Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Spring 2021 edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

It’s that time of year. Apple has finally made an update to its Mac lineup* that has me ready to pull the trigger on replacing my old 2015 MacBook Pro. The thing still runs like a champ, but it is starting to show its age. I never use the laptop anywhere other than my desk so I don’t really need it as a laptop. Which means I’m free to completely reimagine my current office setup. Everything from storage to backups to displays and sound is on the table. For a gadget person like me, it’s a fun time. And one that only comes around every half decade or so.

And while I’m perusing spec sheets and pricing to help me decide between a colorful new iMac or a tiny Mac Mini, I’ll be sipping on a little something that comes out much more often. Tonight I am looking at the Spring 2021 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, the half yearly special release from Heaven Hill. This edition clocks in at “only” 8 years old, which is nice because the suggested price reflects that lower age.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Spring 2021

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $85 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.67

Details: 8 years old. 50% ABV.

Nose: Strong cinnamon notes, mint, oak, and almond.

Mouth: Nice, thick mouthfeel. Sweet, but not overly so. Notes of almond, cinnamon, oak, mint, and caramel.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Lingering notes of Cinnamon, caramel, and cocoa.

Thoughts: This is very good, as usual. I am really enjoying the thick, rich mouthfeel. The sweet notes of caramel and cocoa are well balanced by the spicy cinnamon. If you see this anywhere near the retail price, and can swing it, I'd recommend grabbing it. It's quite good. And don’t be scared off by the lower age statement. I tried it next to the Fall 2020 edition and I think I like this one better. Both were very caramel forward, but Spring 2021 had more spice to it. Which I tend to like more than the well-integrated oak notes that the previous edition had.

Ok. Off to play IT planning guy. Wish me luck!

*I’m a Designer/Photographer/Artist who got rid of his last PC in 2001 and has been happily using Macs since before I graduated college 20 years ago. I’m too old to relearn Windows and I like MacOS so no wise guy comments. Lol.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye, Binny's Beverage Depot Private Selection

This was originally going to be part of last Thursday’s Jack Daniel’s post. Well, kinda. When I bought this, I was going to compare the two Binny’s Jack Daniel’s picks to one another, just as a curiosity. But when it was suggested that I compare the same expression as picked by different people, well, that idea was too much fun to pass up. And so the Single Barrel Rye got bumped.

Last December, when I took a quick road trip to Nothern Kentucky, the only stops I made on the way there and back were bio-breaks at rest areas, gas stops, and booze stops at liquor stores. I usually stop at the Bloomington, IL Binny’s on my way to Kentucky, but this time I also decided to stop at the one in Champaign, IL. I think it was cabin fever that pushed me to make that second stop. And I was rewarded with a table full of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel store picks. I’d already picked up the “bourbon-mash” version in Bloomington so I grabbed the rye here.

I also stocked up on a few other goodies that haven’t made their way to Minnesota so, I mean, it wasn’t going to be a wasted stop regardless.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye, Binny's Beverage Depot Private Selection

Purchase Info: $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot, Champaign, IL

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: Barrel #: 19-03664. Bottle Date: 6/5/19. Rick #: R-20

Nose: Cedar, bubble gum, mint, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Red fruits, mint, cinnamon, cedar, and oak.

Finish: Medium length and heat. Lingering notes of cinnamon, mint, and apricot.

Thoughts: The last few times I picked up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye, I haven't been as in love with it as I was when it first came out. This single barrel selection continues that trend. I do enjoy it quite a bit but it doesn't quite rise to the level of a heart rating. In fact, I've been enjoying the "bourbon-mash" style whiskies that we looked at last week much more than this one. This is fruitier and less spicy than those were, which is not something I would have expected between a Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel and any Rye whiskey. Still good though. Just not in love with it.

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Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021: FAE-01

I’d like to thank the PR folks at Maker’s Mark for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached. In the meantime, I found this at retail. Tasting notes are taken from the retail purchase.

I’m not going to lie to you. As I am trying to write this, I have one eye on CNN awaiting word on a very important verdict. As such, I am quite distracted and am having a hard time writing anything coherent. So because of that, I am going to do something I don’t like to do and quote heavily from the press release in this post.

