Barrell Craft Spirits 10 Year Old Dovetail Whiskey
Barrell Craft Spirits Dovetail is the Louisville blender's signature finishing experiment — 750mL, bottled at true cask strength, blending a 10-year-old Indiana whiskey finished in Dunn Vineyards Cabernet barrels with an 11-year-old Tennessee bourbon finished in black strap rum casks and Late Bottled Vintage Port pipes, crafted and bottled in Kentucky. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof: Cask strength — varies by bottling (documented releases 122.9–124.34 proof); see the bottle label
- Size: 750mL
- Components: 10-year-old Indiana whiskey (Cabernet-finished) and 11-year-old Tennessee bourbon (rum- and Port-finished)
- Finishing: Dunn Vineyards Cabernet barrels, black strap rum casks, LBV Port pipes
- Origin: Distilled in Indiana and Tennessee; crafted and bottled in Louisville, Kentucky
Three Finishes, One Dovetail Joint
Barrell Craft Spirits, founded by Joe Beatrice in Louisville, built its reputation on blending sourced whiskeys at full cask strength — and Dovetail, its first finished whiskey, is the release that made the programme famous (it has since taken Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022 and 2023). The name is a woodworker's joint, and the idea matches: the Cabernet-finished Indiana whiskey brings red-fruit structure, the rum-finished Tennessee bourbon brings molasses roundness, and the Port pipes add dark, vinous depth — a blend Barrell spent almost a year perfecting. Pour it with the rest of our whisky selection, compare the blender's other work on the bourbon whiskey shelf, or visit the Barrell Craft Spirits vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet and pastry-like — canele, panna cotta and creme de noyaux over walnut oil, leather, damson jam and sloe gin. Palate: Darker and spicier than the nose — cocoa, molasses and burnt marshmallow with cola, nutmeg and black peppercorn. Finish: Rose jelly and chestnut honey, closing on hazelnut, eucalyptus and mint.
How to Enjoy
Neat first at full strength — Dovetail is blended to be drunk at cask proof — then with a few drops of water, which the maker notes brings out orange, watermelon, lychee and vanilla. A contemplative after-dinner whiskey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Barrell Dovetail? A blend of two finished whiskeys — a 10-year-old Indiana whiskey finished in Dunn Vineyards Cabernet barrels and an 11-year-old Tennessee bourbon finished in black strap rum and LBV Port casks — bottled at cask strength by Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky.
Is Dovetail a bourbon? The finished product is an American whiskey, not a bourbon: one of its two components is a Tennessee bourbon, but the blend and its triple cask finish are what define it.
What proof is this bottle? Dovetail is bottled at true cask strength and the proof varies by bottling — documented releases run from 122.9 to 124.34 proof — so the figure printed on this bottle's label is the one to trust.
Cask-strength blending at its most inventive — order Barrell Dovetail Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.