Finishing whiskeys in different barrels is all the rage these days. It’s a great way to take an existing product, tweak it, and put yet another bottle on the shelf. Unlike brands who are just trying to expand their lineup, though, Broken Barrel has made it their entire business.
Broken Barrel buys two-year-old whiskey from Green River Distillery (now owned by Bardstown Bourbon), then makes it their own thing. Instead of just throwing it into another barrel like other small brands, they live up to their name by batching the spirits and adding a collection of broken barrel staves to the mix – their cleverly named “oak bill.”
The brand has two bourbons in its core portfolio: a 95-proof straight bourbon and its big brother, the 115-proof cask strength version. While I mentioned they buy their whiskey at two years old, the presence of “straight” in the name and lack of an age statement on the bottle means that it has to be aged a total of at least four years.
For those into mash bills – and now oak bills – Broken Barrel bourbons are made from 70% Corn, 21% Rye, and 9% Barley. That high percentage of rye brings a nice spiciness, especially on the finish.
The busted staves that are then added to the mix are 40% ex-bourbon, 40% new French oak, and 20% sherry casks. The combination brings a nice subtle sweetness, and the cask-strength version gets punched up with some extra dark berry flavors.
If awards are more your jam – Broken Barrel cask strength bourbon was named Best Kentucky Finished Whiskey at the World Whiskey Awards. For me…
Personally, I love a whiskey that’s not priced ridiculously, and they nailed it on this front. The small batch comes in at $35, while the cask strength is just $45.