But first, let’s talk about what we are tasting tonight. It is the third release in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, and the first of two this year. This Spring release will be followed by a Fall version of the same. It was created using a similar process to Maker’s 46 and the Private Selection program where they take standard Maker’s Mark bourbon and then add 10 specially crafted staves and add them to the inside of the barrel. I’ve enjoyed both of the last two very much and anticipate enjoying this one as well.

Here’s what the company has to say about this release.

“Every whisky in our Wood Finishing Series is meant to have a strong point of view; it should tell a story about what we do at the distillery,” says Jane Bowie, Director of Innovation at Maker’s Mark. “For 2021 we wanted to use wood to draw out those underlying bold qualities of classic Maker’s® that we get from non-chill filtration – heavy oakiness, earthy fig and that creamy, palate-coating mouthfeel. 

The first 2021 Limited Release, FAE-01, uses an American oak stave that is seared on one side and left raw on the other to amplify some of the signature dried fruit and oak flavors that Maker’s Mark is known for. The classic Maker’s Mark® Bourbon derives these tasting notes from naturally retained elements of barrel char and organic compounds called fatty acid esters (FAEs), which are responsible for both fruity tones and texture variations. Each side of the FAE-01 stave draws out different characteristics of these two flavor components – the charred side offers dark leathery tobacco notes, and the raw side yields fresh fruit, the two of which come together to create intense barrel-aged fruitiness. While 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01 focuses on drawing out specific flavors, 2021 Limited Release: FAE-02, arriving later this year, will be defined by its rich, weighty texture.  

“This first release tastes just like a Kentucky barrel warehouse smells,” says Bowie. “If you’ve ever walked through a rick house and taken a deep breath, you can almost taste the bourbon in the air, and that’s the experience we’ve created with FAE-01. There’s tons of pleasantly dank wood and tobacco on the nose, and rich, warm raisin and fig on the tongue – it’s literally like sipping on angel’s share.” 

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series, 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01

Purchase Info: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Super One Liquor, Duluth, MN. The suggested retail price is $59.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33 at my purchase price. $4.00 at MSRP.

Details: 55.3% ABV.

Nose: Toffee, oak

Mouth: Nice spice, toffee, cinnamon, cocoa, and oak.

Finish: Spicy and warm. Lingering notes of toffee, dusty cocoa, and oak.

Thoughts: This is very wood-forward bourbon. Water brings out more fruit and cocoa notes. There is a nice spiciness throughout. This might almost have too much barrel influence for me. It is trending toward muddiness. That said, I will still happily enjoy the occasional pour out of the bottle I bought when the mood for a wood-forward bourbon strikes me. I like this, but not as much as I had anticipated or hoped. But then, I'm not a huge fan of oaky bourbons preferring my bourbons to be a bit more balanced between oak and other flavors. Since they were hoping to replicate the experience of walking through a barrel warehouse, I’d say that they accomplished their goals.

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Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Private Selections

One of my favorite podcasts is The Morning Stream. It’s a daily show from hosts Scott Johnson and Brian Ibbott where they talk about weird news, geeky stuff, pop culture, gaming, and more. Every day they have segments with other geeky people who cover topics like politics, model and prop building, technology, etc. My favorite weekly segment is Therapy Thursday. It is a time where a licensed therapist, and the host’s sister, comes on the show and either helps people with their problems or just talks about things you can do to help your mental health.

A couple of weeks ago, she was talking about human mental development and midlife crises. I was particularly struck by an observation she shared (I’m paraphrasing greatly here) that part of the joy of living is that we are constantly experiencing and learning new things. And that sometimes as we get older, it is easier to fall into a rut just because we’ve lived a long time and experienced so much that truly new experiences are harder to come by. And that the things that used to be exciting no longer are, just because we know enough that it doesn’t bring us as much joy as it did when it was new and exciting.

And this can relate to hobbies, work, even relationships sometimes. I know that when I first got into the hobby of whiskey, everything was exciting. Even noticing that Wild Turkey and Four Roses were made in the same town was pretty thrilling. These days, however, I pretty much know what to expect from most of the things I buy. Either because I’ve had it before, I’ve had something else from the same distillery, or because it was sourced from a distillery that I’m familiar with. Truly exciting pours are harder to come by.

