The Choices We Made: Double-Barrel Barleywine Aged in Bourbon Barrels (18.3%) [2024]

Every barrel we've ever touched has the markings of THE CHOICES WE MADE. And that goes doubly so for this latest oak origination, a Double-Barrel-aged Barleywine that grazes the outer limits of any imprint thus far with an 18.3% ABV. Aged for 23 months in W.L. Weller 7yr Bourbon barrels before being transferred to Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19yr Bourbon Barrels for an additional 11 months, this Barleywine has witnessed the odyssey of time. Upon opening, you're greeted with aromas of whiskey, rich toffee, treacle, and marzipan that echo out further dark fruit when the deep bronze pour enters the glass. The gargantuan ABV is only barely sensed; instead, flavors of chocolate covered luxardo cherries and lightly caramelized flan take precedent before a final lingering presence of vanilla and brown sugar. Rich, decadent, mouthcoating, and reveling in the elegant notes of a well-worn journey.