Home Bourbon Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #1

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #1

June 12, 2019 · By Eric · 8.6 / 10
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Whiskey Consensus Score
8.6 /10
Excellent
Score Breakdown
Nose
8.9
Palate
9.2
Finish
8.7
Complexity
8.9
Value
7.5
Consensus Score
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8.6
/ 10
Our Verdict
Excellent

blend of 10% five-year bourbon, 10% ten-year bourbon, 75% eleven-year bourbon, and 5% thirteen-year bourbon sourced from Kentucky

The Good

  • Label Transparency
  • Palate
  • Complexity

The Bad

  • Availability
  • Price
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #1

A little background

The Bardstown Bourbon Company is a proverbial new kid on the block within the bourbon world.  They have come out swinging with a state-of-the-art distillery and many recognizable names hired on in key positions.  For their first Discovery release they used a blend of 10% five-year bourbon, 10% ten-year bourbon, 75% eleven-year bourbon, and 5% thirteen-year bourbon sourced from three different Kentucky distilleries and bottled it at the cask strength of 121.21 Proof.  Suggested retail price of $129.99.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color

Dark Copper

Nose

Layers upon layers of rich dark cocoa, caramel, cinnamon, allspice, roasted almond, leather, and sandalwood.

Palate

Thick and chewy. Not as sweet as the nose suggested but just as dense with the leather, tobacco, and cocoa prominent.

Finish

Baking spices and roasted almonds are joined by a hint of pine tannins.

In closing

I must tip my hat to the people at Bardstown Bourbon Company for the transparency of what’s in this blend.  Where some blenders would have went the NAS route due to the five-year component of the blend, the Bardstown Bourbon Company embraced what was used to create this very good blend and respect the consumers’ intelligence enough to provide a complete breakdown of every bourbon in the Discovery Series #1. If you’d like purchase a bottle for yourself, it can be purchased online at Seelbach’s.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Bardstown Bourbon Company.  We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review their unique and delicious bourbon!

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #1

121.21 Proof
8.6

Nose

8.9/10

Palate

9.2/10

Finish

8.7/10

Complexity

8.9/10

Value

7.5/10

The Good

  • Label Transparency
  • Palate
  • Complexity

The Bad

  • Availability
  • Price
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Bardstown Bourbon Company Review

Every bottle on Whiskey Consensus is evaluated across five categories on a 1–100 scale. The five scores are averaged to produce a final overall score out of 10.

Nose
Aroma, complexity & first impressions
Palate
Flavor, balance & mouthfeel
Finish
Length, character & quality
Complexity
Depth, layers & evolution in the glass
Value
Quality relative to retail price
Score Rating What It Means
9.5 – 10.0ExceptionalOne for the history books
9.0 – 9.4OutstandingA benchmark expression
8.5 – 8.9GreatSeek this bottle out
8.0 – 8.4Very GoodAbove average in every way
7.5 – 7.9GoodWorth your money
7.0 – 7.4Above AverageA solid everyday pour
6.5 – 6.9AverageUnremarkable but drinkable
6.0 – 6.4Below AverageHard to recommend
5.5 – 5.9Hard PassBetter options at this price
0.0 – 5.4AvoidNot worth your time or money
Eric
About the Author
Eric
Whiskey Reviewer · Whiskey Consensus  · 82 posts

Eric is a whiskey collector and drinker from Huntington WV that enjoys sharing pours with those around him. You can follow along with his whiskey experiences and contact him via Instagram profile @barrelstrength_eric

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