Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye

VITALS:

- $60

- 96 Proof

- 6 years

- Batch 1 - Distilled Spring 2017

- Kentucky

When Bardstown first released its initial Origin Series bottlings, a high rye bourbon and a wheated bourbon, I jumped at getting them. I opened the high rye bourbon and really enjoyed it! Though I haven't opened the wheated bourbon yet, I've heard good things about that one as well. So, I was certainly eager to try the rye when that was subsequently announced as the next offering in their Origin Series. 

This rye is finished in toasted cherry wood and oak barrels. I didn't know that going in, and I was intrigued upon reading it on the label. What I found more intriguing, though, was the mashbill (which, by the way, I love Bardstown for including on every product of theirs).  This is a 95/5 mashbill, meaning its made of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, much like MGP, whose rye whiskey I've grown to love. So I was really excited to try this to see how it stacks against that other 95/5 rye. 

On the nose I immediately got many of those same notes I'm accustomed to getting from MGP. I got notes of mint as well as a light dill note. Luckily, that dill note did not dominate as I've gotten in some bottles. This did not lean "green" in any way. It also had a very healthy amount of vanilla, giving it a bit of a bourbon quality. It smelled like a rye, certainly, but one that leaned sweeter. I did not get a whole lot of spice on the nose. 

As to flavor, right up front I got that same mint and vanilla. The mint was bright and sweet, and in many ways reminded me of mint ice cream, or perhaps a Shamrock Shake.  I happen to love Shamrock Shakes and look forward to that wonderful time of year when I can actually get them, so while it may sound like a weird whiskey tasting note, I was nonetheless a big fan!

The vanilla was accompanied by some spice as well, kind of like pepper and ginger, perhaps a bit of cinnamon. It all seemed to combine to create a cream soda flavor which, on later pours, seemed to lean more towards a root beer note. This was about the only time that the flavor combinations got a touch weird, but it was still good.

On the finish a cinnamon spice, which had been oddly missing up to this point, finally made a very welcome appearance. The mint notes subsided, but the vanilla notes lingered, providing for a sweet and spicy finish that left a very nice taste in my mouth.

All in all, for their first rye under this line and for the fairly accessible price, this was a very good rye that I would certainly recommend any rye-lovers give a go!

Grade: B+

Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $45

- 96 Proof

- 6 years

- Batch 1 - Distilled Fall 2016

- Kentucky

I've grown quite the affinity for most things that Bardstown Bourbon Company is doing. With only a few exceptions, I've loved just about every release that they've put out, including both their bourbon blends and their collaborations.  I've even been surprised by some of those collaborations that I didn't figure would be for me and I ended up loving, such as the Goose Island collaboration.

Given the pricing on their newest release, this Origin Series as well as a bottled in bond Origin Series release, I was pretty confident that I'd be picking up a bottle to try. After all, I knew where the floor was, and that I'd only go up from there.  Plus, given its a high rye mashbill (36% rye), this should be my kind of bourbon!

On the nose I noticed that rye influence right away. I was immediately hit with a strong cinnamon note. It also had some rich, dark cherry notes, as well as a bit of a tangy amaretto aroma. There was almost a coffee bean note as well, which I found interesting. At 96 proof, this doesn't necessarily classify as a "big" whiskey, but it certainly had a big nose.

The flavor somewhat matched, but it was a bit more cherry-forward than the nose. In fact, in my notes this apparently came across as some sort of cherry two-ways dish. I got rich, spiced cherry on one hand, and on the other I got those sweet maraschino cherry notes, the kind you top a sundae with. Either way, this was unquestionably cherry-forward.

There was a bit of cinnamon spice, but not nearly as much as on the nose. It also had some Old Fashioned qualities to it, as I got some orange peel and even a bit of brown sugar sweetness.  There was a certain level of malt or cracker-like flavor, kind of like graham crackers but less sweet.

On the finish that cherry note remained, but of the two it was the spiced cherry note that seemed to hang around the most. The finish had a bit of clove and black pepper to it, as well as the last remnants of that cracker note. 

At $45 for a 6 year, high rye bourbon, this is not only accessible but very good! I can't wait to dive into the bottled-in-bond version!

Grade: B+

Bardstown Bourbon Company Phifer Pavitt Reserve Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $125

- 100 Proof

- 10 Years

- Tennessee

I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of Dickel products. While some people love the stuff, I just have yet to find one that has really suited my palate. That chalky, fake vitamin note is real, and it just doesn't work for me.  

However, when I was offered the chance to buy this bottle, I still couldn't help myself. This is yet another collaboration from Bardstown, this time collaborating with Phifer Pavitt to finish this 10-year old Tennessee whiskey in Phifer Pavitt Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. This is the second such release, and the first one got some pretty good reviews. So, despite knowing that this was sourced from Dickel, my FOMO got the best of me, and I plunked down the cash to take this one home.  It's interesting to note that while this is 100 proof, it's also labeled as "cask strength."  That's quite the coincidence there that it landed right at 100 proof without any dilution.

The nose certainly lets you know right away that this a wine finished bourbon. The fruit-forward aromas of dark cherry and blackberry really came through. I even got a bit of blueberry off the nose that I really enjoyed. It also had that caramel base to it, as well as a light cinnamon spice to sort of round everything out.  The nose on this bourbon was delicious, and I found myself sniffing my Glencairn constantly while drinking this.

On my first sip, I was looking for those Dickel notes, the Flintstone Vitamins note that so many people get. But, I didn't notice it here . . . at first.  Rather, I got sweet notes of smooth butterscotch, like ice cream topping. That blended well with the flavors from the wine finish. I didn't get so much the cherry that I got on the nose, but the blackberry was certain prevalent. I even got the blueberry notes that I got from the nose, probably a first for me as far as tasting notes go.

