Barrell Bourbon Batch 036 Cask Strength Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey 114.44 Proof 750ml

BarrellCraft Spirits beganreleasing numberedbourbon batches in 2014,and for the first tenyears every bottle carriedthe same label. Batch 036changed that — the first newlabel design in the brand'shistory, a classy andtransparent update that placesthe batch numberprominently on the front and moves thefull breakdown of state originsand ages directly to the frontlabel as well. It is a smallchange with a largestatement: this is a company whosefounding identity is transparency,and the label now shows that.

What the label reveals: ablend of straight bourbonwhiskeys from Kentucky (9 years old),Indiana (7.5, 8, and 10years old), and Tennessee (8 and 15years old), with a derived mashbill of 79% corn, 16% rye, and 5%malted barley. Three states. Sixdistinct age expressions.A derived mash bill that points toBarton (Kentucky), MGP (Indiana), andGeorge Dickel (Tennessee) as thelikely underlying sources — thethree distilleries whosespecific production characters theBarrell Craft Spiritsblending team has worked with acrossyears of numbered batches. Bottled atcask strength: 114.44 proof / 57.22%ABV.

WhiskyAdvocate awarded 92 Points — "caramelcorn, apple pie, and powderedsugar-dusted funnel cake leap from theglass of this carnivalesquewhiskey — far from one note, summerysweetness balanced by musty leather,oak, and dried citrus." UPROXX calledit "one of the best batches of barrel-proof bourbon the brand has ever released." The New York Spirits Competition awarded Gold. Paste Magazine: "a pretty cool profile, one that brings together brighter fruity notes with sweet, aromatic oak and rye spice." Returning after nearly a year's hiatus since Batch 035 — and delivering the consistency of quality that has made the Barrell numbered batch program one of the most reliably excellent barrel-proof bourbon releases in the American market.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Barrell Craft Spirits was founded in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky by Joe Beatrice — a non-distiller producer whose founding philosophy was more specific andmore commercially transparent than anyother NDP in the American whiskeymarket: source the finest availableaged whiskey from establisheddistilleries, blend multiple ages andorigins into a single cohesiveexpression, bottle at cask strength,and tell the buyer exactly where everydrop came from. The numbered bourbonbatch program — now atits 36th release — is the flagshipexpression of that philosophy.

TheBatch 036 blend draws from threestates and six age expressions,assembled through the meticulousblending process that BreakingBourbon identifies as the realvalue of Barrell Craft Spirits: "thecompany's ability to blend a widerange of whiskeys together to makesomething entirely their own." Thecomponents:

Kentucky — 9-year-old bourbon(likely Barton 1792, whose mash billaligns with the derived blend):contributing the earthy, slightlytannic character that Kentucky'smid-sized distilleries produce mostspecifically at extended ages.

Indiana — 7.5, 8, and 10-year-old bourbon (MGP, likely the 99%corn, 1% malted barley recipe): theMGP high-corncomponent contributing the brightfruit, sweetness, and tropicalcharacter that makes MGP-sourcedbourbon so specifically fruit-forward.

Tennessee — 8 and 15-year-old bourbon (George Dickel): whose Lincoln CountyProcess charcoal mellowing anddistinctive Dickel house character —particularly the 15-year component —adds the deepest, most specificallyaged and most specificallyTennessee-distinct quality in theblend.

Bottled at the natural caskstrength of the assembled blend —114.44 proof / 57.22% ABV — withoutwater addition or chill filtration, inthe new label design that Batch 036specifically inaugurated.

Critics Reviews

Whisky Advocate — 92 Points:
"Caramel corn, apple pie, and powderedsugar-dusted funnel cake leap from theglass of this carnivalesque whiskey.However, it's far from one note: Thesummery sweetness is balanced by mustyleather, oak, and dried citrus aromas.The palate is bold, with sweet heatbefitting its proof. Vanilla andhazelnut sweetness are kept in check bypepper and warming allspice. Batch 036maintains its balance through thefinish, where sweetness, spiciness, andoakiness all come together."

New York Spirits Competition — Gold Medal

UPROXX:
"One of the bestbatches of barrel-proof bourbon thebrand has ever released."

Paste Magazine (Jim Vorel):
"On thenose, Batch 036 leads off with a lovelycombination of orange citrus and cream,swirled with vanilla. Thischaracter is joined by herbal rye, withflashes of grassiness and delicatefloral impressions. Candied nutsfollow, with a little clove spice,honey toffee and black tea maltiness.All in all, this is a pretty coolprofile, one that brings togetherbrighter fruity notes with sweet,aromatic oak and rye spice."

Breaking Bourbon:
"Like the nose,the palate is fruit-forward, but theinitial surge of caramel grounds thesip in more traditional territory.Allspice, white pepper, and nutmeg arejoined by underlying caramel as the sipfades. Brown sugar and graham crackersoften the spice notes, pushing thefinish further into sweeter territory.Batch 036 dials in its fruit notes bycomparison. What it lacks incomplexity, it makes up for with puredrinkability."

