Bardstown Bourbon Co. Discovery Series #3

A tale of three bourbons. It was the finest of times. It was the worst of times. Take several of my preferred distilleries, combine their well-aged product, and charge a significant but honestly fair price considering the effort required to harmonize it all. Is it worth it? Is the combined product superior to its components? Unfortunately, not really. Is it still incredibly enjoyable? Yes. The aroma truly highlights the older MGP. The oak and anise are prominent right out of the glass, along with a bit of funk. Good, but almost subdued compared to my high hopes. The body has medium viscosity at best and is a bit hot, but not unpleasantly so. Plenty of upfront wood notes and a bit of pepper, then an almost bubblegum sweetness that I associate with Wild Turkey, and perhaps the oak and cherry notes of Heaven Hill. What I couldn't detect as well were the mineral/pencil lead and anise notes that I love about MGP. They are subtle and tucked into the finish with a hint of leather but not emphasized (considering they make up ~50% of the blend). This is certainly not Boone County! I shouldn't have expected it to be, but I was disappointed by the lack of "oomph" on the palate. Nor is it an ECBP gobstopper of fruit, wood, chocolate, etc, etc... I need to let it sit for a bit to be sure, but at $130, it's likely not a repeat purchase when I could get a bottle of both ECBP and Remus for slightly more and genuinely enjoy the flavors separately. I would miss the Turkey funk, but adding a bottle of Rare Breed would address that. Okay, now I'm well over the $130 mark, but I'm also getting three times the volume. Purchase it, share it, analyze it, appreciate it. You won't be calling this one “my precious,” and perhaps that's not a negative. ———— I still love this, but if you're still reading, save $100 and buy a bottle of WR Rare Breed instead. You'll thank me. Note: this is delicious, but there's a 95% overlap, and honestly, the added sweetness here detracts from the balance that Rare Breed achieves on its own.

Neat. Sample. Eager to try this! The Fusion Series wasn't quite for me, but I'm still optimistic about the Bardstown brand. And this contains MGP, so naturally, I'm excited. However, I'm not always a fan of MGP blends. I truly appreciate the nose. Some lovely sweet oak, fresh leather, and a very pronounced caramel. Nice strawberries. Vanilla buttercream. Hints of banana bread and some walnuts are also present. There's something else here, sweet and dark. Like a dark maple. An exceptionally strong nose. Mmm, a velvety mouthfeel. The instant it touched my lips, I thought, 'Delicious.' Wow, the maple. So sweet. Excessively sweet. It's much lighter on the palate initially than I anticipated. Sweet oak, light maple, and that creamy vanilla buttercream. It transitions to a pleasant white cake with even more frosting in the finish. The caramel and leathers are emerging as well. The legs are delightful and persistent. I'm starting to detect some citrus and orange peel on the back end of the finish; I was trying to pinpoint where the rye would appear. The best MGP blend I've ever encountered. The Barton complements the low-rye MGP perfectly. I'm uncertain about the third barrel. This is a purchase for the next time I see it. At $130, it significantly outperforms something like a Sam Houston 14.

Earlier this year, a relative and I took our wives on a trip to Bardstown, including a distillery tour and a meal. It was a memorable outing. My relative purchased a bottle of Discovery 3. I chose a bottle of Rebel 10 year from a different establishment. His bottle has been open for a couple of weeks, and we sampled and reviewed it last night. The initial impression is a rich, buttery aroma, reminiscent of hot buttered waffles generously topped with maple syrup. Despite being 110 proof, the alcohol is well-integrated. The palate largely follows suit, with the addition of a nutty element and some dark fruits. This is a very enjoyable bourbon, though the finish is somewhat brief. If it were priced under $50, I'd be thrilled, but that's my main issue with the Bardstown Bourbon Company's pricing, which can be excessive for their products, good as they are. Conversely, their restaurant is fantastic and reasonably priced.

Alright, let's begin. Nose - Apples, spice, alcohol, a hint of nut, dust, and more spice. Taste - I'm definitely getting the fruity cinnamon and spice along with the apples characteristic of Barton, combined with the spicy rye blend of MGP 21 and 36% ryes (this is 21%). The bottle is all about spice and more spice. The balance and blending seem slightly off to me. It doesn't integrate well, in my opinion. That said, it's a wonderful overall flavor profile. I genuinely enjoy it. I would prefer a richer and mellower bourbon to temper the spice. Overall, a 3.0 bourbon, really good stuff, but it doesn't reach that next level tier like the Discovery 2 did. $130 a bottle here, and I believe this is exclusively for spice enthusiasts. Get the Discovery 2 first, and if you've had 2-3 of those, consider this one next.

The aroma features apples and cloves, with a hint of orange. For a 110 proof spirit, the ethanol presence is minimal, which is a positive. The palate is smooth, sweet, and layered, with notes of mint, vanilla, and cherries that transition to leather and oak on the finish. The finish becomes spicier as it develops but never feels overly hot.

This is excellent, possessing pleasing complexity and an appealing aroma and flavor. It makes for a fine accompaniment to a meal, and you would never suspect its 110 proof. However, I would have awarded it a higher rating, but the finish is so smooth it's almost imperceptible.