graphics - Screwy use of Labeled in BarChart -- possible bug

SetOptions[BarChart, LabelStyle -> {}];
Options[BarChart, LabelStyle]

When I evaluate this code

BarChart[Labeled[#, Rotate["label", 90 Degree], Above, 
    LabelStyle -> Directive[Red, FontSize -> 32]] & /@ Range[8]]

with V11.0.1 on OS X I get

When I examine the InputForm the labels are coded like this:

Text[Style[
  Rotate["label", 
   90*Degree], {LabelStyle -> 
    Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 32], Directive[], 
   Directive[]}], Offset[{0, 4}, {1., 1.}], ImageScaled[{0.5, 0}]]

So we have the LabelStyle for Labeled plus duplicates of the global LabelStyle for BarChart.

SetOptions[BarChart, 
  LabelStyle -> Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 12]];

Now I get:

with the labels configured this way:

Text[Style[
  Rotate["label", 
   90*Degree], {BaseStyle -> 
    Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 24], 
          LabelStyle -> Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 32], 
   Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 12], 
          Directive[RGBColor[1, 0, 0], FontSize -> 12]}], 

 Offset[{0, 4}, {1., 1.}], ImageScaled[{0.5, 0}]]

which confirms the duplicate of the BarChart LabelStyle Directive. The configuration of the styling options for these labels looks to be a mess. I'm assuming that being unable to locally style the label use the Labeled LabelStyle option is a bug?

And when I try this:

SetOptions[BarChart, LabelStyle -> {}];
BarChart[Labeled[
    Style[#, Directive[FontColor -> Red, FontSize -> 32]], 
    Rotate["label", 90 Degree], Above] & /@ Range[8]]

I get this:

 Text[Style[Rotate["label", 90*Degree], {Directive[], Directive[]}], Offset[{0, 4}, {5., 5.}], ImageScaled[{0.5, 0}]]

Note also that modifying the LabeledLabel style in my stylesheet also had no effect.

This appears to be either a bug or a design oversight. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Answer

This looks like a bug. I'll seek confirmation from WRI and post accordingly. In the meantime Carl's suggestion is a work around:

BarChart[Labeled[#, Rotate["label", 90 Degree], Above, Directive[Red, FontSize 
-> 32]] & /@ Range[8]]

or alternatively from @kglr:

BarChart[Labeled[#, Style[Rotate["label", 90 Degree], Red, 32], Above] & /@ Range[8]]