Dovetail is Barrell's ongoing experiment in triple-finishing, and it's become one of the company's most loved expressions for good reason. The blend starts with straight bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, then splits them into three finishing regimes: Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon casks, Blackstrap rum casks, and Madeira casks. Once each component has taken on its finish, the streams are married back together into the final bourbon.
It's the kind of idea that could easily go wrong. Three finishing casks is, on paper, two too many — you'd expect a muddled, over-perfumed mess. Instead, Dovetail is one of the most gracefully integrated finished bourbons on the market. The Cabernet brings a bright, almost fresh dark-berry lift; the rum adds brown-sugar depth and a tropical whisper; the Madeira ties everything together with nutty, oxidative richness.
Bottled at cask strength and non-chill-filtered, Dovetail is a generous pour. It's high proof but doesn't read that way — the finishes have rounded off every sharp edge, and the spirit drinks like something considerably older than it likely is.
This is my go-to recommendation for drinkers curious about what finishing can really do. A small pour, neat, slowly. The whiskey will repay your patience with something worth remembering.