Unfortunately, though, as I made my way through this bottle, those vitamin notes started coming through. It wasn't the fake grape flavor that I got in the Dickel Bottled in Bond that put me off, but rather more of a strawberry note. In that respect it wasn't offensive or anything, just there and noticeable.

The finish seemed to kind of wash away that vitamin note, however, bringing in the cinnamon spice that I got off the nose. This is also where the cherry note came through, leaving a real dark cherry note (as opposed to artificial cherry) that lingered for a considerably long time after the finish. It turned out that the finish was what I enjoyed the most about this bourbon, and it's the reason I went back for more pours.

I still hesitate to grab Dickel distillate, and this certainly didn't change my mind. However, I did feel that what they did with the finishing on the distillate was very good. I loved the notes the Phifer Pavitt barrels introduced to the whiskey, I only wish it were a different whiskey . . . and a different price.

Grade: B

Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Straight Bourbon finished in Armagnac Barrels

VITALS:

- $125

- 118.4 Proof

- 12 yrs.

- Indiana

Thanks to a good friend of mine who introduced me to the spirit, I've found a love for well-aged (or even moderately aged) Armagnacs. I've come to love the nutty and fruity tones I find in them, not to mention their general availability and reasonable prices given that Armagnac just hasn't seen the boom that bourbon has.

As a result, I've been gravitating towards Armagnac and even Cognac finished whiskeys. In fact, I had a High West Double Rye! finished in Armagnac barrels that was delicious!!  So, when the Bardstown Chateau de Laubade finished bourbon came out, I was certainly intrigued. When I finally got the chance to check out the label, and I was able to immediately learn that this was 12 year barrel strength MGP that was then finished in Armagnac barrels, I knew I was buying one. And, as odd as it may seem, given the market, that price for a 12-year barrel strength MGP bourbon is probably right in line with where it should be. 

Even starting with the nose, this was an incredibly interesting, complex and even fun bourbon. The nose was full of dark fruits, and I got a lot of plum and even sweet raisin. It had a graham cracker pie crust note to it as well, along with some anise to spice it up a bit. This was all over a layer of vanilla and brown sugar that only added to the rich sweetness. It smelled like a fresh baked pie!

As to the flavor, it's worth noting that to things came on strong right away -- the heat and the Armagnac influence.  Both were quite alright with me, though! The rich sweetness from the nose was certainly front and center, as I was immediately hit with strong notes of molasses and raisin. It had that healthy dose of vanilla right up front as well, which lasted from the beginning through to the finish.

The fruit notes were absolutely prevalent. I was getting dark cherry notes, as well as some baked pear and even baked apple cinnamon notes. That cinnamon provided a nice spice to counter the sweetness from the fruit notes and the molasses flavor. 

It had a brighter note to it as well, kind of like apricot. That apricot note seemed to be tempered a bit, however, by a rich nutty note, somewhere between an almond and a cashew. The more I made my way through this bottle, the more that nutty note came through. 

All in all, this was an absolutely fantastic pour. It was interesting, full of flavor, not too sweet with a light amount of spice, and full bodied. It packed a punch with the heat, but that didn't get in the way for too long, and the later pours were significantly less hot. Despite the price, this was an amazing finished bourbon and well worth it!  I hope Bardstown keeps playing around with finishes the way they've been doing, because this was one the more "fun" whiskeys I've had in a long time.

Grade: A

Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #2 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $55
- 98.9 Proof
- Blend of 2, 3 and 12 years
- Batch #2
- Kentucky

I've heard a lot of media love for Bardstown Bourbon Company. From what I've picked up, they're primarily a contract distilling company but are also putting out some of their own distillate, and some of that distillate has been blended into their Fusion Series bourbons.

In this particular batch, 18% is their own 3 year wheated bourbon, 42% is their own 2 year and 10 month high rye bourbon, and 40% is a 12 year bourbon from an undisclosed source. What's great about these whiskeys is the transparency, providing not only the ratios for the blends, but also the age and the mashbill of each whiskey that makes up the blend.

I had sampled Batch #1 of the Fusion Series on two different occasions, and I wasn't overly impressed either time. Accordingly, I did not find myself reaching for a bottle off the shelf. However, as Christmas came around, this bottle came to me as a gift, and I was more than happy to now give it a fair shake.

It had a light, spicy cinnamon note on the nose, followed by a sweet and soft caramel undertone. I also got something bright and fruity, almost like dried apricot. All in all, it smelled sweet with a light spiciness and with a bit of rich cooked sugar.

The flavor, though was very caramel forward. This was definitely sweeter than the Batch #1 I had tried. It drank very much like a wheated bourbon. The caramel translated to an almost cola flavor, and at times came across as brown sugar.

I did get a nice black pepper spice to balance that sweetness out a bit. Some of the tangy qualities of the dried apricot seemed to make their way through from time to time, but those flavors were fleeting.

Aside from the rich cola and caramel notes, though, I also got a sweet vanilla along with baked goods. By the last few pours, I was distinctly reminded of those soft, store-bought iced sugar cookies, the ones that come in packs of 10 or 12 and come with really bright frosting and usually sprinkles. Perhaps you can relate, perhaps you can't, but that's what I was getting.

After sampling the first batch, I likely wasn't ever going to get around to trying Batch #2. Now that I was gifted a bottle, however, I realize that would have been a mistake. I found this bottle to be really tasty, and I certainly would go back to it again, not to mention try future batches.

Grade: B+