And I think that might be why I enjoy single barrel private selections so much. As I’ve discussed before, for good or ill, you never know what you are going to get out of them. I mean most of the time they follow the “house style” of the brand, but occasionally it is something strange and wonderful. Take the “Gangsta Riff” from the last post. With its strong wintergreen notes, it was very much outside the style of any of the other picks. And when that happens, I get a glimpse of the excitement that I used to get from every pour. Which is why I keep doing this.

All that said, tonight’s Private Selections are not going to stray far from the house style. Jack Daniel’s has too much invested in their style to let anything go too far astray. But they are still different from one another, and that’s fun too.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel (Selected for Minnesota Whiskey Society)

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Zipps Liquor, Minneapolis, MN

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 47% ABV. Rick: L-22. Barrel: 20-01841. Bottled on 4/8/20.

Nose: Nutmeg, mint, dried bananas, and caramel.

Mouth: Huge hit of baking spice initially. Followed by banana, caramel, and more nutmeg.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of mint, caramel, and baking spice.

Thoughts: Much spicier than your usual Jack Daniel's products. A strong emphasis on the banana notes. This is quite tasty and if given a glass blind, I would be initially surprised to find out it is Jack Daniel's.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel (Selected by Binny’s)

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Binny’s, Bloomington, IL

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 47% ABV. Rick: R-3. Barrel: 20-02745. Bottled on 5/29/20.

Nose: Nutmeg, cinnamon, and mint.

Mouth: Cinnamon candies, orange zest, nutmeg, vanilla,

Finish: Spicy and warm. Medium length. Nutmeg, banana, cloves, and orange zest.

Thoughts: Very tasty. I'm really enjoying the baking spice and citrus combination. Dry, but not astringent. Really enjoying this one.

Comparison: Neither of these would register as Jack Daniel's if I was given a glass blind, but neither are far outside of the wheelhouse of the Jack Daniel's flavor profile. What I enjoy is how different they are from each other. My favorite thing to do with single barrel picks is to compare them. To see how closely they stick to the standard flavor profile. Both of these emphasize a different portion of that standard. Binny's is a spicier version of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, whereas Minnesota Whiskey Society is really emphasizing the banana notes that Jack Daniel's is known for. This was a very fun comparison.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

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New Riff Private Selections

So…I’m an asshole.

A few months ago, a reader reached out to me and asked if he could send me a sample of a private selection he was a part of. Just to see what I thought of it. I am almost always happy to accept free whiskey. I mean, “free” and “whiskey” are two of my favorite words. So I told him to send it over. That very nice email conversation inspired this post and I would love to thank him for both the sample and the idea. But, and here is where the asshole part of it comes in, apparently I deleted the entire email chain and then emptied my trash. So not only can I not give him a shout-out, but I also can’t let him know that the post he inspired is going live.

If you know the folks who made that little bottle above, let them know the post is finally live.

I’ve discussed how much I love to pick up whiskey store picks, I wrote an entire post on it last time around. So I’m not going to go into all that again. But as a reminder, one of the reasons I like store picks is that there is the possibility of variability. So, here is the gist of the post in a nutshell: I gathered a bunch of store picks from a couple of different stores and combined it with the sample the reader sent. I’m going to see how different they are.

Notes are in the order I tasted them in. Let’s get to it.

"Gangsta Riff" Barrel #16-10167

Purchase Info: This was generously sent in by a reader and inspired this post. I have no information on the price.

Nose: Wintergreen, nutmeg, caramel, and oak

Mouth: Nice mouthfeel with notes of nutmeg, wintergreen, and caramel.

Finish: Long and warm. Notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and mint.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Consistent notes of nutmeg and wintergreen throughout. Nice job Spa City Bourbon.

Justins' House of Bourbon Barrel #17-0068

Purchase Info: Purchased as part of a 2-bottle set from BourbonOutfitter.com. Two 750 mL bottles for $89.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 52.2% ABV. Distilled: 1/4/17. Bottled: 1/28/21.

Nose: Strong toffee note along with orange zest, baking spice, and black pepper.

