Quick Verdict

New Louisville Barrel House JB37 “Cake Daddy” is a solid neat pour with barrel-strength complexity, but water or ice quickly flattens it into a more ordinary bourbon.

This is a bottle that works best when left alone. Neat, it has proof, structure, sweetness, oak, and enough complexity to make it interesting. But once water or a cube of ice enters the picture, the layers fade quickly.

That makes it enjoyable, but limited.

What It Is

New Louisville Barrel House Barrel #JB37 is an 8-year single barrel straight bourbon whiskey bottled at 121.4 proof. The back label gives it the nickname “Cake Daddy” and describes it as a limited-edition single barrel selected by the New Louisville tasting team.

The label also says it was produced and bottled by PCS Distilling Company, 438 Baxter Ave., Louisville, Kentucky.

The bottle does not clearly state the original distillery source. Based on public information around New Louisville Barrel House releases, the whiskey is likely sourced, with MGP / Ross & Squibb in Lawrenceburg, Indiana often reported in connection with these bottles. But for my own notes, I would keep that distinction clear:

Bottle-confirmed producer/bottler: PCS Distilling Company
Reported likely source: MGP / Ross & Squibb
Bottle-confirmed distiller: Not stated on the label text I have

That matters because bourbon labels can tell different parts of the story: who distilled it, who produced it, who bottled it, and who selected the barrel.

Appearance

Deep amber to copper.

It looks the part of a barrel-strength bourbon: rich color, good density, and a sense of oak and proof before it even hits the glass.

Aroma and Flavor

The “Cake Daddy” name gives the right general expectation. This bottle leans into dessert-style bourbon notes, but with enough proof and oak to keep it from being soft.

I find it in the range of:

• Vanilla cake
• Brown sugar
• Caramel
• Cinnamon icing
• Toasted oak
• Barrel char
• Dark cherry
• Butterscotch
• Baking spice
• Leather
• Sweet oak

The profile is at its best when the proof is intact. Neat, the sweetness and barrel character sit together well enough to make the pour interesting.

Mouthfeel

Full, warming, and fairly viscous.

The back label uses the word viscous, and that fits the neat experience. At 121.4 proof, the whiskey has weight and presence. It coats the palate and carries enough heat to remind you that this is a barrel-strength pour.

Dry to Sweet

Sweetness: Moderately sweet.

This is a sweet-leaning bourbon, but not purely sugary. The cake, caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar notes are balanced by oak, spice, char, and proof.

Neat, that balance works.

With water or ice, the balance weakens.

Heat

Heat: Moderate to high.

At 121.4 proof, there is real warmth. I do not find that surprising or necessarily negative. The heat is part of the bottle’s identity.

The important issue is not the heat. The issue is what happens when you try to tame it.

Personal Note

I gave New Louisville Barrel House JB37 “Cake Daddy” a 7/10.

It is a nice drink with barrel-strength complexity when tasted neat. There is enough proof, sweetness, oak, and spice to make it enjoyable.

But once water or a cube of ice is added, it loses complexity quickly. The layered barrel-strength character fades, and it turns into a more ordinary everyday bourbon.

That does not make it bad. It just means the bottle has a narrower best use than I would like.

Where It Fits in My Palate

This bottle helped clarify something about how I judge barrel-strength bourbon.

I do like proof and complexity, but proof alone is not enough. A strong bottle still needs to hold together. If dilution causes it to collapse, that matters.

Compared with Blade and Bow, which I rate as a 10/10 everyday bourbon, New Louisville JB37 plays a different role. Blade and Bow is smooth, reliable, and easy to return to. JB37 is more intense and more interesting neat, but less flexible.

So for me:

Blade and Bow: everyday bourbon
New Louisville JB37 “Cake Daddy”: neat-only barrel-strength pour

What It Is Not

This is not my ideal everyday bourbon.
This is not a bottle I would pour over ice.
This is not one I would proof down with much water.
This is not a bottle whose complexity survives much dilution.

It is best treated as a neat pour.

Would I Buy Again?

Maybe, depending on price.

At the right price, I would consider another bottle or another barrel pick from New Louisville Barrel House. But I would not automatically rebuy this exact barrel unless I specifically wanted a neat-only barrel-strength bourbon with dessert-oak character.

Final Verdict

New Louisville Barrel House JB37 “Cake Daddy” is enjoyable, but conditional.

Neat, it has character.
With water, it fades.
With ice, it becomes ordinary.

For me, that makes it a 7/10: a good bourbon, a worthwhile tasting note, and a useful example of why serving method matters.