Hidden Barn Bourbon is releasing its 2024 Madeira finished bourbon, aged for six years and finished for seven months in Madeira casks.  Master distiller Royce Neeley and master blender Jackie Zykan named this year’s release “Perfect Harmony”, inspired by the balance between the bourbon and the residual Madeira left in the oak barrel. 

Perfect Harmony is created using six-year-old bourbon distilled by Neeley using its mash bill of 70 per cent corn, 20 per cent rye and 10 per cent malted barley, transferred to age in first-use Madeira barrels for an additional seven months. The spirit is then open-air vatted for several days, allowing oxidation to occur and the entire batch to open up, contributing to the balance. Zykan blended eight barrels in order to create Perfect Harmony. 

Zykan commented: “It’s rare for a blender to create a blend and know instantly when we’ve hit the mark on what we’re trying to achieve. Very often we think about making tweaks here or there to see what will happen, but this year’s Madeira blend is spot on, with the perfect balance of what I was trying to achieve—the right combination between the oak and Madeira make it come full circle.” 

The producers have described Perfect Harmony as having tasting notes of creamy, full-bodied vanilla with hints of raisin.

Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon (RRP $89.99) is the third in the Maderia finish series.  It is available for sale at the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, KY, online, and at select retailers across the country.