Batch 36 Breakthrough: Barrel Bourbon Tastes & Tales

This week we're pouring Barrell Bourbon Batch 36, a fascinating blend of bourbons sourced from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. The components range from 7½ years old all the way to 15 years, with a derived mash bill of 79% corn, 16% rye and 5% malted barley. And it's bloody good. We find citrus, marmalade, strawberry jam and a wonderfully chewy caramel character before getting into the bigger story behind the bottle: why being a non-distilling producer gives blenders the freedom to combine different ages, mash bills and distilleries to create something completely new. We talk Barrell Craft Spirits, Seagrass, Pursuit Spirits, Ashley Barnes and The Blending House, and why the people who can take a collection of completely different barrels and turn them into something this cohesive still seem a bit like crazy scientists to us.