Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series Review

While they’re waiting for their own stuff to fully age, this distillery is sourcing and, shocker, disclosing it! The Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series is a blend of other “discovered” bourbons. This particular release is a mix of three different mash bills at four different ages. They’re all from Kentucky, but that’s all we know.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series

I don’t have a problem with NDPs not disclosing where they get their whiskey from (they don’t in Scotland), it’s when they pretend to distill it that gets my ire up. This particular bourbon blend is a mix of barrels aged 10-13 years and, before we dig into this bourbon review, I’ve listed out the blend, as they’ve reported it, below.

5% Kentucky Bourbon (78% Corn,12% Rye,10% Malted Barley) – 13 years
75% Kentucky Bourbon (74% Corn,18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley) – 11 years
10% Kentucky Bourbon (75% Corn,13% Rye,12% Malted Barley) – 10 years
10% Kentucky Bourbon (75% Corn,13% Rye,12% Malted Barley) – 5 years

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series Review: Details and Tasting Notes

In Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Words:

The unifying concept in Discovery Series #1 is an 11-year-old Kentucky bourbon combined with light accents of older and younger bourbons.

Discovery Series Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Various
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 5 Years
ABV: 60.605%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 1

Price: $130*

Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy caramel

NOSE
Oak, caramel, vanilla and spice with notes of cocoa, nuts, dried cherries and some baking spice.

PALATE
Oak, spice, caramel and vanilla with bits of cocoa, dark fruit leather, roasted nuts.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, dried dark fruit, baking spice and hazelnuts.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Nice balance, round full body and an oily feel that runs a tad hot.

A tasty, and nicely balanced, blend of Kentucky Bourbons.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series Review: Overall and Score

A really good expression of a “standard bourbon”. The Aroma is rich with all the notes you might think of when you think “Bourbon”; Palate is the same but bolder and spicier with a heavier oak presence; Finish is a good fade out that starts oaky moves sweet and back to oaky.

This Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series is an excellent blend of bourbons. I’m getting a solid bourbon essence that meshes all of the “standard” notes that come to mind when thinking about bourbon, but in a way that’s deep, exciting and interesting. I’m enjoying what’s happening and am looking forward to polishing off this sample!

SCORE: 88/100 (B+)