Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo) and its sister distillery, Green River, have been busy pumping out a slew of new releases these last few months! BBCo just released its Origin series High Wheat Bourbon at 106 proof (if you haven’t bought a bottle yet, run to get one – it’s that good. It’s a contender for my top whiskey of 2024). In addition, Green River released their Full Proof, plus a handful of single-barrel expressions.

But Bardstown also released a new collaborative series, including a Blend of Straight Bourbons finished in Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels. It’s a blend of bourbons aged from nine to fourteen years, which is then finished in the cab barrels for another 17 months. This release clocks in at 108 proof (54% ABV). The blend is comprised of:

– 25% 14yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (75%), rye (13%), malted barley (12%)
– 23% 12yr Tennessee, mash bill of corn( 84%), rye (8%), malted barley (8%)
– 22% 10yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (78%), rye (13%), malted barley (9%)
– 15% 9yr Indiana, mash bill of corn (75%), rye (21%), malted barley (4%)
– 10% 10yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (78%), rye (10%), malted barley (12%)
–  5% 12yr Georgia, mash bill of corn (80%), rye (10%), wheat (5%), malted barley (5%)

Silver Oak Cellars, established in 1972, is a California winery making well-regarded Napa and Alexander Valley wines. Its Cabernet Sauvignon wines are highly sought after and have reached “cult” status.

Appearance: In the glass, this appears as a rich mix of caramel and copper.

Nose: Notes of caramel and vanilla, with hints of red wine and an oakiness in the background. I tried it in two different Glencairn glasses; both times, the whiskey presented with cooked agave aromas.

Palate: The palate starts hot, giving way to notes of cashews, peanuts, and pistachios. There’s also a leather backing note that I’m not a huge fan of, but I don’t hate it, either. Additionally, red wine is notable on the sides of the palate, but little more.

This whiskey is a pass, in my opinion. I just don’t find the flavors I expected from a collaboration between these two giants.

The second new national release from Bardstown I sampled was the Discovery Series 12th edition. This year’s Discovery is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon that is selling out in stores and online. If you see one (and like my review below), you should pick it up! It’s that good!

Discovery 12 is a blend of four different mash bills, possibly from two producers. The main mash bill listed below (14yr corn 75%, rye 13%, malted barley 12%) is commonly associated with Wild Turkey, although we’re not sure there is Turkey liquid in this blend. What we do know is the blend:

– 48% 14yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (75%), Rye (13%), malted barley (12%)
– 29% 10yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (78%), Rye (10%), malted barley (12%)
– 15% 14yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (78%), Rye (13%), malted barley (9%)
– 8% 6yr Kentucky, mash bill of corn (75%), Rye (13%), malted barley (12%) (Confirmed Bardstown Bourbon Co.)

This release clocks in at 57.4% ABV/115.2 proof.

Appearance: In the glass, the whiskey presents a slightly dark liquid gold color with yellow-gold highlights and hues.

Nose: I’m getting a lot of nice, soft, buttery wheat notes followed by subtle hints of raspberry. Additionally, there is a nice subtle rye spice with a bit of leather.

Palate: At first taste, it was intensely bitter, shifting to allow the wheat to shine alongside that rye spice I noticed in the nose. Peanuts, leather, char, and strawberry puree round out the palate.

I’ve been a fan of Bardstown since I first met their late founder, Pete Loftin. After sending him a message on Instagram, we connected poolside at the Beverly Hills hotel where he was staying. We sat around the pool for at least an hour, drinking and chatting about bourbon, life, and the world at large. Pete was gracious enough to gift me the remainder of the (almost full) bottle of Discovery #1, which I toted around for the next three days, sharing it with anyone who would let me pour them some. That was about five or six years ago, and I’ve supported the brand ever since.

I want to thank Bardstown Bourbon Co. for providing these samples in exchange for my honest opinions!