Sometimes the best bourbon discoveries come from bottles you’ve never heard of.

That was certainly the case when I wandered into Publix Liquors and came across two unfamiliar bottles: Barrel Key 6-Year Bourbon and Barrel Key 8-Year Bourbon. Both carried respectable age statements, and neither was priced outrageously. The six-year was $37.99, while the eight-year was $42.99.

But here’s where things got interesting. Publix was offering a buy-one, get-one-free promotion. I could walk out with both bottles for $42.99, or roughly $21.50 apiece.

Now that’s the kind of math that makes a Bourbon Cheapskate happy.

There was just one problem. I knew absolutely nothing about Barrel Key. And as I soon discovered, neither did much of the whiskey-drinking world.

Unlocking the Mystery

My first attempts to research Barrel Key produced surprisingly little information. There were a few retailer listings and scattered reviews, but not much about who actually made the stuff.

The bottles themselves weren’t particularly helpful. Both identified their producer and bottler as Barrel Key of St. Louis, Missouri. There was no distillery identification number, no obvious indication of where the whiskey was distilled, and nothing that revealed the mash bills.

A little digging through trademark records and the Missouri Secretary of State’s website eventually led me to TransChemical, a St. Louis company operating under the name Avantis.

That wasn’t exactly what I’d expected.

TransChemical is an established supplier of specialty ingredients and bulk spirits to the beverage industry. Its St. Louis address didn’t exactly conjure up images of rolling Kentucky hills, picturesque rickhouses or generations of master distillers.

But appearances can be deceiving. And the more I investigated, the more interesting Barrel Key became.

I contacted the company, explained that I was preparing a review, and asked whether someone could shed a little light on the bourbon. To my delight, their representative responded with a wealth of information.

First, Barrel Key really is a TransChemical/Avantis brand. Second, both expressions are sourced bourbons distilled in Indiana and aged for the majority of their lives in Oklahoma’s semi-arid climate. TransChemical handles the proofing, blending and bottling.

That Indiana-to-Oklahoma-to-Missouri journey is certainly different from the usual bourbon story. And the mash bills turned out to be especially interesting. The six-year is made from 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. That’s a fairly traditional high-rye bourbon recipe.

The eight-year, however, is something different. It’s a blend of two bourbons. One shares the six-year’s 75/21/4 mash bill. The other is a high-wheat bourbon made from 60% corn, 36% wheat and 4% malted barley.

Suddenly, something I’d noticed during my tasting made a lot more sense. But we’ll get to that.

Barrel Key 6-Year: A Pleasant Surprise

At 94 proof, the six-year isn’t trying to knock anyone over with alcohol. And that’s perfectly fine with me. A bourbon doesn’t have to be barrel strength to be enjoyable.

The first thing I noticed was a tart oak character that would eventually turn up in both expressions. It wasn’t particularly unpleasant, but it was distinctive enough to get my attention.

Beyond that, there was plenty to like. Brown sugar sweetness came through nicely, accompanied by caramel and chocolate. Unlike some budget bourbons that offer one or two flavors before disappearing, this one had enough going on to keep things interesting.

The mouthfeel wasn’t especially rich or viscous, but it wasn’t disappointingly thin, either. It had enough body to support the flavors without making a big production of itself.

Most importantly, it was very sippable.

There’s something to be said for a whiskey that doesn’t demand your attention but rewards it when you give it some. Barrel Key 6-Year fits that description rather nicely. I wouldn’t call it extraordinary, but I would call it good bourbon. And at an effective price of $21.50, it was an especially good purchase.

Barrel Key 6-Year — 94 Proof
Regular Price: $37.99
Final Score: 81.05

That’s a respectable showing for a relatively unknown bourbon. But its older sibling had something else in store.

Barrel Key 8-Year: Now We’re Talking

The eight-year comes in at 114 proof, a substantial 20-proof increase over the six-year. And the difference is immediately apparent.

