Bardstown Bourbon Co. Plantation Rum Finish

My first impression would have been: “This is rum. Don’t buy it unless you want an overpriced rum.” But then I tried this process: 1. Decant bottle. 2. Detest contents so much I ignored it for 3 months. 3. Decide to finish it to make room in the decanter for a new Bardstown product. 4. Get hammered playing Rocket League, forget to review it, and pour the last few fingers over ice. 5. Realize I haven’t reviewed it yet and my palate isn’t clean or my mind sound for a proper review. 6. Determined not to buy another bottle, pour about two ounces back into the decanter. 7. Wait until I’m not hungover. 8. Review the whiskey. My method might seem odd, but I swear it made a difference. Seriously. Smell: cedar, sour, musty. I’m not a rum expert, but I don’t get rum on the nose. It reminds me more of Russell’s Reserve or Elijah Craig 18 than a finished bourbon. Taste: rum. I can find tangerine if I search, but the rum is dominant. Finish: sugar, rum, cinnamon. There’s coconut. There’s no other way to put it: this isn’t a great product. I think my accidental dilution and aeration did reduce the bite of that rum finish, but it’s still overwhelming. Bardstown’s finishes aren’t usually subtle, and I’d argue Bardstown prioritizes the finishing barrel’s profile (over the base spirit) more than anyone. Usually, that’s great. Twice now, it’s been… not great. This is better than Destillare, which I haven’t touched in over 2 years. But this is definitely not their best work, nor the best in its category. Get Borough (if you can), Blood Oath (same), or Jefferson’s (definitely available) before considering this bottle. Also: I have to hand it to a friend… “chalky orange sports drink” is a brilliant note you can’t unhear. That’s my final impression of this whiskey, and I don’t mind it at all.

The aroma begins with a blend of light pineapple, toasted coconut, and leather, followed by dark chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and subtle pipe tobacco. This then moves to chalky orange sports drink, sautéed apples, and cherries, transitioning into light baking spices and polished oak with a moderate ethanol sting. The taste offers a medium mouthfeel, starting with grilled pineapple rings, toasted coconut, and leather, preceding a mild peppery spice that quickly vanishes for dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, macadamia nuts, and understated pipe tobacco. It continues with chalky orange sports drink, sautéed mangoes, and cherries, shifting to light baking spices and polished oak, accompanied by a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is medium in duration, featuring grilled pineapple rings, toasted coconut, dark chocolate mocha, chalky orange, light oak spices, leather, and mildly ashy oak. Considering its approximately 22-month rum cask finish, the rum's presence on the nose is quite faint, possibly missed in a blind tasting. However, this rum influence becomes more prominent in the taste, without overwhelming the typical bourbon characteristics, before concluding with tropical notes, mild earthy spices, chalky orange, and ashy oak. At a price point around $160, it's a distinctively finished bourbon, but its value doesn't quite justify the premium for a 10-year-old Tennessee whisky with a rum finish. I would much prefer to allocate that amount to numerous other bottles at half the price that I favor over this one. Thanks to a friend for the generous sample.

I'm preparing a few samples for an upcoming online tasting with friends. This is one of my contributions. While doing so, I poured myself a small dram into a glencairn; mid-week, and out of my usual character. But, you only live once. I've never been a fan of Plantation rum. In fact, the few times I've encountered it (usually at a friend's place), I felt inclined to either discard it or mix it into a brightly colored, sugary cocktail. However, I set my apprehension aside and trusted the blending expertise of Bardstown. The only other blender I would purchase without hesitation is Barrell. At $150, roughly 80% more than a Barrell blend, it's a significant price to risk. But in this instance, it proved to be well worth it. Typically, I find rum-finished bourbons to be unbalanced, with the rum dominating and leaving the bourbon notes as an afterthought. Bardstown did an excellent job combining molasses, vanilla, oak, fig, and chocolates. It's genuinely well-balanced and skillfully blended. The finish lingers with notes of coffee and molasses. For those who don't favor sweet rum or rum-finished bourbon, I suggest giving this one a try. It departs from the norm, and for the better.

As a devoted rum drinker and admirer of rum barrel-finished spirits (when executed properly), I purchased this hoping it would justify its cost. It presents as a bourbon first, but the rum barrel certainly makes its presence known. It also tastes like a typical Jamaican barrel, quite pronounced with minimal sweetness. I anticipate varied opinions, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing unless you enjoy rum, as the rum barrel has a strong character. Initially, it felt hot, but after about 10 minutes with ice, the alcohol intensity subsided. Is it worth the price? I'm not disappointed; it's a good bourbon, though one can find superior options at the same or lower prices. Its distinctiveness is its key differentiator. If you're seeking a quality rum barrel-finished bourbon, I believe this fits the criteria; otherwise, explore other options. If you have the opportunity to sample it before buying a bottle, I highly recommend doing so. Cheers! 🥃

I immediately detect rum notes in the aroma, with hints of banana, brown sugar, and the spirit itself. It's quite pleasant. It actually develops and is quite good. I'm glad I waited to give this a thorough review. When I first opened it, the initial pour was acceptable, but unremarkable. The bottle has definitely improved with time. The mouthfeel is rich and almost slick. The rum is less noticeable in the flavor than in the aroma, primarily adding depth and contributing to the finish. There are pine notes, some cedar, black pepper, and still brown sugar. The finish is fantastic, almost as if you're chewing it for about 45 seconds to a minute. It's a spirit to be savored. Yes, it's truly excellent.

Fortunately, the rum influence isn't overwhelming on the nose, where I detect peanut shells, caramel, and vanilla. The coconut and tropical fruit notes are subtle and require some effort to find. The palate begins to showcase more of the rum's character, with sweet coconut candy and pineapple. It then transitions back to bourbon flavors before the rum reappears on the finish. While not excessively sweet, the finish is quite sugary. There's also a faint hint of the characteristic Dickel mineral note at the end. Thanks to a friend for the sample.