Mouth: Spicy with notes of nutmeg, clove, orange zest, black pepper, and caramel.

Finish: Medium length and heat. Lingering notes of cinnamon, caramel, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a very "bourbony" bourbon. Nice spice and caramel notes accented by orange zest.

The Party Source- Barrel #16-12144

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle from the Party Source, Bellevue, KY.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 51.6% ABV. Distilled: 8/30/16. Bottled 10/6/20.

Nose: Creamy with brown sugar, black tea, cinnamon and nutmeg, and just a hint of wood smoke.

Mouth: Spicy and hot with cinnamon, black tea, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Strong oak notes that fade to show cinnamon, creamy caramel, and milk chocolate.

Thoughts: Another very nice bourbon pick. This is much hotter and spice forward than the others have been. I'm really enjoying the tannic black tea undercurrents.

Justins' House of Bourbon-Barrel #16-3370

Purchase Info: Purchased as part of a 2-bottle set from BourbonOutfitter.com. Two 750 mL bottles for $89.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 52.65% ABV. Distilled: 12/2/16. Bottled: 1/28/21.

Nose: Sweet caramel and vanilla, cherry, and a hint of baking spice.

Mouth: Almost gentle on entry, but then it blossoms with flavor. Notes of cinnamon, caramel, Earl Grey tea, and black pepper.

Finish: Sweet, warm, and long. Almost syrupy. Caramel, maple, and cinnamon notes linger.

Thoughts: A very sweet bourbon. I was intrigued by the cherry on the nose and could wish that had carried through. But that is just me musing and not a knock on what is there. I enjoy it very much. I've never found Earl Grey tea before so that's fun. And the syrupy finish with the sweet caramel and maple was divine.

The Party Source - Barrel #16-9641

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle from the Party Source, Bellevue, KY.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 52.9% ABV. Distilled: 5/3/16. Bottled: 7/16/20.

Nose: Delicate nose on this one. We are teasing out caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and mint.

Mouth: Nice spice with citrus, ginger, cinnamon, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Lingering ginger spice and almond.

Thoughts: This is a fairly muted bourbon. The ginger and citrus notes are nice, but it feels a bit muddy overall.

The Party Source-Barrel #16-9523

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle from the Party Source, Bellevue, KY.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 52% ABV. Distilled on 4/27/16. Bottled on 6/16/20.

Nose: Brown sugar, mint, vanilla, and cardamom.

Mouth: Orange Creamsicle, cinnamon, mint, and nutmeg.

Finish: Sweet and spicy. Medium length. Notes of orange, nutmeg, and tobacco.

Thoughts: Nice and citrusy. Bright and vibrant on the mouth and finish. Big fan of this one.

Conclusions:

So, did I learn anything in this experiment? Well, yes. New Riff makes damn fine bourbon and as I had hoped, there is a fair bit of diversity in the flavor profiles between bottles. There isn’t a bad bourbon in this bunch. Hell, there isn’t a mediocre bourbon in the bunch. Every single one is top-notch. As we tasted them head to head to decide our “favorite,” I found it funny that the one that came out on top was the one where my notes say it was muted and muddy (16-9641). It just goes to show that tasting notes are very subjective and what a difference a couple of days will make. I really enjoyed the reader-provided “Gangsta Riff” (it came in second in the unofficial rankings). The wintergreen notes were completely different than any of the others. I’d never gotten Earl Grey Tea on a bourbon before so that made 16-3370 from Justins’ House of Bourbon pretty interesting as well. Overall, this was a fun tasting.

Wilderness Trail Private Selections from the Party Source

Private Selections or Store Picks can be a contentious topic. On one hand, you don’t know what you are going to get. Depending on the store, and the person doing the choosing, you might get something that is only a little different than the standard release. Or worse, something you don’t like as much as the standard release. And that comes down to who is doing the picking and if their palate aligns with yours. Some stores go all out and do an in-person tasting even to choose barrels, some get multiple samples sent to them for them to choose from, and some just want a barrel, any barrel, and get one chosen for them.

