ScotchingHard
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Discovery Series #2
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
December 4, 2020 (edited July 18, 2021)
I have my own ideas about bourbon, and this is what a premium straight bourbon should taste like. At $130 per bottle, this is money well spent on a well aged and well blended bourbon. The whiskeymakers at Bardstown are reminiscent of those at Compass Box, creating blends with a sense of purpose, delivering challenging and tasty delights.
Discovery series #2 is a boulangerie in Paris. The rich and complicated sweet and baking spice aromas are overwhelming and intoxicating on the nose alone. And then you take a sip, and it is surprisingly gentle for 61.1% ABV. The dark chocolate and raisins are well balanced with confectionary sugar, cinnamon, and pastry dough. Soft rye spices, oak, and pistachios emerge in a lengthy and satisfying finish. There are no bad notes.
So many bourbons are being released immature and with bad notes. I’m talking about fusel alcohols, corn syrup, corn oil, nut oils, pumpkin, and raw peanuts. Some of these are well hidden in barrel strength ABV, and it seems a lot of NAS barrel strength bourbons from famous brands these days are being bought up and flipped in an unhealthy current bourbon market. I have recently tried barrel strength E.H. Taylor, Elijah Craig, Weller, and Stagg Jr., and these are bakeries in Cleveland.
As I said, I have my own ideas about bourbon, and I’m not saying boulangeries in Paris are better than bakeries in Cleveland. But, bakeries in Cleveland should not cost as much. The first investment in oak maturation is not to add flavor to the whiskey, but to subtract bad notes. When you go above $100, you should get a properly matured bourbon without bad notes. If you find your barrel strength NAS of choice at retail price, go ahead and enjoy. But you should not pay secondary market pricing, which are as much as this Discovery series costs or even more, for bakeries in Cleveland. Just spend the money instead on retail prices for Barrell, Bardstown, Kentucky Owl, Old Carter, etc.
Score: ** (unimaginably good)
How much does a bottle cost?: $120-140
How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $160
130.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Great review and analysis. You’re on point!
@Anthology I only have DS2. I’ve tried 3. It’s close between the two and I’m going to buy DS3 soon enough. Haven’t had DS1, but either 2 or 3 are worthy of the asking price IMO.
@ScotchingHard Nice read as always. And you know I’ll ask: Have you tried DS1 or DS3? Seems to be mixed reviews across all three. I don’t think this is a series I want to collect across the board but would like to pick up at least one of them (aka the best one)
100% agree that these Bardstown releases are often better than the big boys! I especially enjoy the finished releases they put out! Nice review
@robertmaxrees thanks!
Your boulangerie vs bakery comparison is incredibly apt - there absolutely is a place for both, but the care of the smaller craft places Also 100% agree on your assessment of pricing. I am 100% more comfortable taking a gamble on some of the smaller "craft" outfits these days. Really digging your notes. Well done.