Barrell Craft Spirits 12-Year French Toast(ed) Bourbon
Finished in French Grand Chauffe Oak: A Blend of 12- to 17-Year-Old Whiskies from Four States
Louisville, Kentucky-based independent blender Barrell Craft Spirits has announced the release of French Toast(ed), a new 12-year-old bourbon in its age-stated Red Label Series. This American whiskey is finished in French oak casks and bottled at 107.24 proof (53.62% ABV).
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This blend of straight bourbon whiskies features components distilled in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wyoming, aged between 12 and 17 years. Barrell Craft Spirits married the whiskies before finishing them in a variety of French oak barrels with distinct toast levels, specifically highlighting Grand Chauffe casks to extract richer, deeper complexity.
According to official tasting notes, this whiskey delivers profiles of toasted brioche, vanilla custard, toasted nuts, cinnamon, clove, and crème brûlée. The producer noted that these French toast-like aromas emerged naturally during the blending process, serving as the inspiration for the release's name.
Continuing the Vintage Philosophy and Brand Exploration
Founder Joe Beatrice noted that this marks the brand's second 12-year-old French oak-finished bourbon. While built upon the same framework as the first release, Beatrice explained that the team approaches every batch like a distinct vintage, allowing each iteration to express its own unique character. He previously shared that the Red Label bourbon series offers a fresh take on the brand's legacy while paying homage to its roots.
Previously, in September 2025, the series debuted a similar finished bourbon blending 12- to 15-year-old stocks finished in French oak for 3 to 36 months, bottled at a cask strength of 113.4 proof. Founded in Louisville in 2013, Barrell Craft Spirits is an independent blender and bottler dedicated to sourcing diverse whiskies to explore distillation techniques, barrel craftsmanship, and maturation environments. Today, the brand's whiskies are distributed across 49 US states, Puerto Rico, the UK, South Korea, Ukraine, and Australia.
📅 Publish Date: 2026-10-14
🔗 Source: The Whiskey Wash