Throughout the year, Kentucky’s Barrell Craft Spirits sources barrels of whiskey from different states—usually Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee—and blends them into tasty new expressions. A few different batches of bourbon are released every year, as well as a couple of ryes, all bottled at cask strength that stand out in the American whiskey category.
Then there are the various cask finishes, which range from rum and Japanese mizunara oak to more unusual spirits like Sicilian amaro and pear brandy. Some are better than others, of course, but for the most part it works, which proves that the Barrell team is meticulous when picking the right casks and choosing the precise proportions to blend together.
Then there’s the annual New Year Bourbon, a chance for founder Joe Beatrice and his team to expand and expound upon the art of blending, a crucial but sometimes overlooked step in the process. The new 2025 New Year is a blend of bourbons of various ages that were distilled in eight different states.
To be clear, that’s a whole lot of bourbon from a whole lot of states to use in one blend. Not all are commonly thought of as big bourbon producers, although they happen to have some great distilleries. The names of the distilleries are not revealed, but if you’re a whiskey fan, you can make some informed guesses.
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Here’s the breakdown of what’s in the 2025 New Year Bourbon:
The derived mash bill after blending all of those different liquids together is 75 percent corn, 20 percent rye, four percent malted barley, and one percent wheat. The specific proportions of each bourbon in the final blend isn't revealed. But with that many different liquids, it doesn’t really matter, although it would be interesting to know what the least and highest percentages are.
In the end, Barrell Craft Spirits bottled New Year 2025 at cask strength. The resulting 112.1 proof whiskey is warm but not overpowering.
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It's an excellent bourbon. While that many components might lead you to believe the palate will be overbearing or busy, that’s not the case. There are bright tropical fruit notes on the nose and palate along with a bit of citrus. But the dominant flavors range from classic notes like vanilla, espresso, dark chocolate, and caramel, along with a bit of black pepper, cinnamon, and a hint of caramelized orange peel.
By all means, sip this bourbon neat if you like at that proof, but a little bit of water reveals more fruit and caramel custard notes.
If you’d like to ring in the New Year with New Year Bourbon, you can find this interesting new blend available from the Barrell Craft Spirits website for $85 or at specialty retailers around the country.
