Old Emmer Bourbon Toasted Barrel
Overall Score: 6.25/10
Overall Value: 2/5
Distillery: IJW Whiskey Company
Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished with Toasted Staves
Company: Spirits Direct (Total Wine)
Release Date: 2025
Proof: 88
Age: Minimum of 4 years
Color: Hazelnut
MSRP: $100 (2026)
Mashbill: High-Wheat Featuring Ancient Emmer Wheat
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose on this Old Emmer Bourbon Toasted Barrel is immediately fruit-forward, bouncing between red fruit and sweeter, almost candy-like notes. Cherry sours and Red Hots cinnamon lead the way, followed by an almost Froot Loops–style fruitiness. Vanilla and sticky honey add brightness, while cedar, aged oak, and an occasional pecan nuttiness bring some balance. There’s even a fleeting hint of banana cream pie. For an 88-proof bourbon, the nose is surprisingly expressive and layered.
The mouthfeel of the palate is silky and full considering the proof, but the flavor doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the nose. The sweetness drops off quickly, shifting toward smoky leather, light char, and drying oak. Some raisin and muted fruit notes remain, but they fade fast. The low proof becomes more noticeable here, with the palate feeling flatter and less developed than expected, offering basic bourbon flavors without much depth.
The finish mostly extends what’s already on the palate. Cigar smoke, dry oak, and char dominate, with brief flashes of peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and honey before disappearing. It leans noticeably dry rather than sweet, and while it helps round out the sip slightly, it doesn’t add much new complexity.
Old Emmer Toasted Barrel is a bourbon that starts strong and finishes soft. The nose sets high expectations with its fruit, spice, and dessert-like aromas, but the palate and finish struggle to keep pace. At its MSRP around $100, it falls short of delivering the depth or uniqueness most drinkers would expect. If found on Sale, it may be easier to justify, especially for those who enjoy lighter, low-proof toasted profiles.
That said, the comparison within the lineup is unavoidable—the Old Emmer Cask strength release shows just how much potential this whiskey can have. While the toasted barrel version looks great on the shelf and offers an enjoyable nose, it ultimately feels like style and branding are doing more of the work than the whiskey itself.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 6.5/10
Value: 2/5
THE NOSE:
Red fruit, Cinnamon, and Cedar is the main profile I get from the nose.
More specifically, cherry sours mixed with the red hot candies.
I also get the occasional trace of a pecan nuttiness.
THE TASTE:
The mouthfeel is silky and full even for the lower proof point. The palate loses a bit of the sweetness from the nose and I get a more smoky leather profile.
The fruitiness isn't completely gone though there is still a bit of a raisin note.
The woodiness makes more of an appearance as well moving more into the aged oak profile rather than cedar.
THE FINISH:
The finish really doesn't do much more than draw out the flavors from the palate.
A bit more cigar smoke, and I got the occasional dash of peanut butter and chocolate.
Only dry and not sweet.
BUY OR PASS?
The problem with this bottle is that you really want this to live up to the $100 price point and it falls just short of that expectation. It does quite a lot for 88 proof, but really doesn’t hit any unique notes.
The palate and the finish were also just a bit too much on the dry side for me.
The Hunter Says
Score: 6/10
Value: 2/5
THE NOSE:
It’s very fruity but leans a bit artificial, almost exactly like Froot Loops.
There’s also strong vanilla and honey, and that honey note reminds me of the kind that sticks to the little wooden dipper, with a bit of oak mixed in.
I even get some sweet banana cream pie. For an 88-proof bourbon, there’s a surprising amount happening here.
THE TASTE:
Then the palate shows up… and doesn’t bring much with it.
The low proof really shows, and everything feels flat.
There’s a tiny bit of basic bourbon flavor, but that’s about it. Very little depth.
THE FINISH:
The finish helps things a little.
Some sweetness returns—vanilla and honey mostly—but it fades fast and gets covered up by char almost immediately.
BUY OR PASS?
Overall, this pour is better when you’re not thinking about it too hard. If you sip quickly or try to analyze it, most of the sweetness disappears. It feels like the beautiful bottle and “double toasted” branding are doing a lot of heavy lifting to distract from a pretty weak whiskey. At $100 MSRP, it’s very underwhelming.
But on the bright side—Old Emmer Cask Strength. That one’s fantastic.
