Bardstown Bourbon Co. Fusion Series #1

I count myself fortunate to have gotten this bourbon because it's unavailable where I live, it's a hot commodity that vanishes fast, and I got it for $5 less than usual. Regardless of what others think, I'll be blunt... It doesn't justify its cost. For a $60 bourbon, I anticipated a more robust, deep, dense, and peppery profile comparable to single barrels, cask strengths, barrel proofs, or un-chill filtered varieties. And I believe this is just a standard blended bourbon, not any of those. The inclusion of an 11-year-old blend doesn't make up for it, as other labels blend older bourbons, like 16-year-olds, for less money. Setting aside those points, though, if someone gave me this to drink, I would have been quite pleased and enjoyed it. It's tasty. If you'd asked me what I thought it cost, I would have guessed between $35 and $45.

I just returned from a distillery trip and ate at the bottle and bond restaurant there. We sampled this spirit during the tour, but it was after two white dog spirits and a 120 proof high rye component. Tasting a 98 proof offering after high proof new make just doesn't work. The 120 proof high rye shows potential, so I tried it in a flight at lunch. My taste buds have recovered a bit, and the pecan pie aroma others have noted is accurate. It's likely from the high rye component because that scent was quite strong earlier. On the palate, it has sharp, young notes of unresolved oak softened by some caramel from older stock. Flavors are soft and the finish is short. I expect more from a $60 bourbon, but I believe this distillery will produce some world-class spirits in a few years.

The tasting room offered complimentary sips of the distillery's brand-new "Fusion" blend, which combines some of their initial barrels of two-year-old spirit (60%) with a considerably older, sourced 11-year, 7-month old bourbon (40%). My detailed notes become less precise late in the day, especially after sampling numerous excellent whiskies, but I did observe that this new offering had a surprisingly velvety texture, rich, mature flavors, and a significant rye spice kick at the conclusion. The older bourbon in this blend integrated wonderfully with the lively, young bourbon that makes up most of it. I really enjoyed it! The $60 price is a bit high, but it provides an opportunity to experience an early creation from one of bourbon country's most promising new distilleries.

A gift from my mother in law, who grew up in Bardstown. Orange’ish amber with quick legs. I really like the aroma on this one - it’s basically a nose full of sweet oak. Second whiff reveals a little crem brûlée, tobacco leaf and a hint of leather. Body is medium to light. The youthful juice hits the front of the tongue with smooth bits of vanilla and cola and by the back is more zesty with caraway, nutmeg, oak and some earthy banana/tobacco funk coming back. The finish is shorter than I prefer but pleasant. Overall it’s a good blend of the old and new. The young juice makes for a sweet nose with the older juice bringing along a little complexity. This is no gobstopper but is dang good.

Aroma: spicy, with notes of cream and zesty citrus, butterscotch, cherries. Palate: spicy caramel, fruits. Finish: more fruits and some cinnamon. Short to medium finish. This bourbon brings something to mind, but since this is my first tasting, I will hold off on judgment. It’s pleasingly complex. I’m happy to see more bourbon blends available. Some of the distillery's bourbon offerings were excellent. I will say that if you enjoyed the now-discontinued Ancient Ancient Age 10-year or Barton Bottled-in-Bond— also discontinued — you will certainly like this.

The aroma is full of hints of sweet raisins and cherries. Lemon zest is faint in the background. The palate has salty caramel with a significant wave of vanilla spice. Spice is the main characteristic. The finish is medium in length and shows some leather, sweet cream, and cherry cola, then more leather. The mouthfeel is excellent. You need to be open-minded with this one as it’s distinctive and appealing. The spice is prominent but transitions to a pleasant but medium-length finish. A great new blended bourbon that I would happily buy again.