Barrell Bourbon New Year 2027 Limited Edition Cask-Strength Straight Bourbon Blend 750ml

Every fall since the end of 2016, Barrell Craft Spirits has released a New Year bourbon to welcome the coming year, and the 2027 edition marks the tenth anniversary of the series. It’s a different blend every year, by design. As Barrell puts it: “While there are some consistencies from year to year, the final blends vary intentionally. Our goal is to showcase some of the most exciting bourbons being distilled across the U.S., each with a distinct age, mashbill, and geographic origin.”

This year’s blend draws on bourbon from seven states, each with its own mash bill and age: Indiana (7 to 10 years), Kentucky (7 and 8 years), Tennessee (10 and 16 years), Wyoming (13 years), Maryland (7 and 8 years), Texas (5 years), and Ohio (5 years). The oldest stocks, a 16-year-old Tennessee bourbon and a 13-year-old Wyoming bourbon, bring the depth, while the younger Texas and Ohio barrels keep the blend lively. Barrell doesn’t disclose the source distilleries (the ages are those of the individual components, not an age statement for the whole blend), and the derived mash bill of the combined whiskeys is 73% corn, 22% rye, 4% malted barley, and 1% wheat. It’s bottled at cask strength, 116.6 proof, with a brand-new, celebratory label.

Barrell’s official tasting notes are famously intricate. They include “grassy olive oil, maple walnut ice cream, green grape, and root beer barrels,” and Rob Report’s reviewer picked up “licorice, malted chocolate, cherry pie, pepper spice, orange rind, and cream soda” on the palate. At 116.6 proof, “there is some heat, but nothing that overwhelms or burns out your palate, and a little bit of water unlocks a whole new burst of flavors.”

It’s a blender’s bourbon, for customers who like the idea of tasting seven states in one glass, and a collectible annual release that many bourbon fans buy every year. Pour it neat first, then add a few drops of water. It’s also a natural holiday gift and a nice bottle to open at midnight on December 31.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Barrell Bourbon New Year 2027 Limited Edition is blended and bottled by Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a blend of straight bourbons from seven states (Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Wyoming, Maryland, Texas, and Ohio), with components aged 5 to 16 years and a derived mash bill of 73% corn, 22% rye, 4% malted barley, and 1% wheat. Cask strength, bottled at 116.6 proof (58.3% ABV), 750ml. The tenth annual New Year release.

Critics Reviews

No numerical critic scores are published yet for this edition.

Robb Report:
“I picked up notes of licorice, malted chocolate, cherry pie, pepper spice, orange rind, and cream soda on the palate. The much more specific official tasting notes include flavors like grassy olive oil, maple walnut ice cream, green grape, and root beer barrels. At 116.6 proof, there is some heat, but nothing that overwhelms or burns out your palate, and a little bit of water unlocks a whole new burst of flavors.”

Tasting Profile

Nose
Caramel, baked apple, and vanilla cream, with toasted oak and baking spice.

Palate
Licorice, malted chocolate, cherry pie, pepper spice, orange rind, and cream soda, with maple walnut ice cream and root beer barrels.

Finish
Long and warming, with spice and oak.

Quick Overview

Cocktail & Serving Suggestions

Neat first, then with a few drops of water — to open the flavors at 116.6 proof.

Old Fashioned — a rich, cask-strength base.

Food Pairings

• Cherry pie and maple desserts
• Roasted chestnuts and spiced nuts
• Smoked brisket
• Aged cheddar