Distillery: Barton 1792
Proof: 97.9
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Undisclosed
BACKGROUND: In December 2020, Barton 1792 distillery announced the new limited release of the Thomas S Moore cask finished series that would hit the shelves early 2021. The Thomas S. Moore series is a nod to Barton 1792's founder, Mr. Thomas S. Moore who built the distillery in 1889. The Thomas S. Moore cask finished series includes a port finished bourbon, cabernet finished bourbon, and most uniquely, a chardonnay finished bourbon. According to the press release, Barton 1792 plans to continue to release the Thomas S. Moore Series in the future. Chardonnay wine is a light and sweeter white wine that is usually dominated by fruity, citrus, and floral notes. Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection 2007 release was finished in Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay barrels, but since then, not many whiskey releases have used a chardonnay finishing barrel. Barton 1792 did not release a lot of information about what whiskey they finished in this series but it is most likely their standard 1792 Small Batch.
NOSE: Very spy and sweet with citrus notes dominating along with butterscotch, floral sweetness, oak, and baking spices like nutmeg and clove. There is a lightness to the nose as the scents come off shallow which left me smelling harder and harder. (20/25)
PALATE: Very interesting, the first sip was a roller coaster ride starting off with vanilla and dry oak before transitioning and being taken over by strong chardonnay/white wine notes and feel. The flavors are quite bitter and tart leaving me confused. I also pulled some buttery flavors and orange/lemon zest that left me feeling like I just drank a dry white wine. Overall, this one is a little bit all over the place with white wine flavors trying to work with the traditional bourbon flavors. (30/40)
FINISH: The finish is medium and spicy with a buttery mouthfeel. There is this weird white wine note that lingered and left me unsatisfied. (20/25)
VALUE: With a $70 SRP this is a unique and interesting whiskey that is already priced up near $100. (6/10)
Overall: 76/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay was a bit out there for me. It has a lot of weirdness and funkiness going on with a bit too much white wine flavor for my liking. If you are a white wine fan this is right up your alley but we recommend trying this one first before buying.
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay
Similar & Equal Whiskey: Barrell Infinite Barrel Project - 3/19/2020
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: Mischief Canal Street Bourbon
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
Below 50: Give away
