Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is a 95 proof (47.5% ABV), 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey built around the brand's signature move: instead of moving the whiskey into a second intact barrel, Broken Barrel dumps and batches the aged bourbon in tank, then finishes it on broken barrel staves. The mash bill is 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley, and the brand's trademarked Oak Bill for this bottling blends 40% ex-bourbon cask staves, 40% new French oak staves and 20% sherry cask staves. The bottle carries no age statement; the brand's current materials describe the bourbon as aged at least two years before the stave finish. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 47.5% (95 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, broken-stave finished
- Mash bill: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley
- Oak Bill: 40% ex-bourbon cask staves, 40% new French oak staves, 20% sherry cask staves
- Age statement: None (NAS); brand's current materials state a minimum of 2 years before finishing
- Producer: Broken Barrel Whiskey Co., Los Angeles, CA (Kentucky-distilled)
Finished on Broken Staves, Not in a Second Barrel
Broken Barrel was founded in Los Angeles by Seth Benhaim, also the founder of Infuse Spirits, around a simple question: what if the flavour of a finishing cask could be delivered by the staves themselves? For Small Batch — the brand's flagship bourbon — barrels are dumped and batched, and broken staves from ex-bourbon, French oak and sherry casks go straight into the tank, so three woods season the whiskey at once. The result is a bourbon that drinks older and darker than its years suggest. Browse the range on the Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. vendor page or explore the wider bourbon whiskey shelf.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Oak-forward, with sherry and marzipan over dark honey (brand notes). Palate: Woody and rich — walnut and charred brown sugar, with vanilla cake batter sweetness. Finish: Peppery, with orange blossom.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a single cube to open the sherry-stave richness. The 95 proof and layered oak also hold up in an Old Fashioned without extra sweetening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "broken barrel" finishing mean? After ageing, the bourbon is dumped into a tank and broken staves from different cask types are added to finish it — the flavour comes from the staves rather than a second whole barrel.
What is the Oak Bill? Broken Barrel's term for its stave blend: 40% ex-bourbon cask, 40% new French oak and 20% sherry cask staves for this Small Batch bottling.
Where is it made? It is a Kentucky straight bourbon — distilled and aged in Kentucky for a Los Angeles-based brand; the brand does not name its distillery partner.
A stave-finished Kentucky bourbon with real depth — order Broken Barrel Small Batch from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.