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.

The visitor center opened in 2019 with an in-house restaurant and a modern bar with great whiskey options for every budget (from $2.5 to $2,500 a pour).

Bardstown Bourbon Company offers a suite of services to their clients, ranging from whiskey sourcing (i.e., distilling, barreling, aging, and bottling) to consulting services. Some of the most popular brands distilled at Bardstown for clients include Jefferson’s, High West, Belle Meade, Hirsch, James E. Pepper, and Calumet. According to our tour guide, 90% of their income comes from sourcing, while 10% comes from sales come from their brands (Discovery Series #5, Fusion Series #5, Discovery Series #6, Fusion Series #6, and Distillery Collection).

In terms of production capacity, the distillery produces 7 million gallons of whiskey and 110,000 barrels a year, making them one of the top 10 distilleries in the country.

Tours available at Bardstown distillery include From Barrel to Distillate, Honey Spot Barrel Thieving, Shaken & Stirred, Bardstown Bourbon Company Flight, Blend Tasting 101, A Taste of Bourbon History, Bourbon Bites, Head of the Class, and Tour with the Master.

This brief review is for the Honey Spot Barrel Thieving tour, which consists of a tasting of three bourbons straight from the barrels at one of the distillery’s rickhouses, ending with a toast at a rickhouse lounge.

The Whiskies at Bardstown Bourbon Company:

• Wheated Bourbon: A young bourbon (3 years) with a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley and bottled between 118% -122% proof.
  • Nose: Caramel.
  • Palate: Honey, feels very young.
  • Finish: Short.
  • There is too much proof and young age for my taste.
• Ryed Bourbon: Another young bourbon (2 years) with a mash bill of 64% corn, 18% rye, and 18% malted barley and bottled at 120% proof. The bourbon was aged using level three char.
  • Nose: Spicy.
  • Palate: Pepper and spicy notes.
  • Finish: Short with pepper.
• Rye Whiskey: A 4-year-old rye whiskey with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and bottled between 118% and 122% proof. The flagship rye of the distillery exhibits sharp oak and spicy flavors and a short finish. In my opinion, better than the last two bourbons.

The tour ended in the rickhouse lounge with a toast of a delicious bourbon FUSION SERIES™ #5 KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY.

Fusion #5 combines an 11-year-old sourced bourbon with two 3-4-year-old bourbons made at Bardstown Bourbon Company and bottled at 94.9% proof. The proportion of whiskey sourced to own is 30/70. Fusion #5 was my favorite bourbon of the tour, even though it did not come directly from the barrel. The lounge was very nice too.

What I liked about the experience at Bardstown Bourbon Company 🙂

• My group had the luck of being the first tour of the day, allowing us to get to the bar and engage with the bartender and enjoy a rye whisky while he told us about his favorite whiskeys and the wide range offered for any budget.
• I very much enjoyed what the company calls on its website “The Napa Valley Experience” which they describe as a strategy to combine an in-house restaurant, high-end whisky bar, and distilling expertise. I would feel very comfortable coming here with my wife because of the great experience they have created.

What I did not like about the experience at Bardstown Bourbon Company 🙁

• I enjoyed the experience of being in the rickhouse with a small group and a funny and knowledgeable guide. However, the whiskeys were young, and I did not feel like the three whiskies from the barrels were that special.

Score: 3.75/5 ⭐

Interested in distillery tours? Check other distillery reviews here. Do you want to see more pictures from Bardstown Bourbon Company? Click here.