Nashville Barrel Company 6 Year r/bourbon

Review by: Raygun

This was a single barrel, distilled by MGP from a 21% rye mashbill and aged for six years. An r/bourbon selection for 2022. For some reason it yielded just 96 bottles, which sounds like one leaky barrel. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: MGP.

Bottler: Nashville Barrel Company.

Region: Distilled in Indiana, bottled in Tennessee.

ABV: 62.15%. Cask strength.

Age: 6 years.

Cask type: Virgin oak barrel.

Price: ??.

Color: 1.7 Burnt umber. Natural Color.

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Nose: Very rich. Caramelized bananas, maple syrup, kouign amman pastry, but sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves. This smells absolutely fantastic.

Palate: Yum. French toast, maple syrup, vanilla. Honestly, I could repeat what I wrote for the nose, except less banana and some cola. A little hint of licorice. But there aren’t big changes here. Drinks very easily for 62%. Good level of sweetness, not too excessive.

Finish: Vanilla, French toast, maple syrup, cola…you get the picture. Slightly more cloves. I’m not trying to be repetitive, but it’s a little silly to stretch for different notes when it’s a pretty consistent experience. Got some heat, and a splash of water gets that mostly under control. It is a little peppery still.

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Conclusion: 

Truly one of the best noses I’ve had in a bourbon in a long time. The palate and the finish couldn’t quite keep up, but still very good. Benefitted from some water for me. 

Buy a bottle? I absolutely would.

Final Score: 84.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grand-dad 114)
• 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-Ki-Yay)