Bardstown Bourbon Company - Fusion Series #4
$55
Bardstown Bourbon Company – Fusion Series #4
Collection: Fusion Series #4
Proof: 94.9
Age: (Blend) 40% “Kentucky” 13 Year / 34% Bardstown 4 Year / 15% Bardstown 3 Year / 11% Bardstown 3 Year
Distillery: 40% Sourced / 60% Bardstown
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: In order of above (age): Corn 74% Rye 18% Barley 8% / C: 70% R: 18% B 12% / C: 78% R: 10% B: 12% / C: 60% R 40%
Website: Bardstown Bourbon Company
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Very spicy on the nose. The high rye comes through in the nose right off the bat. Other notes of Brown Sugar, Prunes, and Cedar Wood.
Taste/Palate: Very thin and dry. Once again the high rye count is obvious right out of the gate. It tastes very young and I don’t get a whole lot of the 13 year that makes up 40% of this juice. I have to dig deep into the palate to pick up non spice notes which are very light and don’t show up till the midpalate (Caramel, Nutmeg, Simple Syrup).
Finish: It finishes dry and I’d say pretty short for almost 95 proof. On the tail of this I pick up Baking Spices, Brown Sugar, and Orange Peel. 30 seconds into the finish I start to pick up something of char finally showing up.
Verdict: I had my hopes up when I first took in the nose on this, but the palate vs nose was night and day difference. If you’re a Rye drinker this one might be for you. My palate tends to favor the sweeter side. This bottle ended up not being my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong I like plenty of rye whiskeys, but this to me tasted like straight rye vs a bourbon with high rye percentage. I tried this in an old fashioned and it was great. I drink 95% of my whiskey neat and occasionally have a cocktail. I’d pick many many other bottles if I’m looking for a neat pour over this. At the $50+ price tag I won’t be grabbing another one of these when it’s gone. I certainly wouldn’t pour it down the drain, but it’s moved from my shelf to the rail for mixing drinks.
The Story: First, I’d like to point out that prior to tasting most bourbons I do NO research on the bottle prior to trying. I don’t even read the bottle other than the proof. I might see a post or a picture or someone tells me that it’s “awesome”. Yes, I have lived “Bourbon By Proxy” while looking at a $250 bottle and deciding if it’s worth the money, but in the case of a $55 bottle. I see it and it intrigues me, I buy it.
In the Case of Bardstown Fusion Series #4, I cracked open the bottle and tried it. Wasn’t a fan of it. Put it down and walked away. A couple weeks later I tried it again and wasn’t a fan. Tried it in a cocktail… That was good. Tried it neat again. Nope. Finally I decided to sit down, write down my tasting notes and do an actual review.
In the end I’m trying not to be too hard on this brand, because….
1. I’m not the biggest fan of dry Ryes.
2. After posting my review I checked to see what others thought… Some people really like this batch.
3. Bardstown is trying new and fun blends, things, etc.
4. I have yet to try any other Bardstown offerings. As a matter of fact I might go out and grab “The Prisoner” or one of the Discovery Series next to see if it’s just me on this particular batch.
The Distillery’s Story: Ok, I’m going to do a lot of speculation here. The about section on Bardstown distillery is short. A picture of the distiller makes it look brand new, like you could eat off the flood. Similar to Angel’s Envy. I did 5 minutes research to see what popped up on the first page of google and I believe all that I can come up with it Bardstown was founded in 2014… I think. They are on the Kentucky Bourbon trail (I have yet to visit) and they have contributed mash bills to brands like Belle Mead, Jefferson’s, & High West to name a few.
They are all about innovation and bringing in experience. Their executive team has a very impressive resume.
More to come about Bardstown. I’ll put more effort in my research of them for my next review and I’ll hit up a local store that just bragged about being stocked up on all things Bardstown.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Nose, Palate, and Finish I rank regardless of cost. Value (recent addition) is ranked based on taste vs price.
Reviewer: David S
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