Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series Armagnac
Kentucky Bottled Bourbon | 750mL | 56.5% ABV (113 proof) | Cask Strength, Non-Chill Filtered — Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Armagnac is Edition 001 of the Louisville blender's Cask Finish Series, announced August 2025 and released September 2025. It starts as a blend of straight bourbons aged 7–15 years — Kentucky 10-year, Indiana 7, 8, 11 and 12-year, Tennessee 9, 13, 14 and 15-year — with a derived mash bill of 78% corn, 18% rye, 4% malted barley, then finishes in barrels from Gascony, France that previously held Armagnac, one of the world's oldest brandies. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The Armagnac casks work fast on the rich bourbon base: Barrell's official notes open with a burst of pineapple, potting soil, cola, grape soda, caraway, pumpernickel, ginger beer and menthol on the nose, with dried fruits and nuts "like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." The palate turns syrupy and bold — hazelnut, black walnut, tobacco, chocolate-covered espresso beans, pithy orange and a pop of watermelon — closing long with clove, oolong tea, dried plum, pecan pie and custard richness. Bottled at cask strength with nothing filtered out, it is built for bourbon drinkers who chase cask-strength intensity and French-oak elegance in the same glass.
Tasting notes
Nose: pineapple, cola, grape soda, caraway, pumpernickel, ginger beer, menthol, dried fruit and nuts (Barrell official). Palate: syrupy sweetness, bold spice, hazelnut, black walnut, tobacco, chocolate-covered espresso bean, pithy orange, watermelon. Finish: long — clove, oolong tea, dried plum, pecan pie, custard.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 750mL, 56.5% ABV — 113 proof, cask strength, non-chill filtered (Edition 001)
- Blend of 7–15-year straight bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, finished in Gascony Armagnac barrels
- Derived mash bill 78% corn / 18% rye / 4% malted barley; bottled in Kentucky
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a Glencairn or with a few drops of water — at 113 proof, a splash opens the Armagnac-driven fruit. Also stands up to a large ice cube for a slow, evolving pour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Barrell Cask Finish Series?
A limited-edition series from Barrell Craft Spirits (Louisville, KY) that takes multi-state straight bourbon blends and gives each edition a secondary maturation in a distinctive cask type — here, French Armagnac barrels.
What proof is it?
113 proof (56.5% ABV), bottled at cask strength and non-chill filtered, per Barrell's official release announcement.
What does the Armagnac finish add?
Armagnac casks layer dried-fruit, nutty, and grape-soda-like depth onto the bourbon base — Barrell's own notes cite peanut-butter-and-jelly nuttiness and dried plum on the finish.
Does it carry an age statement?
No printed age statement — the blend combines 7–15-year straight bourbons, which is a component fact, not an age statement.