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!