Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey Finished in Martinique Rum, Madeira & Apricot Brandy Barrels

NEW at Cooper Wine & Spirits

Hot off the press! – news from the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Barrell Craft Spirits wins 8 Double Golds including Barrell Seagrass!

Seagrass highlights the grassy oceanside notes we love in rye and the opulence and spice of finishing barrels. It is a blend of American and Canadian rye whiskeys, with each ingredient meticulously sourced and finished separately in Martinique Rhum Agricole casks, apricot brandy casks, and Madeira barrels.

Distillery Notes:

Seagrass is a blend of 4-16 year-old ryes.
The Canadian rye component is the oldest of the bunch. It’s blended separately and finished in Apricot brandy.
The American ryes are split into two groups and finished separately:
- One in Martinique Rhum Agricole barrels and the other in Sercial Madeira barrels.
These three components are then blended together to make Seagrass.

Flavor Notes:
A basket brimming with tropical and orchard fruits lies at the heart of this juicy whiskey, with prominent tones of ripe apricot from the brandy casks. The tropical notes are kept in check by a broad array of spicy and herbaceous rye aromas and complemented by the delicate florals of grassy, Martinique rhum. With a splash of water, the oxidized Madeira notes emerge, candying the fruit and bringing out an earthiness on the palate.

Kevin’s Notes:

Once again, we got a jump on the competition. My sales rep for Barrell gave me the heads up on this new Barrell release so I quickly ordered 4/6pks (24 bottles) and we received our entire order!

What I love about Barrell is their creativity for which they do not cut corners. As an example, Barrell did not source just any type of rum barrels, they used Martinique Agricole Rhum – agricultural and rum in French. Martinique Agricole Rhum is unique to its own. Its pure sugar juice rather than the byproduct molasses so drinkers can really taste the terroir. In Rhum Agricole’s case, this generally means a grassy, slightly funky taste with underlying tropical fruit qualities so you can imagine the deliciousness with added apricot brandy and madeira barrels put to the mix.
Well, honestly, I could not… so I tasted it for myself and my expectations were completely overwhelmed so I quickly bought two bottles for myself. Yes, there is a slight earthy grassy component, but the apricot, rose pedals, spice and a slight cherry note rises through the finish leaving you to lick your lips and thanking Barrell for their creativity and willingness to step outside the box!