Don’t wait for the New Year’s Eve ball to drop before you try this
Halloween just passed and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, so you’ll have to excuse certain whiskey brands who are already touting their holiday releases. The latest from Barrell Craft Spirits is not a Christmas or Hanukkah expression, however, it’s the new edition of its New Year whiskey—and this year’s release is a blend of bourbons from seven different states.
Barrell Craft Spirits is a Louisville blending house that releases its bourbon in several batches per year, as well as many different cask-finished expressions. Almost all of the whiskey it puts out is bottled at cask strength, which sometimes reaches hazmat levels (for better or for worse) as evidenced by the brand’s recent whiskey blend finished in rum barrels. Barrell Bourbon New Year is also bottled at cask strength, but the 2026 edition clocks in on the lower side at 110.3 proof, which is not a bad thing at all.
The makeup of New Year changes from year to year, but that’s because the goal is to always showcase something different as far as the components whiskeys, according to BCS founder Joe Beatrice. “The annual, small-batch New Year blend showcases our mastery in blending and commitment to innovation,” he told Robb Report. “While there are some consistencies from year to year, the final blends vary intentionally. Our goal is to showcase some of the most exciting bourbons being distilled across the U.S.—each with a distinct age, mashbill, and geographic origin. The result is a uniquely layered and complex American whiskey that embodies the creativity at the heart of our blending process.”
This year’s blend is made up of bourbon from seven states, including some that are not the usual suspects. The components and their ages are as follows: Indiana (5, 6, 8, 11, and 13-year), Kentucky (5, 6, and 10-year), Tennessee (8, 10, and 16-year), Wyoming (9 and 13-year), Maryland (7 and 8-year), New York (5-year), and Ohio (5-year). The final derived mashbill (meaning the mashbill of the blend and not the individual whiskeys) is 74 per cent corn, 21 per cent rye, four per cent malted barley, and one per cent wheat. The result might be my favorite version of Barrell Bourbon New Year to date. The official tasting notes mention pumpkin pie a few times, and while I’m not sure I get that particular note there are a range of flavours like maple, hazelnut, oak, hot honey, baked apple, pepper, cinnamon, licorice, and molasses on the palate.
Barrell Bourbon New Year 2026 is available this month from select retailers and the BCS website (SRP US$85). You can also find other BCS expressions at websites like ReserveBar now.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Barrell Craft Spirits
