Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend
55.6% ABV (111.2 proof, launch release) | 750mL | Cask strength | Straight bourbons aged 7.5–18 years — Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend is America's original independent whiskey blender's first entry in the cigar-pairing category: straight bourbons from Kentucky (9 yr), Indiana (7.5, 8, 9, and 18 yr), and Tennessee (7.5 and 15 yr), finished across four distinct cask types — Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and new Hungarian oak — then bottled at cask strength. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
"Cigar blend" is an established (unofficial, no legal definition) category popularized by master blender Nancy Fraley: rich, weighty, dark-sweet whiskeys built to hold their own alongside a full-bodied cigar — and Barrell's press line is that it's "equally compelling with or without a cigar." Founded in Louisville in 2013 by Joe Beatrice, Barrell Craft Spirits does not distill; it sources exceptional aged stock and builds new expressions through blending and secondary maturation. The official profile runs to layered notes of dark fruit, molasses, and warm spice, with retailer-reported notes of old leather, roasted coffee, toffee, musty cigar paper, Luxardo cherry, tobacco, caramel, cinnamon, and anise, finishing long and warming, "designed to linger." Among cask-strength bourbons, the four-way finish — vinous Madeira and Armagnac sweetness against Hungarian oak spice — is the differentiator.
Tasting notes
Nose: dark fruit, old leather, sweet oak, roasted coffee, toffee, musty cigar paper, baked pears. Palate: plush; pepper-roasted coffee, toffee, vinous Madeira/Armagnac sweetness, Luxardo cherry, molasses, tobacco, caramel, cinnamon, anise. Finish: long, warming; spice and dried fruit. (Per Barrell press materials and retailer tasting notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 55.6% ABV (111.2 proof, launch release) — 750mL, cask strength
- Straight bourbons aged 7.5–18 years from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee
- Finished in Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and new Hungarian oak casks
- First "Cigar Blend" from Barrell Craft Spirits (March 2026); limited release
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat or with a splash of water — the press release frames it for slow sipping, long conversations, with or without a cigar.
Frequently asked questions
Does it require a cigar?
No — Barrell's own line is that it is "equally compelling with or without a cigar."
What proof is the current release?
The launch release (March 2026) is 111.2 proof; Barrell batch proofs can vary across releases.
Where is it made?
The bourbons are distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana; blended and bottled in Kentucky by Barrell Craft Spirits, Louisville.
Is this a single-distillery whiskey?
No — Barrell is an independent blender (it does not distill), sourcing aged stock and finishing it in specialty casks.