Barrell Craft 6 Year Old “Triple Cherry” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #Z4C3 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $99.99 View

The exceptional blenders at Barrell have proven time and time again that they can make distinctive whiskies by finishing and blending various stocks. But sometimes you don’t need to add or change anything to create an exceptional bourbon. So few distillers in Kentucky are willing to bottle at cask strength that we jumped at the chance when barrell offered us real Kentucky Bourbon at full strength. Of course, the sources are hidden, but It almost doesn’t matter where it’s distilled in Kentucky, everyone is making exceptional juice and when you’re able to be picky you come across gems like this. We went through a few sets of samples to find this exceptional 6 year. Most will look at the lower age and jump on the two 8 year barrels we have, which are exceptional in their own right, but no barrel of whisky we bottle this year is going to match this ridiculously delish cask for its pungency and balance. Another example of how Kentucky bourbon need not be old to be superlative.

Barrell Craft 8 Year Old “Blakely’s Barrel” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #Z4A8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $99.99 View

This wonderful barrel of 8 year old Kentucky was selected by K&L’s Los Angeles Spirits Specialist, Will Blakely. The fact that it’s aged so long and bottled at cask strength makes it unique and special enough, but the complexity and character of the special cask cannot be overstated. Distilled on September 26th of 2013 at an unknown distillery from an unknown mashbill. The fact that the mashbill cannot be given away is a clue to the origin of this bourbon as several distillers use similar mashbills. In any case, what we do know is that this a proper Kentucky bourbon distilled with rye as the small grain in the mashbill. The barrell numbering system indicates when and where in their warehouse they came so each of these new barrels could be from a different source. This one is particularly powerful and rich. Best for those that love to chew their bourbon before they swallow it! A short barrel with tons of woody influence, it doesn’t stray into the astringent or bitter and remains balanced and lifted in spite of its age and oak driven character.

Barrell Craft 8 Year Old “Old Ills” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #Z4A9 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $99.99 View

From a set of three amazing casks of Kentucky bourbon that we selected, this 8 year was sourced from an undisclosed distillery and selected by LA Store Manager Illya Haase. The unknown mashbill included rye as the small grain, but little else is known about the source. It was distilled on September 26th of 2013 and bottled in December of 2021 just a few months after turning 8 years old. Very few of the single casks we have to offer make it to this age and almost none from Kentucky and fewer still at cask strength. That makes this barrel and its two siblings some of the rarest and most special bourbons we have the great pleasure of offering. Expect a big spicy style here, we know Illya loves a bourbon that gives you that Kentucky hug. Long, rich and complex, finding a more satisfying experience in American whisky is a difficult task when barrels like this are around.