Barrel 56

Original Artwork by August West
Distillate Source Lawrenceburg, IN
Selected by Joshua Thinnes
Serial Code 12SB24

About Barrel 56

Earlier this year, I acquired some rare rye barrels. Out of the entire lot, one stood out as… different. Barrel 56 — an 11.5 yr, 95/5 Rye — my undeniable favorite. Everyone I have shared this barrel with has given me the side-eye smirk as if they'd discovered a closely guarded secret. It became known as ‘Barrel 56’.

After tasting this barrel, I knew it deserved a spotlight of its own in our Original line. Sometimes it’s just simple: no backstory needed — just a damn good barrel.

TASTING NOTES

This tastes like they don’t make 'em this way anymore. It tastes like whiskey for people who have drank whiskey for decades. Elegance meets intensity; sophistication meets soul. Something for the punk rockers, the jazz cats, and the true whiskey connoisseurs. Yes, there are tons of MGP rye barrels out there. But this isn’t your assembly line single barrel. It is the real deal.

Deep dark aromas and flavors. Sweet praline and brown sugar with hints of black pepper evolve into aromas of dried black Mission figs, black licorice, mint, and tarragon, rounded off by burnt caramel, vintage Fernet, allspice, and Turbinado sugar. The palate is full-bodied with a great oily and viscous texture. It tastes old and contemplative. Ever-evolving flavors present sweet and spicy simultaneously, with notes of brown sugar, amaro, baking spices, hickory, and a whisper of gentle smoke.

ABOUT THE ART
San Francisco-based artist August West is an under-the-radar, old-school artist whose styles circulate the abstract expression realm by utilizing techniques of paint throwing and fluid art. So old-school they didn’t even have an Instagram account when I met them. This project inspired their first-ever foray into social media. The piece was done using a re-used oak barrel head that had been sanded and epoxy resined for smoothness. Several coats of gesso were applied before adding the different paint layers. August uses various acrylic paints and mixes Floetrol, an additive that allows the paint to level like oil-based paints. Sometimes, enough medium is added so the paint can flow like a fluid, giving a typically thick paint a more liquid, drippy application. The final piece measures 21” in diameter. After labeling and wax dipping, additional paint embellishments were thrown or sprayed onto the final bottles.