Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass and rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Proof: 104.
Mash Bill, Age & State of Origin :
49% 11-Year Indiana – 75% Corn/21% Rye/4% Malted Barley.
30% 10-Year Indiana – 95% Rye/5% Malted Barley.
21% 12-Year Kentucky – 75% Corn/13% Rye/12% Malted Barley.
Finishing: Aged for 32 months in 84% ex-bourbon and 16% ex-Oloroso sherry barrels previously filled with Jura Single Malt Scotch.
Retail Price: $139.99.
Appearance: Golden caramel.
Nose
Leads with chocolate tootsie roll with cherry cola, strawberries, vanilla bean, orange citrus, peppermint, nutmeg, licorice, sage, subtle wood smoke, and cinnamon spice. This is a fantastic nose that shows off a well-integrated bourye with lots of fruit and chocolate, along with herbaceous notes that add complexity to this profile.
Palate
With a medium, creamy mouthfeel, the palate equals the nose, opening with crème brûlée, chocolate, and crème soda, followed by orange peel, vanilla, cherry and stone fruit, nutmeg, peppermint, sage, delicate malt, wood smoke, and cinnamon spice. There’s more delicate malt here than I noticed on the nose, though less than I expected, given the Scotch cask finishing. This is a delicious, flavorful, well-balanced, very easy-drinking sipper.
Finish
As the cinnamon spice fades, you’re left with chocolate, delicate malt, Luxardo cherry, orange, and hazelnuts as soft glove leather, subtle campfire smoke, and delicate pipe tobacco develop, lasting through a very nice, long finish.
Conclusion
Bardstown Bourbon Co. did a great job putting this release together. Including the MGP 95/5 rye was a great idea that added complexity and made this blend even more interesting. I also love how a rye whiskey pairs with a sherry cask finishing. To get a sense of what the Jura casks may have contributed to the final outcome, I had a few pours of the Jura 10- and 12-year single malts, and here are the profile highlights.
Jura 12, aged in ex-bourbon casks, has a profile featuring lots of tropical fruit, with malty caramel, vanilla, a hint of smokiness, and cinnamon spice. Jura 10-year (now discontinued), aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, is similar to the 12-year, with malty caramel and vanilla creme, but with more lightly peated smoke and nuttiness, chocolate, and an abundance of red berries.
Becoming familiar with Jura’s profile gave me a sense of what it brought to this collaboration, while confirming that the Jura cask finishing is far from heavy-handed and lets the base whisky remain the main feature. To be honest, if I didn’t know what was in my glass, I doubt I would have guessed this release had been finished in Scotch casks. Mainly because of the lack of maltiness I’d expect from a Scotch cask-finished whiskey and the very subtle yet effective use of the sherry casks. I’m guessing this was intentional. After all, they’re called the Bardstown “Bourbon” Co. and not the Bardstown “Single Malt” Co.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish was even better than I expected. To sum it up, this release used the Jura casks to develop a well-composed whiskey blend, bringing out more of its own character while subtly adding depth and complexity. It hits on my favorite flavors yet puts a different spin on a bourye. This is going on the list of my favorite American whiskies of the year.
Rating: 8.3/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
