Bardstown Bourbon Co. Fusion Series #8

I’ve wanted to try Bardstown for quite some time but unfortunately, they really don’t distribute to where I live. I was in Louisville for a business trip and had the opportunity to sample several expressions from their line-up. To be sure, there’s some fantastic stuff at their higher end. But this one really stood out for me as unique and different, and that it is reasonably priced is icing on the cake. On the nose: bold and bright honey and caramel, apricot, hints of baked cherry pie. Palate: Sweetness in the form of apricots, black plums, slightly salty caramel. Sudden and nice hit of pepper that continues through the finish. Balanced. Finish: Lingering pepper, fruit, and chewy caramel. Overall: Interesting, exciting and truly enjoyable each pour. Highly recommend!

Toffee and nuts

Nice sipper

Nice carmel flavor with a little clean slate tang to it. But then the finish just hangs on this big dark vanilla note. Pretty good!

Overall pretty nice. Definitely taste the high-rye components which I’m not always a fan of but it wotks okay here.

Nice overall sipper. Vanilla, Caramel, light oak, and lots of fruit notes. Long enjoyable finish.

Appearance: Auburn color, fast, thick legs Nose: Light caramel (almost more brown sugar like) and sourdough bread. Slight cherry or sweet fruit aroma as well. Palate: There's a definite astringentness to it that is a little hard to get past and get other flavors. I think this comes from the 70% of the makeup being from 4 year old juice. But getting past that, it's thin and not a lot of mouthfeel - a little coating on the tip of the tongue and the front of the roof of the mouth, but that's about it. Honey and a sweet cherry pop out at me first. There's a light, sweet oak flavor. Some spice in there - not really like a baking spice to me, but just more of the spice you get from a rye whiskey. Finish: There's a toasty/smokiness that lingers a little (To be fair, I had smoked brisket about an hour and half previous to this sip, and I can't decide if that is either *enhancing* that profile in the bourbon, or if it's actually just lingering from earlier. I hadn't noticed it the previous few times I've sipped from this bottle though.) A sweet oak lingers as well. A very mild hug going down, if not at all. Rating: 4.7/10 on t8ke scale Overall: low flavor, high astringentness, light hug and finish.