Bardstown Bourbon Co. Goodwood Walnut Brown Ale Finish

Rating: 17/23 I'm trying to remember if I've had an ale-finished whiskey before. None come to mind. I've definitely had a stout finish or two before and I vaguely remember them being decent. What worries me here is that for some reason red wine finishes tend to be a bit weak (I don't really remember for stout finishes). somehow. It doesn't make sense to me since they spirit gets proofed down after being removed from the barrel, but it's generally been my impression. Additionally, I've tried one of those cocktails that's a mix of bourbon and ale and it was weak, clashing, and unpleasant. So the low proof and flavor profile here both concern me. But that said, I've heard quite good things about this dram. It will be a fun adventure, however it turns out! N: After a few minutes sitting out, this is fairly full. I get a big hit of Dickel vitamins, along with something a bit funky. It's almost a little vegetal. That must be the ale. There are some spices as well. I oddly get an occasional whiff of youthful alcohol meatiness, which is quite surprising for a 9 year old bourbon. Maybe that's a scent from the ale as well. There is a nice dustiness along with the vitamins, which is also typical of Dickel. Some allspice as well. There's a faint tangerine sweetness and also a bitter layer that I think is from hops. Overall, there's some stuff happening here, but not a lot. The best scents are merely good and there's a bit of conflict with those scents that I presume come from the ale. P: Spicy burn with tangerine of all things up front. It moves into spiciness (cinnamon and clove, mainly), then the bitterness of the ale comes out. A hint of cherry and a good dose of vanilla. There's an odd sort of oiliness coming out of the bitterness that's mild and then turns sort of milky. There's definitely an interesting extra layer from the ale. I do get a faint hint of that sort of vegetal flavor, but it's not nearly as strong as I'd worried. I'm assuming it's responsible for that thin layer of extra fullness from the milkiness (like less sweet whole milk), or whatever is going on there. Probably the tangerine as well. There's actually a hint of sort of zesty malt. Though also a touch of something stale, which I suspect is a result of the ale. This palate seems funky and kind of flawed, but not so flawed that I can't seriously enjoy it. At least as a new experience, it's worth trying. Oh, I do get some limestone minerality here as well. It's actually kind of bold, so it doesn't thin the flavor out. F: Some spicy burn with cinnamon, vanilla, and a bitter ale backing. There is a bit of something else there that I'm having trouble placing. It's somewhere between walnut, paper, and milk. A weird description, I know. I have no idea what it is. - Conclusion - Side by side, this is in the ballpark of George Dickel Bottled In Bond (1st release, 2005, aged 13 years) (16/23). The Dickel (I mean the Dickel-branded Dickel: they're both obviously Dickel juice) has a more traditional Dickel profile that is well-executed, but not super interesting. I like that this is richer and has that extra tangerine layer. Honestly, I could do without that little bit of vegetal flavor and the ale bitterness, but the bitterness is not at all problematic like that of my bottle of George Dickel 15 Single Barrel (15/23). Between the two, I would take this any day. At this point, I'm inclined to place this Bardstown dram above both of the Dickels. It's certainly better than a 15. I don't think that it's on the level of Resilient 15 (Barrel #124) (18/23). Sure, I like the tangerine and sort of extra fullness vs the Resilient's greater minerality, but the Resilient is just a better dram with less discordant character. I did consider the possibility of this being an 18, but I don't think it makes it to that level. I also considered a 16, but I don't think it's quite that low. I guess that makes this decision pretty easy: it's a 17. If I had to lean one way or the other, I might even call this a high 17. Eh, maybe not. Tough call. It's a very tasty dram, but nothing to write home about. I'd been curious about this one, so major thanks to @pkingmartin for sharing a sample!