Amongst the Whiskey:
"Nose: cotton candy, vanilla extract,clove, warm cinnamon, thick caramelsauce, buttered pecan ice cream, darkcherries, apricots. Palate: moist poundcake in caramel glaze, cinnamon, stickybun caramel quality. Finish: cherries,raspberries, apricots, table sugar."

Whiskey Consensus:
Nose: "Yellowcake with caramel icing, orangecreamsicle, tropical banana, raisins,and oak."
Palate: "Intense cinnamon,cherry cola, corn syrup, raisins,citrus, dark waffles, walnuts, whitepepper, caramel, cocoa, and oak."
Finish: "Cinnamon, white pepper, orange,leather, stone fruit, citrus, and oak."

Bourbon Culture:
"Cherry colaflavors combine with dry wood notes onthe finish. Spices linger like cinnamonand black pepper along with a touch ofrye spice. The minerality turns intocrushed rock and coconut shell."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Darkrich amber with thick, slow-moving legs— the blend's range of aged componentsproducing a color of genuine depth. Thenose opens with the most immediatelyappealing and the most specifically"carnivalesque" quality that the WhiskyAdvocate identified most memorably:caramel corn, apple pie, and powderedsugar-dusted funnel cake leaping fromthe glass before anything else —the high-corn MGP Indianacomponent's most specifically sweet andmost specificallyfruit-forward aromatic contribution,amplified by the caramelization ofextended Tennessee aging. Orangecitrus and cream from the PasteMagazine observation follow withvivid brightness. Vanilla from allthree state componentsbuilds warmth. Herbal rye adds the 16%derived rye mash bill's mostspecifically savory and the mostaromatic secondary dimension. Candiednuts, clove, and honey toffee add themost specifically warmand the most satisfyinglydessert-adjacent secondary aromatics.Dark cherries and apricotsadd vivid red and stonefruit character — the mostspecifically fruit-forwardsecondary quality that the MGPhigh-corn blend specificallycontributes. Cotton candy adds themost whimsical and the mostimmediately memorable single noteacross multiple reviewers. Thecaramel note is persistentthroughout.

Palate
Fruit-forward, bold, and grounded bycaramel — Breaking Bourbon's mostaccurate palate sequenceconfirmed from the first sip. Theentry delivers thefruit-forward quality mostimmediately: yellow cake with caramelicing and orange creamsiclefrom the WhiskeyConsensus note, the summery sweetnessthat the Whisky Advocate foundmost notably"carnivalesque" — the MGP high-corncomponent's most directlyfruit-expressive and the mostimmediately accessible palate qualityat 114.44 proof. Theinitial surge of caramel thengrounds the sip in traditionalterritory — the DickelTennessee and Barton Kentuckycomponents asserting their morecharacterful and more specificallyoak-driven secondary presence.Cherry cola, corn syrup, andraisins build through themid-palate. Intense cinnamon andallspice add baking spicewarmth. Walnuts add nuttysecondary depth. White pepper addsthe rye's structural spicecontribution. Hazelnut sweetness fromthe Whisky Advocate. Themouthfeel is lovely, chewy, andconcise — the high-proof blend'smost specifically texturalcontribution in a density that rewardsslow sipping.

Finish
Balanced, sweet-to-spicy, andoak-warmed. Sweetness, spiciness, andoakiness all come together in theWhisky Advocate's mostaccurately observed finishcharacterization — the three statecomponents converging at the closeinto something more unified and moreharmonious than the nose's individualfruit and caramel registerssuggested. Brown sugar and grahamcracker soften the spice.Cinnamon and black pepper linger.Cherry cola adds the most vivid and themost specifically memorablesecondary note — confirmed by BourbonCulture as specifically characteristicof this batch. Crushed rock and coconutshell add the most specifically mineraland the most pleasantly unusualfinish quality. The empty glass:"sun-warmed fields filled with prairiegrasses and flowering purple clover"from the Amongst the Whiskeyobservation — the most evocative andthe most memorably specificempty-glass characterizationavailable for any bourbon in theBlackwell's section.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Neat at roomtemperature — allow 10 minutes of airfor the caramel corn, orange,and cherry aromatics todevelop. Water is recommended: afew drops dramatically opens thefruit notes and integrates the114.44-proof warmth. Outstanding incocktails that can carry high-proofbourbon — the Old Fashioned andthe Boulevardier both benefitfrom the fruit-forward andcaramel-grounded character.

Cocktail Suggestions

Batch 036 Old Fashioned
2 ozBarrell Bourbon Batch 036 · 1 tspDemerara syrup · 2 dashes Angosturabitters · 1 dash orangebitters · expressed orange peel.Stirred over large ice. Orange bittersamplify the orange citrus nose —the cherry cola finish findingits most natural cocktailcounterpart.

Batch 036 Boulevardier
1.5 ozBarrell Bourbon Batch 036 · 1 ozCampari · 1 oz sweet vermouth ·expressed orange peel. Stirredover ice. The fruit-forwardcaramel and cherry carry throughCampari's bitterness in aBoulevardier of unusual fruitdepth.