Of course, on the other hand, you don’t know what you are going to get! The surprise and excitement are part of the fun. It’s like opening a pack of baseball cards when I was a kid. Sure you got a lot of commons but once in a while, there was something really special in the pack you bought.

Personally, I’m aware of the first point, but I’m driven to buy by the second point. I bought a lot of baseball cards when I was a kid. Right up to the point where I discovered music and girls and traded the entire collection for some cassette tapes and a few issues of Playboy that one of my friends had swiped from his older brother. By the time I got into collecting again, I was more into comic books than baseball. But I never got over the thrill of buying something and have it turn out better than expected.

I think that is why I pick up at least one bottle of almost every Store Pick I run across. It scratches that same itch that I had as a kid. I mean you never know what you are going to get. It might be good, but it could be great. And plus, it makes a fun souvenir when you are traveling.

And speaking of traveling, tonight I’ll be looking at a couple of whiskeys from Wilderness Trail that I purchased the last time I traveled a long distance. I picked up both of these whiskeys at the Party Source (Bellevue, KY) in December 2020 and the notes were tasted in a hotel room in Duluth last month.

I’m realizing now that those are the only two nights I’ve spent outside my house since last March and it is an odd coincidence that these whiskeys were part of both trips.

Anyway, I picked up a single barrel version of both the Settler’s Select Rye and the Black Label Bourbon which is usually their small-batch product. Here is what the distillery website has to say about each:

Our Small Batch release mash bill is 64 percent corn, 24 percent rye and 12 percent malted barley using our yeast strains. We entered the cooper select, toasted and #4 char barrel at 110 proof after coming off the still around 137 proof. [For] our Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskeys…our three-grain recipe is 56 percent rye, 33 percent corn and 11 percent malted barley. Our rye mash bill is one we created for a broader balance of flavor to offset the typical high ryes commonly found.

Wilderness Trail “Black Label” Bourbon, picked by "Lion's Share"

Purchase Information: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle, The Party Source, Bellevue, KY

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 57.5% ABV. Barrel#: 15F01-4. Aged: 4 years, 3 months. Barrel: ISC#4 Char & Toasted. Rickhouse: E-S08R12. Yeast: FermPro1.

Nose: Cinnamon, brown sugar, herbal mint, and a hint of oak

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Notes of Caramel, cinnamon, crisp apple, and oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of black tea, cinnamon, and honey.

Thoughts: This is a fantastic bottle of bourbon. My first sip caused me to breathe: "Oh, that's good" under my breath. It's complex, spicy, sweet, and fruity with a wonderful finish. I'm not sure who "Lion's Share" is, but they picked a fantastic bourbon.

Wilderness Trail Settler's Select Rye, picked by the Party Source.

Purchase Information: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle, The Party Source, Bellevue, KY

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 56.5% ABV. Barrel#: 15L21-2. Aged: 4 years, 5 months. Barrel: ISC #4 Char & Toasted. Rickhouse: A-N04A7. Yeast: FermPro1.

Nose: Dominant mint. Brown sugar, baking spice, and black tea.

Mouth: Mint, Cherry pipe tobacco, honey, and allspice.

Finish: Very warm and medium length. Very minty, cherry pipe tobacco, lots of spice, honey.

Thoughts: If I could give a standing ovation in writing, I would. I'm in love. This is delicious! Since I live nowhere near where I bought this, it is going on the special shelf to be had only occasionally. I love the pipe tobacco notes, the mint, the spice. I'd keep gushing but I think I've made my point.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Redbreast 12 year old

One of the things that I dislike about running this site is that I tend to focus on the “new.” New whiskeys, new experiences. Even if a whiskey isn’t new, it might be new to me. And I know what you’re thinking. “Why that sounds like the dream, right there.” And honestly, it is. But there is a downside. The downside is that when you don’t repeat often, you kind of lose track of what you’ve liked previously. You know that you like it, but you just don’t ever buy it. And it’s partly because of the need for content and also because there are limited funds and (contrary to popular opinion) limited capacity for responsible consumption.

A case in point is tonight’s whiskey. Before this bottle you see above, I last bought this in June of 2012. I know that because that early in this site’s history (my third ever post), I was still trying to find my voice and wrote about everything, even buying a new bottle of whiskey. I wrote about that because buying a new-to-me bottle of whiskey was exciting. And the reason I never bought it again wasn’t that I didn’t like it, but because…well…there was everything else that needed to be experienced, tasted, and then written about.

