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Appalachian Barrel Co
Fender Bender
- Proof
- 126.24
- Age
- 9 years 10 months
- Mashbill
- 70c/21r/9mb
- Distillate
- OZ Tyler (aka Green River)
- Location
- Lawrenceburg KY
Picked with Jesse at the new ABC facility. Overall: This pour is all about the way one central flavor evolves throughout the experience. Citrus > Orange Marmalade > Toasted Orange Peel > Charred Orange. But there's enough oak, barrel char, pepper, syrupy sweetness, and spice surrounding it to keep the pour from ever becoming one-dimensional. It doesn't drink young. The barrel influence gives it maturity beyond its age while maintaining the bright citrus character that made this barrel stand out in the first place. Warm. Oily. Citrusy. Charred. Balanced. And perhaps the best tasting note of all? We drank the whole damn sample. Another unique barrel we're excited to bring you through Appalachian Barrel Company.
Pick team: Randy Zach Norm Chris J Justin Tyler John
Tasting notes
- Nose
- The first thing that jumps out of the glass is citrus, and lots of it. It starts with a torched citrus peel before developing into a rich orange marmalade note. As it opens, there's an almost dessert-like quality that reminded us of orange marmalade blended into cream cheese frosting: sweet, creamy, and incredibly inviting. There's also a heavy, syrupy flat Sprite syrup character underneath the citrus, adding another layer of concentrated sweetness. Then comes the barrel. Heavy char and oak sit underneath everything, giving the bright citrus notes some darker depth and maturity. Overall, the nose is simply warm and inviting.
- Palate
- Everything we found on the nose carries beautifully onto the palate. The citrus immediately becomes mouthwatering, with orange remaining the star of the show. As the oak and char build, that fresh orange transforms into something deeper, almost like the flamed orange peel over an Old Fashioned. The texture is oily and coating, allowing those citrus flavors to hang around while the barrel spice builds underneath. There's plenty of spice, but it never takes control. Instead, the orange, oak, char, pepper, and sweetness stay remarkably balanced.
- Mouthfeel
- Viscous and coating, like whiskey oil
- Finish
- For a bourbon that's just shy of 10 years old, the finish gives the impression of something considerably more mature. The barrel char carries straight through, bringing a balanced pepper note that works beautifully alongside the candied and burnt orange. That orange character never disappears; it simply evolves. What begins as bright citrus on the nose becomes marmalade, then toasted orange peel, before finishing as a deeper charred orange and pepper combination. The result drinks more like something we'd expect in the 11-12 year range rather than a 9-year, 9-month bourbon.