Time for another episode of do I know my anatomy from a hole in the ground, brought to you by the generous @pkingmartin! This, for starters, looks like bourbon. The color is rich and natural with a slight orange or light copper hue. The legs come down in sheets. The nose is high octane - felt not smelt. I’m guessing 120+ proof territory based on the singe. Lots of rye spice, bit of varnish and old wood. There is some peanut brittle, walnut, vanilla, cherry, banana, old books, cinnamon and nutmeg. The longer it opens up the better it gets. I would guess 15yo Beam if I had to gamble. Could be Barton but at this proof os more well rounded than most of their stuff. Big, spicy, oily and a bit tannic with plenty of esters. No doubt this is 15y Kentucky high-rye bourbon. The brown sugar and pure vanilla extract are front and center, then walnut and a bit of varnish and leather alongside allspice, turmeric and cinnamon. I’m gonna go all in with this being a 14-15 year old Beam distillate (or the mystery one-off that likely came from Beam, ie. KY Senator, Old Soul 15, Chicken Cock 15, 78.5/13/8.5, etc). There is a bit more brown sugar than what I remember about KY Senator 15 but has the same, nearly bitter ending riddled with tannins and a dash of old books. Certainly a sophisticated, high proof pour that’s spent some time in the KY heat - right? Wrong. Completely wrong. 9 year Dickel. I’ve never had a beer-cask finished bourbon and am left a bit speechless. This drinks like something much older than it is. I also don’t think of beer as tannic but maybe something between the beer being low ABV and interacting with the wood first changed the chemistry of the interaction with bourbon. I can see the deeper toffee and perhaps even the leather notes coming from a brown ale finish. In fact, maybe the alpha acids from the hops somehow impart those near-bitter tannins. Who knows. How to rate this. I would say it is every bit as solid as the 15y mystery mash bill. The problem is that is is also practically as expensive without offering much more. I will say that the extra pop of brown sugar is welcome compared to the mystery bill. I’m knocking KY Senator way down due to cost and will give this a square 4.0.

Nice up front heat with a smooth sweeter finish

I had a sample of this to try and thought I’d give my review on it. I am a fan of what Bardstown Bourbon Company has been doing and their creative take on distilling, partnering and aging/finishing. Since Distiller has provided zero info on this limited time offering, here is some background info: This is 9yr old Tennessee Straight Bourbon (most likely Dickel) that has been finished in Walnut Brown Ale casks from the Goodwood Brewery for 18 months. It has been bottled at 103.2 proof. The nose is sweet and has a malty chocolate note that initially comes out, as well as rich dark caramel, buttered corn, dried apricot dusty wood and vanilla. The palate is sweet and slightly bitter with a medium body. There is a decent amount of wood, sweet vanilla, and cooked corn. The finish is longish with lingering buttered corn, vanilla icing oak/wood and some bitterness. A pretty unique spin on what I’m pretty positive is Dickel (which I enjoy btw). It drinks nicely. I’m pretty sure this was a one time deal, so it might be hard to come by. But if you see it, give it a whirl!

This is a very rich and creamy bourbon. The nose is bread pudding with raisins, toasted walnuts, cinnamon, cherries, vanilla frosting and a creme brûlée richness. The taste is very rich and velvety with same notes as the nose and has a medium finish with a taste of pumpernickel bread.

Rich caramel and honey nose so far from the neck pour. Honey and oak on the initial sip, almost hoppy as it travels across the palate, walnuts and buttery toffee. Vanilla and mineral like notes on the finish with a hint of caramel.

This is one of my new favorites. Picked it up at the distillery on a short trip to KY. (First of all, visit this place - its magical!) Of all of the whiskies on their tasting menu, the Fusion #2 and the Goodwood were superlative. The Goodwood is literally the most I've spent on a bottle @$125. (I'm not a big spender, usually.) But, this had everything I was looking for. There's an overlying sweetness to it - but not syrupy. It has just a bit a spice on the tongue, but not too much. And, it isn't in any way overbearing. If not for the cost, I'd stock up on this one. Smooth nose - caramel, sweet, light wood Just a touch of spice on the tongue: pepper, rubbing alcohol, dark cherry, nutshell bitterness, slight barrel at the end

Nose: rich, but in a controlled manner. Cornbread with peanut butter. Palate: leathery, nutty, sweet. Good full body. Finish: toffee, peanuts. This is a really enjoyable bourbon.