Cherry blossom | Strawberry cream | Butter rum caramel | Apple | Toasted coconut | Pie crust

Toasted marshmallow | Peanut brittle | Honey caramel | Graham cracker | Creamy

Dry heavy-toasted oak | French toast | Brown butter | Light maple syrup | Dash of white pepper | Lingering cinnamon & gentle oak tannins

Barrell Bourbon 12 Year Finished in Toasted American Oak is the second in Barrel Craft Spirits' “Red Label” series. The first three releases in the series will focus on toasted barrel finishing, with the previous release using French oak finishing barrels. The mashbill and grain variety aren’t given for this release, but it was sourced from three states: Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Many bourbon drinkers are probably most familiar with toasted American oak finishing, as it has grown in rapid popularity over the past 5 years. Finishing in toasted oak can sometimes leave a bitter aftertaste, as toasted barrels can actually expose more raw wood surface than deeply charred barrels, increasing tannin pickup. With brands trying to inject as much “toasted” oak flavors into a bourbon during finishing as they can, the result is that the bourbon spends too long in the toasted barrel interacting with oak polyphenols, such as ellagitannins.

Barrell Craft Spirits team were well aware of the follies of toasted barrel finishing when we spoke to them years ago about the subject. It wasn’t until 2025 that the team went head-first into toasted barrel finishing, with Barrell Toasted Dovetail being one of their standout releases last year.

With a plethora of toasted American oak finished bourbons on the market, Barrell needed a way for their 12 Year Finished in Toasted American Oak to differentiate itself. That begins with an aroma that is surprisingly rich. Flowery cherry blossoms and strawberry cream work well with butter rum caramel, apple, and toasted coconut. Likewise, the palate is also rich, featuring toasted marshmallow against peanut brittle, honey caramel, and graham cracker, resulting in a coating mouthfeel. The finish begins with a dry heavy-toast oak note layered against sweet French toast, brown butter, maple syrup, and lingering cinnamon and gentle oak tannins.

Barrel Craft Spirits is great at extracting as much flavor out of their whiskeys as they can. Having the blend of 12-15 year old bourbon helps give this release a hearty base. The toasted oak finish is careful not to enter bitter territory, but does teeter on the edge, resulting in a dry, heavy-toasted oak note in its finish. Some of its Tennessee component is tasted, but it isn’t as noticeable as the previous 12 Year French Oak Cask Finish Bourbon, and in fact, does well to add complexity to the sip. With a good range of distinct, strong flavors, Barrell Bourbon 12 Year Finished in Toasted American Oak is another well-crafted bourbon that manages to stand out in a crowded toasted oak field.