Bardstown Bourbon Co. Fusion Series #2

I’ve always been curious about Bardstown, and thought I’d start with their most affordable offering. Keep in mind, this is a neck pour. The nose is sweet, fruity and slightly bitter. There are dried fruit, pears, toasted marshmallow, light leather, a light nuttiness, and nice baking spices. There is a slight ethanol twinge, but it’s not distracting. But for the most part, a promising nose. The palate is sweet, slightly bitter and oily but light bodied. There is honey, light corn, dusty oak, baking spices, brown sugar and some dried fruit. Time is your friend here, let it open up in the glass for 10mins or so. The finish is medium in length with an initial hit of sweet leather and then fading to lingering vanilla, oak, and dried fruit sweetness. Not a bad bourbon. At a little under 100 proof, this one drinks a lot hotter than the proof would suggest. Maybe it’s the 60% 3yr and 2yr old bourbons coming out. But I have a feeling this one is going to really shine as I get a little more headroom in the bottle.

Color: great copper/yellow color, I've seen lighter and darker Legs: quick to form, good spacing Nose: sweet corn and Carmel at first with some oily butter undertones. Not getting a ton of floral scents but am picking up a little spice/pepper and some cinnamon First sip: spicy first sip with some burn on the tongue, easy finish down without burn Taste: hello rye! From the nose to pallet and finish there are some complex differences. Sweet on the nose with some noticeable spice but the spice is rather pronounced on the tongue and across the pallet. I'm catching some heat that doesn't last too long after swallowing but it's a bit like that bite of cocktail sauce with heavy horseradish, kind of takes your breath away for a brief moment. I'm curious how this will open up given some air and will also give it a try over a single large cube to see how the ice can open it up too and maybe unlock some additional flavors.

Bought at Chalet Party Store in Elkhart. 40% (12 yr / 74 corn 18 rye 8 malted bar) 18% (3 yr/ 68 corn 20 wheat 12 malted bar) 42% (2 yr/ 60 corn 36 rye 4 malted bar). Found as the last bottle on the shelf - had probably been sitting on the shelf for 2 years. Color is light-medium amber. Smell is okay - toffee and caramel with hints of hay and soft rye spice. Mouthfeel is quite different: almost more like a jello with almost a chewy, leathery, grainy finish. Taste is light vanilla and almost like a pound cake with lingering baking spice. All-in-all it is good with a lot of potential, but the flavors feel underdeveloped. A splash of water opens up more of the woody, nutty aromas but actually blunts a lot of the flavors and smoothens and simplifies/dulls the flavors. Slightly disappointing.

I’ve had this bottle for some time and been waiting to review it. This particular bottle took almost 3 months to open up. I initially had it at their distillery and it was quite tasty. I had it when I got home after I cracked the bottle and I was unimpressed as it had a unique after taste that was unpleasant.. About 3 months later it opened up nicely. This is one of the rare bourbons other than Buffalo trace products that I tasted a nice sweet apple on the palate and that flavor is one of my favorites in a whiskey. Instead of a Carmel apple as I taste on much of Buffalo trace, I instead taste a cinnamon apple and the rye definitely kicks in on the back end. I really enjoyed this one but I found it a little annoying that it took so long to open up. 90/100

Nose is chocolate, vanilla, and nutmeg, plus some undiscernible, slightly sour note. Getting a strong chocolate note on the taste, making me very much a fan, followed by a very slight spice and cinnamon. A faint note of Luxardo cherry appears after a couple sips. Oak, leather and minimal drying tanins end quickly on a medium finish. The rye spice is definitely present on the finish. Paired my second pour with some dark chocolate and dropped in a single Luxardo cherry and it was phenomenal. I really appreciate their transparency regarding sourcing as well.

Smell - lots of baking spice, a sweet note between candy and honey. Taste - its smooth going down then the spice hits the back of your throat. Little tingles on the roof of my mouth as the sweetness and spice mix nicely. The more sips I take the sweeter it gets. Finish - smokey with the spice with a bit of that gummy after taste you get from some gummy bears or worms. Overall - good to sip and enjoy lively one super enjoyable as you sip and sip