Shortbarrel The Afterswarm II Double Barrelled Honey Cask finished Toasted Straight Rye Whiskey (2025) 75cl
Afterswarm is built on a simple idea:
condition the barrel first—then let the whiskey do the work.
We introduce raw honey directly into Kelvin barrels, allowing it to soak into the oak staves. Once removed, the rye enters those honey-conditioned barrels for extended maturation.
No additives.
No sweetening.
Just structural influence from the wood itself.
The result is not a flavoured whiskey—it’s a whiskey reshaped by what the barrel has become.
Both Afterswarm releases start the same way: 95/5 rye base Blend of mature rye whiskeys Finished in honey-conditioned Kelvin barrels Aged in Atlanta for final maturation The only difference: the honey used to condition the barrel.
Finished in barrels conditioned with Georgia wildflower honey, this release leans into the natural tension between rye spice and aromatic lift.
TASTING NOTES
Nose
Honeycomb | Vanilla cream | Toasted marshmallow | Lemon | Floral
Palate
Barrel-aged honey | Brown sugar | Apple streusel pie | Allspice
Finish
Butterscotch | Clover honey | Cinnamon spice | Rye spice | Black pepper | Sweet oak
About Shortbarrel
Shortbarrel was born in 2015 as a tight-knit group of bourbon enthusiasts in Atlanta and has evolved into one of the most exciting names in American whiskey. Adam Dorfman, Clinton Dugan and Patrick Lemmond are three friends bound by a passion for the hunt, the pour and the stories shared around every bottle. What started as a hobby quickly became an obsession, leading us to hand-select more than 350+ barrels between 2016 and 2020.
The real turning point came in 2020, on a Sunday in Louisville, KY. After hours of tasting, we crossed paths with a barrel broker and in a moment of bourbon-fueled inspiration we decided to make the jump and create a brand of our own: Shortbarrel. Our first bottles hit Georgia shelves in early 2021 and we never looked back.
Since then, we’ve grown from the local favorite to regional name. We’re proud to be available in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee. We also provide online shipping to 47 states across the country.
In 2023, we acquired Old Fourth Distillery, Atlanta’s first distillery since Prohibition. We didn’t start it, but we’ve rebuilt it with a clear vision: to revive Georgia whiskey, elevate Southern spirits and honor local legacy every step of the way.
In October 2025, we opened our flagship kitchen, bar and retail shop in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, now sharing Atlanta-made spirits to the world’s busiest Terminal E across from Gate 28.
We’re not just here to bottle great bourbon. We’re here to build something real, from the friendships forged over barrel picks to the moments shared over a neat pour. At Shortbarrel, we show up, we pour generously and we always keep it interesting.
A shortbarrel is a barrel that has lost more than 50% of its contents to the angel’s share, leaving behind a whiskey incredibly deep in flavour – it makes an immediate impact on the first sip, then reveals layers of complexity all the way through the exceptionally long finish. While not every shortbarrel is a winner, through their experience picking barrels for others, the founders have prided themselves on finding those exceptional barrels that make you want to return again and again.
The company was named Shortbarrel because that is the profile the founders strive to achieve with every bottle – a spirit so compelling, from the moment it touches your lips through to the long finish, that you can’t wait to have another sip to uncover the other flavours that lie within.
55.3% ABV
75cl
