Bardstown Bourbon Co. Founders KBS Stout Finish

I guess this is the name? Nose - Very sour Dickel notes with some chocolate hints initially. As it evolves, I detect orange citrus elements, almost like an orange vitamin chew. It's now transitioning to more complex citrus with some cocoa powder. At the $170 I paid, this is a significant disappointment on the nose, though it is interesting. Taste - So, I'm influenced, but I'll go with my initial thoughts first, then everything else I taste. Initially, you get this citrus explosion with odd oak and Dickel vitamins. All of this is on a remarkably velvety mouthfeel. And then it finishes with creamy milk chocolate. The second pour is nuttier, almost like hazelnut coffee comes through, then citrus and chocolate. Now... after influence, my goodness, it's heavy orange citrus bitters. I should wait longer to review this, but both times I've poured it, I've had different impressions. This time the citrus is much more prominent; last time it was more chocolate-focused. I'm honestly unsure how I feel about this, but I have to assign a score. So, price - this SHOULD be around $130-$140, but for some reason, my store wanted $170, and I purchased it... I'm foolish. Watch it be on sale next week for retail... they did the same thing with Ferrand. This is the most distinctive bourbon I've ever experienced. Coffee, unusual bourbon, and chocolate. The blending and finishing work here are truly intriguing. This is a must-try, not just for the quality but for its uniqueness. Score? Oh dear... let's go with a 2.5. It's enjoyable but confusing. I can't even begin to tell you if you should or shouldn't buy it. I'm glad I got it because it's incredibly strange. I think many will dislike it. I think many will adore it. I can't imagine this won't generate a lot of strong opinions among vocal individuals, but I think many of us will be perplexed lol.

Aroma: Dark chocolate, nutmeg cherry, berries, wet wood, slightly sour yeast. Flavor: sweet hot berries, lingering warm cinnamon, orange peel, ending in a lasting and slightly bitter chocolate finish on the sides of the mouth. I wasn't too impressed when I quickly tried this after some other bourbons. However if you sit with it (especially as the only pour of the night on a fresh palate, maybe the first pour of the week) it grows into a mature and complex dram. The chocolate notes on the nose show up as cocoa but on the palate the flavor hides until the end hitting the sides of the mouth as dark chocolate, and not the 50% stuff but 90% dark, the bitter lingering stuff. I'm really pleased I grabbed a bottle after my unimpressed initial impression because it's a joy to sit with and break apart. Just have it on its own or the subtle flavors might be missed.

This was on my must-try list. I'm very familiar with Founder's brews, particularly the CBS and KBS expressions. I enjoy them all, so I was very eager to finally find this for under $200. After detecting a cocoa note on the nose, I was excited to taste it. But beyond that aroma, and a slight chocolate flavor during the finish, I don't detect the KBS at all. I'm hoping this might change over time, and the flavor I anticipated will emerge. It's not a bad bourbon by any means, perhaps a bit thinner than I expected, just not what I envisioned. 2/22/23 - Revisited this bottle tonight to see if the KBS finish was more noticeable. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I get some classic bourbon sweetness on the nose, but it doesn't carry over to the palate. It still seems thin, and the finish this time had a considerable ethanol burn. Still disappointing.

The aroma presents dampness, along with sea salt, nectar, and lemon zest. Sweetness. Wood shavings. Toffee. It has an aged character. The palate is acrid, featuring dark roasted coffee and a dark ale at first. Sweetness and a papery note follow (you know the taste I mean). The lingering taste is dominated by cocoa and sweetener. More sweetness remains. Gentle spice notes usually found in baked goods. This whiskey's aroma is its best feature. The palate is unusual, and I can't say it appeals to me. Another infrequent misstep from Bardstown. I don't see a reason to buy this. While the ale-like finish is clear, I question its contribution to the whiskey's complexity.

Not quite at a cognac level, but very enjoyable with tasting notes of dark chocolate, nuts, dark fruit, and coffee. Aroma: Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Peaches, Maple Syrup, Treacle, Molasses, Nutella, White Chocolate Palate: White Chocolate, Mocha, Dark Chocolate, Honey, Treacle, Bananas, Walnuts, Hazlenuts, Raisins, Cherries, Brown Sugar Finish: Grapefruit, Almonds, Treacle, Espresso, Mocha, Honey, Blood Oranges, Gingerbread, Raisins, Christmas Cakes

The aroma has cooked meat (more like beef jerky than BBQ) with hints of pepper and oak. This presents a deep chocolate walnut color. The initial taste reveals a surprisingly light mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate (unsweetened). The second taste brings chocolate malt, black pepper, and a mouth-drying tannic finish. It surpasses many stout-finished bourbons I've sampled. However, it's not a standout.