Barrell Bourbon And The Rise Of Bourbon Blender
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Non-Distiller Producers (NDP) is a term thrown around a lot in the bourbon world. These are brands that don't actually distill the whiskey. They only bottle the whiskey. However, there is a major step missing. Blending whiskey is one of the most underrated processes in the industry today.
In Scottland and Ireland, whisky blenders are revered as the "makers". In the United States, we look at the Master Distillers as the captain of the ship. The distilling process is extremely important. We can't overlook the process of blending and marrying unique flavor profiles into something great. The brand that introduced me to the importance of blending is Barrell Craft Spirits.
Barrell Craft Spirits contines to source and blend some of the best bourbon available today. While this may seem like the easier part, there is an art to blending. And, I'd say their record at spirit competitions proves this as well. I had a chance to chat with the founder, Joe Beatrice, a few months back. He goes in-depth about their process.
