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I don't know where to begin other than Barrell Craft Spirits 16 Year Gray Label Seagrass is exceptional.
Rating: 91
| Nose |
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| Palate |
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| Finish |
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| Uniqueness |
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| Value |
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Ratings breakdown based on a 100 point scale.
- 90-100 Exceptional
- 80-89 Very Good
- 70-79 Average
- 60-69 Below Average
- 50-60 Drain Pour
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Detailed Tasting Notes
Nose Review - Rating: 92
From the beginning, pear and candy caramel apples are evident on the nose. If you are familiar with regular Seagrass, you will notice a similar complexity on the nose. After a sip or two, the caramel seems to go away, and then there’s candied fruit with an almost perfumed aroma. After that, pear and candied apple seem to come to the forefront once again. There is also a slight rye mint mixed in with a hint of ethanol.
Palate Review - Rating: 94
It is almost a sin for something to be this syrupy sweet, rich, candied, and 130.82 proof. There’s also a rye mint flavor followed closely by sweet salted caramel, all of this on the same sip. It is a dangerously easy drinker.
Now I need to go back to the regular Seagrass and compare because that offering was my #1 best bourbon tasting experience of 2021.
Even at 130 proof, Barrell Craft Spirits 16 Year Gray Label Seagrass is reasonably smooth. It’s always the same with Barrells main three products; Dovetail, Armida, and Seagrass. They always drink below their proof even though they are all cask strength. The flavors override the proof. That is so rare in high-proof American whiskeys.
I get a little more apricot on Seagrass original than I do the gray label. I get a bit more caramel on the palate with the gray label.
After I cleansed my palate with water, some pepper revealed itself with this Seagrass 16-Year Gray Label.
Seagrass 16 Year Gray Label is exceptional.
Finish Review - Rating: 90
The finish is longer in the mouth than it does in the esophagus. The whiskey feels sweet and thick as it hits the back of my throat. And it’s strange; there’s almost a delayed finish in the esophagus.
Uniqueness Review - Rating: 97
I haven't tasted anything remotely like this other than Seagrass Orginal. Additionally, a 16 year, 130.82 proof rye whiskey finished in Martinique rum, Madeira, and apricot brandy barrels is undoubtedly unique, especially when the result is outstanding.
Value Review - Rating: 79
The value is the troublesome part. Barrell Craft Spirits 16 Year Gray Label Seagrass is exceptional, but it's hard to justify a $249.99 retail price for any American Whiskey, in my opinion.
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Smell IS taste. I am just a guy who has been hit with the bourbon bug and who has come to the conclusion that life is too short to drink average tasting bourbons. Go Gators!
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