Today I’m reviewing a Bardstown Bourbon Company release that has been popping up online and recently at my local store. This is the first collaboration between the Bardstown Bourbon Company and a cooperage. In this collaboration, custom barrels were built by West Virginia Great Barrel Company with alternating staves of American white oak and cherry oak. Then by utilizing state-of-the-art infrared technology they toasted the staves alternating toast levels of light and medium. Infrared technology allows precise and consistent charring of a barrel without the use of an open flame, which in turn allows the delivery of a barrel for customers with any number of custom toasting and/or charring levels with precise consistency and speed. After these custom hybrid barrels were prepared, they were filled with a 6 year MGP rye and finished for 10 weeks, then blended with a 12 year Canadian corn whiskey. Bardstown was so happy with the results of this collaboration, they chose to use the same kind of cherry/oak hybrid barrels for their new release of the Bardstown Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye, which uses all Bardstown distillate. Let’s get to it!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.