Throughout the year, Kentucky’s Barrell Craft Spirits sources barrels of whiskey from different states—usually Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee—and blends them into tasty new expressions. A few different batches of bourbon are released every year, as well as a couple of ryes, all bottled at cask strength that stand out in the American whiskey category. Then there are the various cask finishes, which range from rum and Japanese mizunara oak to more unusual spirits like Sicilian amaro and pear brandy. Some are better than others, of course, but for the most part it works, which proves that the Barrell team is meticulous when picking the right casks and choosing the precise proportions to blend together. Then there’s the annual New Year Bourbon, a chance for founder Joe Beatrice and his team to expand and expound upon the art of blending, a crucial but sometimes overlooked step in the process. The new 2025 New Year is a blend of bourbons of various ages that were distilled in e...