Chewy with vanilla and nougat with touches of fresh charcoal, it’s got a whiskey kick but it can’t mask that agave, at least after it opens up in the glass. Over time, Black Barrel develops more of a traditional anejo character, where agave and vanilla notes are a little more balanced.
I do get that cedar chip flavor, but there’s also herbaceous fresh cut grass and lemon citrus from the tequila that slides in and lightens things up to make this a much more interesting flavor profile. There’s also some good vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel that develops as the flavor progresses.
Heat, wood and cinnamon bark at first dominate the palate; agave finally reappears with time in the glass proving this an odd hybrid without the mouthfeel of a whiskey or the vegetal feistiness of a tequila.
