Intro: A modern Kentucky voice with classic manners
Kentucky bourbon has plenty of legends. Bardstown Bourbon Company proves you can respect the old playbook and still write your own chapter. From grain contracts and purpose-built stills to thoughtful blending and cask finishes, everything here feels intentional, modern where it matters, classic where it counts. The result is whiskey with real character: generous fruit, honest grain, and oak that knows when to step back and let the spirit talk.
“Bardstown bourbon tastes composed, like someone dialed every knob with purpose and then stopped exactly where the whiskey sang.”
A quick story (why Bardstown isn’t “just another new distillery”)
Bardstown sits on the Bourbon Trail, shoulder to shoulder with icons. Instead of trying to copy anyone, the team built a distillery around transparency, innovation, and partnerships. They distill a range of mashbills, mature their own whiskey on site, and make no secret of the blending and finishing choices that shape their releases. That openness is refreshing, and the results are in the glass: layered, precise, and consistently delicious.
How they build flavor (and why it matters)
- Purpose-built distillation. High efficiency column stills paired with thoughtful cuts create clean new-make with room for grain and fermentation character to show.
- Mashbills with intent. Origin Series showcases classic Kentucky templates, both traditional and wheated bourbon, plus rye, each expressing grain differently.
- Barrel management. Six years in Kentucky rickhouses gives balanced extraction: vanilla, caramel, spice, and oak structure without lumber taking over.
- Blending as craft. Even single-distillery releases benefit from blending across barrels and locations. Collaborative Series bottles push further by finishing in select casks that add nuance rather than novelty.
This is tech-forward bourbon done right, tools in service of taste.
Why we carry Bardstown
Because our customers ask two things we can answer with one lineup:
- Is it a great daily drinker? Origin Series nails it, honest grain, focused oak, fair proofs.
- Is there something special to geek out on? The Collaborative Series delivers curated finishes with a point of view, not a sugar bomb.
You can start with a classic pour, then step into a finished whiskey, same house voice, different accent. It is a tidy education in what modern Kentucky can be.
What’s on our shelf (and how each drinks)
Bardstown Origin Series 6-Year Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon (106 Proof)
When wheat replaces rye in the mashbill, you feel it: softer edges, rounder mid palate, and a plush sweetness that reads as honeyed corn and baked pastry rather than spice. At 106 proof, this lands in the Goldilocks zone, enough structure for a cube, supple enough to sip neat.
What we taste: warm cornbread, vanilla cream, baked apple, a breeze of baking spice. Oak is present but polite, the finish lingers on toasted grain and light caramel.
When to pour: early evening sipper, Boulevardier riff where it loves bitter, or a no nonsense Old Fashioned where the wheat keeps everything velvety.
Bardstown Origin Series 6-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (96 Proof)
The classic Kentucky profile, corn led richness with rye’s gentle lift. Bottled at 96 proof, it is an easy, everyday pour that still carries depth.
What we taste: toffee, orange peel, light cherry, cinnamon, and a tidy oak frame.
When to pour: neat after dinner, or in a Whiskey Sour where citrus locks arms with that orange toffee core. If you are introducing someone to Bardstown, this is the handshake.
Bardstown Origin Series 6-Year Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon (100 Proof)
Bottled in Bond sets guardrails that reward patience: one distilling season, one distiller, one distillery, minimum four years (here six), bottled at 100 proof. The payoff is focus.
What we taste: caramel shortbread, roasted peanut, cacao nib, baking spice. The proof sharpens definition without turning hot.
When to pour: classic rocks pour with a lemon peel. Also fantastic in a Highball, where the bond proof backbone keeps flavor precise as the ice melts.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series WVGBCo Cherry Oak
The Collaborative Series is where Bardstown flexes its finishing chops. Cherry Oak (a partnership with West Virginia Great Barrel Company) marries seasoned American oak with toasted cherry wood staves. The idea is not sweetness, it is aroma and texture. Cherry wood introduces red fruit lift and a subtly different tannin feel.
What we taste: cherry compote, cola spice, vanilla bean, cocoa dust, and a gentle herbal note that reads almost tea like. The finish is satin smooth with a red fruit echo.
