Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 94 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Wyoming, New York, Texas, Ohio, Maryland United States |
| ABV | 56.05% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $90.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-12-24 |
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2025 Review
Barrell Bourbon’s annual New Year release is one of the most captivating oddities in American whiskey. It’s a blend of nearly mind-boggling complexity, at least in the realm of American whiskey, often featuring distillate from seven or more states across a wide swatch of age ranges. (Though to be fair, with more brands exploring multi-state blends, it may not stay odd forever.)
And perhaps most importantly, it’s often very, very good.
In addition to rare single barrels, as a non-distilling producer, Barrell Bourbon has built its reputation on good-to-superlative blended releases and novel cask finishes. But its New Year Bourbon is all about the blend. Like last year’s bottling, the 2025 New Year release features straight bourbon whiskeys from eight different states of origin, listed below:
- Kentucky Bourbon: 5, 6, and 9 years old
- Indiana Bourbon: 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12 years old
- Tennessee Bourbon: 8, 9, and 15 years old
- Wyoming Bourbon: 9 and 12 years old
- New York Bourbon: 5 years old
- Texas Bourbon: 5 years old
- Ohio Bourbon: 5 years old
- Maryland Bourbon: 6 and 7 years old
If you’re counting, that’s at least 18 different liquid streams in the final release. Since the distilleries of origin are undisclosed, there’s a chance that number could be even higher; there could in theory be two or more different sources for five year Kentucky bourbon. By process of elimination, we can make some inferences. For example, it’s almost certain those nine and 12 year Wyoming bourbons come from Wyoming Whiskey, as no other distillery in the state has that age of stock.
While Barrell doesn’t release information on its exact sourcing, it does provide a derived mash bill for the blend: 75 percent corn, 20 percent rye, 4 percent malted barley, and 1 percent wheat. That’s all within a few percentage points of the 2024 blend.
That’s plenty of background for a very complex bourbon. Let’s see how it tastes!
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2025: Stats and Availability
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2025 carries a suggested retail price of around $90, but it’s around $5 cheaper if you buy direct from the brand’s ecommerce store. This year featured a total release size of 11,543 bottles, up around 50 percent from 2024.
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2025 Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Wood carries deep and immediate resonance on the nose. The scent of toasted oak especially dominates at first but quickly opens up to a litany of other woods: cedar, birch, pine, and even aspen bark eventually waft out of the glass. By the third or fourth sniff, I can (or at least think I can) pinpoint the 15 year Tennessee bourbon, the oldest part of the blend that carries both earthy and nut-forward characters toward the end of each sniff (alongside some light minerality).
But Barrel Bourbon New Year is not simply a monolith of wood. There are numerous herbal components hiding just beneath, notably mint tea and lemongrass. Red apple skins, cinnamon sticks, white pepper, and baked cloves lend a seasonal series of scents, appropriate for the late winter bottling.
At this point at least, the 2025 release is a great example of hefty wood influence without smelling like sticking your nose directly in a wet barrel. One can imagine the oldest components carrying the lion’s share of wood tannins, while the various five and six year bourbons bring more vibrant, semi-herbal character.
Taste
Sweet, balanced, and nutty on first sip, this 2025 New Year release sits right in Barrell Bourbon’s wheelhouse of astutely crafted blends. Roasted peanut butter joins forces with brown butter. A pop of fruit — fresh apple, pear, plum, and starfruit — follows while never quite shrugging off the roasted nut underpinning.
A few more sips, and that fruit becomes darker via red raisins and baked caramel apples. There’s also a crescendo of cinnamon spice and sourdough, slightly more tart than a typical dessert, yet unmistakably spiced bread. Years ago, I was obsessed with a particular cinnamon, raisin, and nut butter spread on toasted cinnamon bagels. This is the closest reminder I’ve had of that flavor profile in quite some time.
At and beyond the midpalate comes additional tartness and tannins, equal parts lemon pith and cured tobacco. (Again nearly ensconced by earthy, roasted nuts and a viscous mouth feel.) It’s an odd coupling that works remarkably well here, further bolstered by a wave of mint-infused simple syrup.
Finish
Despite those various layers of oak, the finish is remarkably bright, rich in citrus oil and lemon curd. A little toasted marshmallow adds more toasted sweetness for a final act that continues to evolve with each and every sip.
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2025 Rating
94/100
Recap
Barrell Bourbon’s New Year release remains one of the most complex, yet consistently delicious blends in American whiskey. While I’ve enjoyed virtually all of them, this latest version edges into a new echelon of quality. It’s rich and delicious, seamlessly fussing traditional bourbon flavors with a few vibrant new edges. When it comes to finding pours to ring in 2025, this one deserves some serious consideration.
*Image retrieved from Barrell Bourbon
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