Stellum Rye Vs. Barrell Rye Batch 3

Here we have a matchup of two different blended releases from Barrell Craft Spirits.
Stellum is their newer “entry” label - always available bottle, and the Rye Batch 3 is their higher end, single release product.
Let’s see which one is more worth your money!

🥃Stellum) $55, 116.2 proof. A blend of Indiana 95% rye mash bill with older barrels of Kentucky and Tennessee ryes blended in.
-The Nose starts like many good MGP ryes, with spearmint, cinnamon, and vanilla. But there is also some orange peel, butterscotch, and slight apple pie as well.
-The Palate also reminds me of really good BP MGP rye, but more complex. There is brown sugar, menthol, spearmint, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and black pepper, along with hints of apple and tangerine.
-The Finish is fairly long, with black pepper and mint turning into sweeter lingering cinnamon roll notes.
⭐️Overall, this is an impressive rye release at this price point, and one I’ll always have on my shelf!

🥃Barrel Rye) $80, 116.7 proof. A blend of ryes aged 4-14 years, sourced from Indiana, Tennessee, Poland, and Canada.
-The Nose is somewhat lighter, but also more complex, with notes of caramel, spearmint, black pepper, lemon peel, cut-grass, and butterscotch.
-The Palate is oily, and starts with sweet caramel that leads into cinnamon, black pepper, sweet orange citrus, butterscotch, and lemon-grass.
-The Finish is long, with those citrus and rye-spice notes lingering a long time to a slightly tannic end.
⭐️Overall, this is an extremely nice, very complex rye and is one of the best rye blends I’ve had this year!

🏆VERDICT) The short answer is I would buy both of these again! If you love MGP rye then you will love the added complexity of Stellum. If you prefer to branch out with Canadian ryes, then you will love the notes you get from those ryes in the Barrel Rye. I happen to REALLY love old Canadian rye, so the Barrell hits me just right... For that reason the Barrell is the winner for me today! But, I wouldn’t argue with anyone who chooses the Stellum, especially at the cheaper price point!

What do you guys think?