Bardstown Bourbon Company - Discovery Series #7 Blended Whiskey

History of Bardstown Bourbon Company

Bardstown Bourbon Company was founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin, David Mandell, Daniel Linde, and Garnett Black in Bardstown, Kentucky, often referred to as the "Bourbon Capital of the World." The founders aimed to revolutionize bourbon production by creating a "destination experience" for bourbon enthusiasts and offering a custom distilling program. This innovative approach allowed them to produce over 50 unique mash bills for more than 30 spirits brands even before they began producing their own bourbon in 2016[1][3].

The company quickly became one of the largest distilleries in the United States, with a facility capable of producing over 110,000 barrels of whiskey annually. In 2019, Bardstown Bourbon launched its own branded product line, which included Kentucky straight bourbons and blended whiskies. This move marked a significant milestone as it allowed the company to showcase its own creations alongside its custom distillation services[1][3].

In 2022, Bardstown Bourbon Company was acquired by Pritzker Private Capital. Despite this change in ownership, the company continued to expand its operations and maintain its commitment to innovation and quality. The distillery is known for its transparent production process and has become a popular stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail[3][5].

Discovery Series #7 Blended Whiskey

The Discovery Series from Bardstown Bourbon Company is renowned for its blending expertise, combining whiskeys from various states and countries to create unique and complex profiles. Discovery Series #7 is particularly notable for being the first in the series to include international whiskey, featuring a blend that includes 12-year-old corn whiskey from Ontario, Canada[2][6].

This release consists of whiskeys from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Ontario. The blend is made up of:

- 31% Kentucky 12-year bourbon

- 25% Kentucky 12-year bourbon

- 21% Ontario 12-year corn whiskey

- 15% Indiana 7-year rye

- 8% Tennessee 17-year whiskey

Discovery Series #7 is bottled at a proof of 114.5 (57.25% ABV) and offers a rich sensory experience. The tasting notes provided by Bardstown Bourbon Company describe aromas of walnut and brown sugar with hints of white flowers and tangerine. The palate features baked Honeycrisp apple and dark chocolate, culminating in a smooth finish with complex layers of flavor[4][6]. The Discovery Series line has been known to push the envelope on blends that have not been created in the past. With whiskies from three states and two countries, this should be interesting.

Review:

Nose: Honeysuckle and lighter burnt sugar (like the topping of a creme brulee) stand out. Floral notes come across on the back end and it is overall very light. I do understand the notes made by the blender to highlight tangerine. It has a very perfume like structure to it. For how much “bourbon” makes up this blend, it is notably lighter than the classic notes you would get from it straight. I presume the Canadian whiskey lightened this whiskey up substantially.

Palate: Wow. The flavors on the palate are absolutely stunning. Clove, baking spice, and a blast of what tastes like caramel cream candies. A dark chocolate candy bar then comes through after the initial sweetness to add some more bitterness to mix. The floral notes come next through the sip with a very fragrant “carnation” flower scent to them along some of the oak spice. It is incredibly sweet and is much lighter than a bourbon but much more nuanced than Canadian whiskey.

Finish: The finish was mildly long and all I can think of is having ap late of baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream and that bottled fake caramel drizzle that you’d ask extra for as a kid. Oddly enough, I got a light tinge of peanut shells on the very end of the finish. Perhaps to be associated with what I would guess would be Dickel in the blend? I don’t know… There was no harshness to be found anywhere on the finish and it lasted somewhere around 15-20 seconds.

Overall: 89. This one absolutely rocked. The blenders at BBC knocked this one out of the park. I almost immediately identified this as a dessert whiskey but it wasn’t overly done or found to be too “artificial” like some of the flavored whiskeys we currently have on the market. I tend to like more balanced whiskey’s and stray away from the sugar-bombs in the market but I would go back and buy another bottle of this if I could, without hesitation. The quality is phenomenal and this blend which marries five different whiskey’s together, I would argue, has a sum greater than all of it’s individual parts by a mile.

Value: 75/100

Availability: Low to medium. This was released in the spring of 2022 and may have already cycled through. You could get lucky as these tend to sit for a little while. The MSRP of this bottle is $139.99.I picked it up for $150 in the summer of 2024 and would pay that again in the heartbeat, but not much more.

Citations:

[1] https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-bardstown-bourbon-company/

[2] https://www.whiskeyinmyweddingring.com/reviews/bardstown-bourbon-company-discovery-series-7

[3] https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/bardstown-bourbon-co-has-been-sold-to-chicago-based-private-investment-group/

[4] https://vsliquor.com/products/bardstown-bourbon-company-discovery-series-7

[5] https://beveragedynamics.com/2022/03/07/bardstown-bourbon-company-pritzker-private-capital-sold-bought/

[6] https://bardstownbourbon.com/products/discovery-series-7/