Older and stronger is the key to this barrel-proof whiskey.

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BCS Gray Label Dovetail, a cask-finished whiskey from Louisville's Barrell Craft Spirits, is a step up from the original Barrell Dovetail, which featured casks of older whiskey.

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It contains whiskey from two countries, the US and Canada, and the end result is unique because of the barrel selection and extensive cask finishing process, even though the sources are familiar.

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There is no indication of the exact composition of the blend, but it contains bourbons from Indiana and Tennessee and rye whiskey from Canada aged for up to two decades. The components are each finished separately in different types of casks before blending: rum barrels, port barrels, and Cabernet barrels from Dunn Vineyards in Napa Valley. The unique combination of liquid and managed finishing process that makes Gray Label Dovetail stand out is the combination of these casks, which have all been used for a hundred years to finish a hundred different whiskeys.

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Why remake something that is already good? Hollywood needs to provide us with one lesson: those who claim the remake of The Wicker Man is better than the original are either afraid of losing their assistant position or have never seen the film. Barrell Craft Spirits founder Joe Beatrice stated that the original Dovetail was an industry and consumer favorite that was ripe for reinterpretation.

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On the nose, you'll find cider, cranberry and apricot, followed by strawberry rhubarb, peppercorn and coconut oil on the palate. At 131.54 proof, Gray Label Dovetail is no wallflower of a whiskey. Gray Label Dovetail is available now via Barrell's website and will be available at select retailers throughout the country. Just add a bit of water if you want to open it up and temper the ABV.