Barrell Armida Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Kentucky, USA

An immensely complex yet all the more satisfying journey. You in?

Why is the extra letter “L" in Barrell Craft Spirits? Company founder — Joe Beatrice — just ain’t saying. But he will tell you all day long about his passion for the work that they do to preserve unique orphan casks of American Whiskey.

Founded in 2014, Barrell Craft Spirits scoops up extra casks of premium Bourbon and Rye and bottles ‘em up at full strength. Each batch is completely different. Sometimes the coolest casks on the market are Tennessee-style Whiskeys, sometimes they’re Kentucky Bourbon. The good stuff could be straight, or it could be a finished wood. The point is that they find the best odd lots and “left-overs” that would more likely be tossed into a generic blend and sell it to us in all of their glory.

Blending three Straight Bourbons that are finished in Pear Brandy, Jamaican Rum, and Sicilian Amaro casks respectively, Barrell Armida Bourbon Whiskey is named after Joe’s mother. Joe spent a lot of summers and autumns at her family’s farm and the orchard fruit moments definitely inspired the ripe, floral pear notes with spice and arid citrus that come from this fantastic blend. This is a journey for the palate, one could say. A complex one but all the more satisfying. Savor it with a drop of water and see why it got 94 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2020 and Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2019.