivating, delicious bourbon we could.

Crushed stone and broiled fruit give way to wet saddle leather and generous dollops of heavy sweet cream oozing over cast iron baked cornbread. The pleasant warmth of this bourbon is tempered by the opulent, mouth-filling extended finish. Fire and smoke swirl around your palate, leaving behind bursts of sea salt, walnut liqueur, and citrus oils on your tongue. This is a highly sophisticated liquid, perfect for celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

Neat

Appearance: Luxuriant 18 karat gold flecked with cinnamon red at its heart with edges of yellower gold leaf shimmering with each gentle swirl of the glass.

Nose: Wet leather and Tahitian-vanilla bean challah French toast awash in hazelnut brown butter and dark maple syrup. Sweet plum and cherry notes give way to campfire and toasted buckwheat for a simultaneously familiar and exotic aroma.

Palate: Smoldering oak underlies the ever-present heat with each slurp accentuated by salted caramel and droplets of condensed milk.

Finish: Crackling hot late season corn pudding, covered in dollops of rapidly melting sweet butter jump at you. Each sip plunges down the throat, drenched in spicy citrus marmalade and toasted grains.

With a few drops of spring water

Notes of spicy ginger beer, sarsaparilla, and birch bark rush across the palate, making way for toasted brioche topped with smoked butter and raw honey. Filtered stream water carries the strong presence of this remarkable liquid, making it sing.

Tasting Notes by Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer

PRESS FOR NEW YEAR 2017

The Bourbon Culture reviews Barrell Craft Spirits releases both old and new in their article of The 10 Best Whiskeys from Barrell Craft Spirits.
Newbourbondrinker on Barrell Bourbon New Year: “if you are lucky enough to find a bottle on the shelf, run to grab it, do not hesitate”
Drink Me Mag review Barrell Bourbon’s limited edition New Year 2017
Stupiddope.com recommends Barrell Bourbon New Year
Uncrate lists Barrell Bourbon New Year as the "most appropriate spirit to have on hand to help usher in 2017"
The Whiskey Reviewer reflects on Barrell Bourbon's limited edition New Year bourbon

BATCH 022

A blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Distilled and aged in Kentucky and Indiana

Selection of 5-year-old barrels

Aged in American white oak barrels

Crafted and bottled in Kentucky

116.6 proof cask strength bottling

AWARDS:

San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2020)
- Double Gold
Ultimate Spirits Challenge (2020)
- Finalist
- 96 Points

FLAVOR NOTES

Barrell Bourbon Batch 022 is a marriage of two separate and iconic styles of Bourbon: Classily dry and woody Kentucky Bourbon, and floral, herbaceous, and sweet Indiana Bourbon. The final blend was constructed from four separate lots, each with its own nuanced family of flavors. Much like Batches 007, 011, and 013, Batch 022 incorporates the freshness of some carefully chosen, younger barrels to bring a more extensive set of flavors and aromas to the table.

An elaborate herbal complexity that elegantly yields to beehive, nuttiness, and green fruits. Rich, sweet, and spicy, the palate opens up to reveal a panoply of desserts laid over an earthy backbone.

Neat

Appearance: An old leather belt with a polished brass buckle.

Nose: The rye grain is most immediate, presenting as Yellow Chartreuse and expanding in the direction of juniper berry, cream of fennel soup, and angelica. Woven throughout are delicate florals, alternating between elderflower and wintergreen. Gooseberry jam, kiwi and white peach emerge as a subtle fruitiness. Well-integrated oak lays a gentle foundation of Florentine cookie, vanilla toffee and cola. With time, other themes develop, such as sweet beehive and a savory or umami quality.

Palate: A rich entry- oily and sweet. The creamy texture evokes flan and cappuccino. The oak guides the flavor with sweet tea, s’more, and sugar cane. Root beer and cinchona bark ensure the rye spice is not neglected. Meanwhile, the underlying spirit provides honeysuckle, honeydew melon and candied apricot.

Finish: The sweet tea lingers, accompanied by chicory cafe au lait and Cherry Heering. It fades delicately on rhubarb and peppermint candy.

With a few drops of spring water

The palate takes on some earthy touches of granite and birch bark before fading as Fernet.

PRESS FOR BATCH 022