I think 2021 might end up being the year where I force myself to just buy things that I like but haven’t bought in a while. Not everything needs to be new and exciting. Some things are just consistently good. And I need to revisit as much of that as I can. Even if I don’t end up writing about it.

So, Redbreast. I’m sure I’m not surprising anyone by saying that my area of expertise (if I have one) is not Irish Whiskey. Considering that I think this is the third or fourth Irish Whiskey post in the last nine years, I think it might be better to leave the background section to the people who make their living talking about this whiskey.

Our signature bottling, Redbreast 12 boasts the flavour complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey. Matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, the distinctive Redbreast sherry style is a joy to behold in each and every bottle. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and then triple distilled in copper pot stills, Redbreast 12 boasts the flavour complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey.

Ok. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dig in.

Redbreast 12 year old

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 40% ABV. 12 years old.

Nose: Red Delicious apples, mint, and a hint of baking spice.

Mouth: Dried fruit, baking spices, mint, oak.

Finish: Delicate and on the longer side of medium. Notes of cinnamon, dried fruit, and oak.

Thoughts: This is so good. This just underscores my desire to revisit more things that I’ve liked but then never picked up again. It’s delicate. It’s fruity. It’s delicious. It is a really nice change of pace for a bourbon guy like me.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Bardstown Bourbon Company: Fusion Series #3

This sample was sent by the producers fas part of the media kit for the 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival with no strings attached.

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I’m starting to think I have too much whiskey. I know. I know. I’ve said this before. But honestly, when you can toss a sample in a drawer and forget about it for six months, the thought does pop into your head.

Because that is exactly what happened with tonight’s whiskey. I originally got this as part of the media kit for the 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival. There were a few bits of swag in there, a book, and a couple of 50mL bottles of bourbon. This, Maker’s Mark, and a Jim Beam product, I think. I tossed all three into the drawer of my cocktail station. I had the idea that I might review the Bardstown Bourbon Company one, but one thing led to another, and, well, here we are in March.

So what is it? That is a good question and it required a little digging on my part as there wasn’t any documentation provided. And there was little info on the bottle other than the proof to distinguish this release from any of the others. After a bit of time on the company website, I realized that this is the third iteration of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Fusion Series. The proof was what gave it away if you are curious.

So what is the Fusion Series? I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard of it previously. Living in the Whiskey Hinterlands of Minnesota means that unless a small company sends me a sample, I might not run across their stuff until I make it to Kentucky. And such was the case here. I’d only had one product from BBC, the Collabor&tion (which I found pretty hit or miss with one being very tasty and the other being much less so), and hadn’t really kept touch with what the company was doing.

The Fusion Series is a blend of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s own bourbon with older sourced bourbon. And they’ve given a very nice breakdown of what they used to make it. This is comprised of 40% 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon (undisclosed source, but the mash bill was disclosed as 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley), 18% 3-year-old BBC bourbon (mash bill 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley), and 42% 3-year-old BBC bourbon (mash bill 60% corn, 36% wheat, and 4% malted barley).

Let’s see how it tastes.

Bardstown Bourbon Company: Fusion Series #3

Purchase Info: This sample was provided as part of a media kit for the 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 49.45% ABV. A blend of 40% 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon (undisclosed source, but the mash bill was disclosed as 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley), 18% 3-year-old Bardstown Bourbon Co bourbon (mash bill 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley), and 42% 3-year-old Bardstown Bourbon Co bourbon (mash bill 60% corn, 36% wheat, and 4% malted barley).

Nose: Almond, vanilla, cinnamon candies.

Mouth: Nice mouthfeel. Cinnamon, caramel, and Vanilla custard.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Cinnamon, mint, dark chocolate, and oak.

Thoughts: this took me sips to get into as it needed a little time to open up. But once it did, it was lovely. Sweet, creamy, and spicy with a nice mouthfeel. I enjoyed it. I will have to keep an eye out for other releases after I can get to Kentucky again.

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