Whisky: Bardstown Discovery Series #5
Producer: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Several
Region: Kentucky and Tennessee
Whisky Type: Blend of Straight Bourbons
Age: NAS
ABV: 52.35% Cask Strength
Aged in Cask: New Charred American Oak
Price Range: $$$
Release: Fifth of the series

Bardstown Bourbon Company was founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin, David Mandell, Daniel Linde, and Garnett Black, located on 100 acres of farmland in Bardstown, KY, and considered one of the most innovative and technically proficient distilleries in Kentucky.

According to its website, the distillery produces nearly 40 unique mash bills for whiskey and bourbon brands like Jefferson’s Ocean, High West, Belle Meade, Hirsch, Calumet, James E. Pepper, and Cyrus Noble, among others.

Although there are distillery collections and limited edition bottlings, most of the expressions fall into two series:

• The Fusion Series: Young bourbon from Bardstown distillery is blended with aged bourbon from other distilleries to create new flavor profiles. There are seven releases of this series.
• The Discovery Series: This series showcases a blend of older bourbons (from other distilleries) to create unique expressions. There are eight releases of this series, which is considered premium.

Tasting Notes for Bardstown Discovery Series #5

This series is a blend of four straight bourbons with different mash bills and bottled at 52.35% ABV.

Whiskies in this blend have the following mash bills:

Mash bill #1: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, and 8% Malted Barley. The bourbon matured for 13 years in KY, representing 31% of the blend.

Mash bill #2: 84% Corn, 8% Rye, and 8% Malted Barley. The whiskey matured for 17 years in TN (George Dickel distillery), representing 25% of the blend.

Mash bill #3: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley. The bourbon matured for seven years in KY, representing 25% of the blend.

Mash bill #4: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley. The bourbon matured for six years in KY, representing 19% of the blend.

Nose: Lots of fruits, milk chocolate, and s’mores.

Palate: Orange flavor, creamy arrival developing into tannic notes of pepper and spices. Adding water reduces the tannic notes, but these are still noticeable.

Finish: Long with chocolate, leather, and a big peppery finish.

Conclusion: This bourbon needs time to breathe for a few minutes in the glass because it will not reveal the chocolate/s’mores notes from the start.

I like this bourbon better with one teaspoon of water because it brings all elements of the experience more in equilibrium, whereas drinking this neat, the pepper and tannic notes linger for too long for my taste. A good bourbon, but I do not think it is worth $139. Try it and let me know what you think. Cheers!

Score: 3.5/5 ⭐

If you would like to learn more about my visit to Bardstown Bourbon Company, click here:
https://thewhiskyknights.com/distillery-review-bardstown-bourbon-company/

Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$