Woodworkers spend years perfecting their dovetail joints. The best are painstakingly cut by hand, ensuring that each interlocking piece fits together perfectly. Done well, a dovetail joint is both beautiful and strong, transcending utilitarian carpentry and approaching the realm of art. No wonder they’re almost never hidden, but instead proudly displayed on the front edges of drawers and tops of chests as the hallmark of a life dedicated to craft.
Whiskey making, of course, is another type of woodworking — only the medium is oak barrels, not cherry or walnut boards. Barrel Craft Spirits spent almost a year perfecting the blend for Barrell Dovetail, honing the interplay between the various components in much the same way a cabinetmaker fine-tunes the fit between pin and tail.
Appearance: Rose gold with highlights of worn copper.
Nose: Opens with mature aromas both sweet (canelé, panna cotta, crème de noyaux) and savory (walnut oil, leather). This is followed quickly by a vast array of fruit derived both from the spirit (smoked apricot, grapefruit peel) as well as the cask treatment (sloe gin, damson jam). The aroma is high toned, pungently floral and herbaceous, with subtle, balancing pops of minerality.
Palate: Darker (cocoa, molasses, burnt marshmallow) and spicier (cola, nutmeg, Tellicherry peppercorn) than the nose, an effect well-complemented by the cask treatment and rendered more complex by the savory and herbaceous themes running throughout.
Finish: A sweet and elegant signature of rose jelly, chestnut honey, and Pineau des Charentes that also features hazelnut, eucalyptus, and Corsican mint.
An unexpected avalanche of orange and tropical notes of watermelon, lychee and vanilla on the nose.