1792 Single Barrel Bourbon (2023 Release)
This is one of six brand extensions in the 1792 portfolio, along with 1792 Port Finish, 1792 Full Proof, 1792 Sweet Wheat, 1792 High Rye, 1792 Bottled in Bond, and 1792 Aged 12 Years. According to Barton: “In order to create this unique bourbon, the finest barrels are selected and tasted from the best aging warehouses. Only those barrels deemed “exceptional” are then bottled individually, one by one. This preserves the distinct character of each barrel.”
Bold rich caramel smells like it was just poured straight from the pan. It cannot be understated how effective its freshness and intensity is. A tide raises all ships, and the caramel’s intensity brings with it bouts of butter, nougat, cookie dough, and spicy cinnamon. It’s an extremely compelling aroma that is all the more surprising due to the bourbon’s sub-100 proof point. A barrel proof aroma in intensity, yet with the accessibility of a lower proof whiskey. The nose kicks this bourbon off right.
A perfectly tempered base of caramel and oak is ever-present, but what is lifted above it is what is even more noteworthy. An expertly balanced fusion of milk chocolate, plum, sweet pastry, and golden raisins is surprising in how well it works. This unique pairing of flavors perform in equal measure, offering precise intensity, controlled sweetness, and mild spiciness. Furthermore, a delicate thread of apricot is woven throughout and adds an extra spark that ignites this palate.
Not to be outdone, the finish ends the sip by introducing a slew of new and willfully effective flavors. Spearheaded by a layer of fudge, additional notes of nutmeg, dates, and hazelnut provides for a rich and flavorful bed. 1792’s traditional spice note finally reveals itself, and though it’s late to the game, it’s effective at bringing out additional notes of burnt sugar and toasted marshmallow. A solid body and medium to long finish further enhances an overall great tasting finish.
1792 bourbon has typically centered around traditional bourbon flavors of vanilla, caramel, and oak with mild fruitiness and big spice. The brand is known for rarely offering much depth beyond that and coming across as rough around the edges. 1792 single barrels can deviate from that of course, but rarely move too far from those baseline fundamentals. That is where this year’s release of this 1792 Single Barrel being reviewed makes its biggest strides and stands out the most. The range of non-traditional flavors it offers is not only unique for the brand, but for many other bourbons as well. While nothing is completely out of left field, bringing together milk chocolate, plum, sweet pastry, golden raisins, and apricot on the palate, and a finish focused on fudge, nutmeg, and hazelnut just simply works. It’s not easy to control what flavors a barrel develops, but sometimes one gets lucky and this particular single barrel is one of those lucky ones. It is important to note, however, that the bottle is only one of maybe 200 or so that came from a specific barrel, so the flavor profile will deviate to some degree from barrel to barrel across this release.
1792 Single Barrel has always been priced in accordance with its peers and has stayed in line with the brand’s value-based pricing. Charging $50 for a single barrel isn’t revolutionary in any way, as its value is often dictated by how good a particular single barrel is. Having a few 1792 Single Barrels on my shelf, I don’t find the need to go out of my way to find more no matter the price. Revisiting 1792 Single Barrel in 2023 was an impulse decision knowing that spending $50 for a good or bad (and 1792 is rarely straight up bad), was a fair gamble considering the price. To my surprise, this time the gamble paid off. I can’t guarantee that all 1792 Single Barrel releases will be an above average to way above average value, but here’s proof of one. I can’t also say I’d be thrilled to purchase what may just be an average single barrel bottle for $50, but knowing the potential upside, and the random bottle I bought at the store, it’s a gamble I’d be willing to make again.
Single barrel releases are always a risk/reward endeavor, but the floor is typically low and the ceiling is proven to be high with 2023’s release of 1792 Single Barrel.
After tasting through 1792’s summer 2023 releases (Aged Twelve Years, Classification: Straight Bourbon Company: Sazerac Company, Inc Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery Release Date: Summer 2023 (Ongoing) Proof: 98.6 Age: NAS (Aged at least 4 years per TTB regulations) Mashbill: Undisclosed Color: Dark Caramel MSRP: $50 (2023)