When to pour: after dinner neat pour, or stirred into a Manhattan where vermouth’s botanicals dance with that cherry oak perfume.
Bardstown Origin Series 6-Year Kentucky Straight Rye (96 Proof)
Rye should feel alive, green, spicy, and a little electric. At 96 proof, Bardstown’s rye threads brightness with approachability.
What we taste: spearmint, lemon oil, dill seed, honeyed rye bread, and a crack of black pepper. Oak shows up as structure, not sawdust.
When to pour: Martinis are for gin, Manhattans are for rye. This one also lights up a Gold Rush riff (swap bourbon for rye) and sings in a Boulevardier.
How to choose your first bottle (and your second)
- New to Bardstown? Start with Origin 6-Year Bourbon (96 proof). It is the house voice, balanced, friendly, still layered.
- Prefer softer, rounder profiles? Origin Wheated (106 proof) delivers plush texture and pastry leaning sweetness without losing shape.
- Like classic structure? Origin Bottled in Bond (100 proof) focuses the flavors and feels tailor made for rocks pours.
- Want something different? Collaborative Series Cherry Oak brings a red fruit lift and elegant texture, great for the whiskey nerd who has tried everything.
- Craving spice and lift? Origin Rye (96 proof) has you covered for Manhattans, Old Pals, and nights that want a bit more brightness.
Tasting notes vs. real-world use (how we think about it at the bar)
- Proof matters. Ninety six to one hundred six is a sweet spot, sturdy enough for cocktails, inviting enough to sip.
- Ice is a tool, not a crutch. One large cube for wheated and BiB. A big rock or neat for Cherry Oak to keep that nose open.
- Citrus loves rye, bitter loves wheat. When you are mixing, let the grain steer the direction. Rye perks up citrus, wheat melts into amaro and vermouth.
- Do not chase oak, chase balance. These are six year whiskeys that read older because the blending is thoughtful. If you find yourself wanting more oak, try Cherry Oak for aroma rather than sheer tannin.
One easy cocktail: Bardstown Porch Sipper
A tall, no fuss drink that respects the whiskey and plays nice with warm weather (or the radiator).
You will need
- 1½ oz Bardstown Origin 6-Year Bourbon (96 proof)
- ½ oz Amontillado sherry
- ¼ oz rich demerara syrup (2:1)
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Cold soda water to top
- Orange peel
Build it
- Stir bourbon, sherry, syrup, and bitters with ice to chill.
- Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice.
- Top with soda and give one gentle turn with a barspoon.
- Express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
Why it works
The bourbon’s orange toffee core clicks with nutty sherry. A little sugar rounds edges. Bubbles keep it bright. It is flavorful, not heavy, and the whiskey stays in front.
Quick FAQs
Is Bardstown sourcing or distilling?
Both. They distill and age their own whiskey (Origin), and they are open about blending and finishing projects (Collaborative Series). Transparency is part of the brand DNA.
Do finishes add sugar?
No. Finishing is about the previous cask’s influence, aroma, texture, secondary flavors, not sweetening. Expect nuance, not dessert.
What is special about Bottled in Bond here?
Bond rules tighten variables. Bardstown layers on six years of age for extra polish and a focused 100 proof profile.
How should I serve Cherry Oak?
Neat in a small glass or on a single rock. If you are mixing, try a Manhattan with a 2:1 whiskey to vermouth ratio and skip the cherry garnish, the nose will give you plenty of cherry on its own.
Which bottle is best for gifts?
For a classic bourbon fan, BiB or Wheated. For the adventurous, Cherry Oak. For a cocktail maker, Rye.
Final thoughts
Bardstown Bourbon Company is proof that modern Kentucky can be transparent, curious, and still feel like home. Whether you reach for the easygoing Origin Bourbon, the plush Wheated, the focused Bottled in Bond, the perfumed Cherry Oak, or the lively Rye, you are getting whiskey that is composed, flavorful, and built for the way people actually drink.
Swing by and we will pour side by side tastes so you can feel the differences yourself. We will talk grain, proof, glassware, and send you home with a bottle that fits your palate and your next occasion.