This is a richer, more assertive bourbon, with considerably more viscosity and a mouthfeel that really coats the tongue.

And chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

If you’ve followed my whiskey reviews for any length of time, you know that I’m a sucker for dessert-like bourbon flavors. Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, cherries and baking spices are my happy place.

Barrel Key 8-Year walked right into that neighborhood and made itself at home.

Alongside the chocolate came a substantial dose of cinnamon, giving the sweetness some much-needed contrast. There was still that tart oak character I detected in the six-year, but here it was surrounded by considerably more intensity and richness.

I will say that the proof makes itself known. At 114, there’s enough alcohol heat that some drinkers might prefer to add a few drops of water or an ice cube. The folks at Avantis actually designed the bourbon with that flexibility in mind, reducing the proof only slightly from its original barrel strength.

But even neat, I found it very, very sippable.

And here’s where the mystery got particularly interesting. While tasting the eight-year, I wondered whether it might be a wheated bourbon. The abundance of chocolate and the rich texture reminded me of some of the wheated expressions I’ve enjoyed over the years.

When I investigated TransChemical’s bulk spirits catalog, I discovered that the company offered aged wheated bourbon, including a 10-year expression. That made me even more curious.

As it turned out, my instincts weren’t entirely off base. The company confirmed that the eight-year blends a traditional high-rye bourbon with a high-wheat bourbon. The latter uses a mash bill containing 36% wheat.

Now, that doesn’t mean wheat is solely responsible for the chocolate notes. Barrels, aging conditions, fermentation and blending all contribute to a whiskey’s flavor. But it was gratifying to discover that my suspicion had some foundation.

And more importantly, the blending works. The eight-year is not simply a more mature version of the six-year. It’s a different whiskey, with a different composition, a considerably higher proof and a much more substantial flavor profile.

Barrel Key 8-Year — 114 Proof
Regular Price: $42.99
Final Score: 84.47

That score puts it 3.42 points ahead of the six-year and, more importantly, makes it a legitimate candidate for next year’s Bourbon March Madness tournament.

For a bottle I’d never heard of before walking into Publix, that’s quite an accomplishment.

The Bourbon Cheapskate Verdict

So, which bottle would I recommend? Both, actually. But there’s a clear winner.

The six-year is a good everyday sipper, particularly if you can catch it on sale. It delivers pleasant brown sugar, caramel and chocolate flavors without overwhelming the palate. At 94 proof, it’s approachable and enjoyable.

But the eight-year is where the magic happens.

For just five dollars more at regular retail, you’re getting a richer, more complex bourbon with two additional years of age, 20 additional proof points and a distinctive blend of high-rye and high-wheat whiskey.

At $42.99, I’d seriously consider buying it again. At the BOGO price, there’s almost no question. In fact, after tasting both bottles, I decided I needed to return to Publix for another round of that promotion. Only this time, I wasn’t planning to buy one of each.

I wanted two of the eight-year.

And that’s probably the strongest endorsement I can give any bourbon in this series. I’m not simply telling you it’s good. I’m telling you I enjoyed it enough to spend more of my own money on it.

There’s one final piece of information worth sharing. According to Avantis, Barrel Key is sold exclusively through Publix, so availability will be limited to the markets where the grocery chain operates. But if you live in Publix territory and come across these bottles, don’t dismiss them simply because the name is unfamiliar.

The six-year is worth a look. The eight-year is worth considerably more than that.

Sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great bourbon bargain isn’t knowing every bottle on the shelf. It’s being willing to try one you don’t know. And in this case, Barrel Key opened a door to something rather delicious.

Final Scores

• Barrel Key 6-Year (94 Proof): 81.05
• Barrel Key 8-Year (114 Proof): 84.47

Prices: $37.99 and $42.99, respectively. Purchased together during a Publix BOGO promotion for $42.99 before tax.

Special thanks to the team at TransChemical/Avantis for answering my questions about Barrel Key’s origins, mash bills and production. Their information helped put these two bottles—and their differences—into perspective.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.