Bardstown Bourbon Company West Virginia Great Barrel Co.
Mike Rosen

Rye

January 6, 2023

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 Strait Rye, which uses all Bardstown distillate. Let’s get to it!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.

Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Proof: 110.

Age: 6 year Indiana Rye and 12 year Ontario Canada Corn whiskey.

Barrel Type: WVGBC infrared charred and toasted hybrid cherry and new American oak.

Mash bill: 95% Rye/ 5% Malted Barley, 100% Canadian Corn whiskey.

Price: $150.

Appearance: Dark copper

Nose

There is a lot going on in this glass. Lots of herbal rye, toasty dark oak and sweetness. As I do my best to pick this apart I get toasted rye bread, butterscotch, crème brûlée, chocolate, black tea, celery, fennel, dill, cherry, dates, hazelnuts, allspice and oak. As I take more sips the focus of sweet, herbal and toasty rye bread changes which is something I love about a complex pour like this.

Palate

Medium viscous mouthfeel and a nice hug in the chest. Rye bread, black tea, sage, dill, apricot, cherry, hazelnut, chocolate and toasted oak. Allspice ramps up nicely mid sip but stays well in check with a tasty balance. This drinks well below its proof with little to no heat. Dangerously delicious.

Finish

A beautiful balance of allspice sticks around forever staking its claim all over my palate. Herbal notes of black tea and dill with chocolate, apricot and cherry come back around with pleasant oak tannins that last for a very long finish. There is some dryness in this long journey but it disappears as it continues towards the end with no bitterness. Even as the tannins are almost gone, I can still feel allspice tingling in my cheeks. Overall, I love this very long and fantastic finish.

Conclusion

Whoever these creative mad blenders at Bardstown Bourbon Company are, they sure know what the hell they’re doing. If the latest Disco Series wasn’t enough to convince you, this bottle should. Bardstown is on a roll with their releases and this is definitely one of their latest hits. With this collaboration they manage to not only come up with a unique and incredible rye, but also something that I believe will appeal to both rye and bourbon drinkers alike. Though I admit, it’s not at a price point that everyone will embrace. But for those who are looking for something truly excellent, unique and very attainable (at least for now), this bottle is a winner. I don’t know what else to say other than I highly recommend this Bardstown collaboration and I’m looking forward to what other special releases Bardstown has for us this year.

Rating: 8.0/10.

WVGBC Toasted Barrel

WVGBC Toasted Barrel

WVGBC Plant

WVGBC Plant

WVGBC Aerial View

WVGBC Aerial View

Inside Hybrid Barrel

Inside Hybrid Barrel

Infrared Toast Levels

Infrared Toast Levels

Infrared Toaster

Infrared Toaster


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.

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