Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey was released in September 2022. Produced by Bardstown Bourbon Company and sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, it combines two 4-year-old bourbons with one 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon. The mashbills include 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley; 70% corn, 18% rye and 12% malted barley; and 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. Bottled at 47.75% ABV, it hosts a suggested retail price of $65.
I’m not quite sure this is ready, to be honest. The bourbon is super rye-forward, and the flavors are promising when present, but there’s a lot that could be done to fix this and elevate it. It needs more mouthfeel, more coating, more varied flavors, and more time to let the younger bourbons “learn” from the older bourbon, which fades badly.
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Fusion Series #8 brings traditional Kentucky bourbon flavors together in a well integrated format with splashes of fruit and spice.
There’s a pop of powdered sugar and lush, mature vanilla notes alongside the notes of bread dough, marshmallow root tea, and holy basil. The 12-year in the blend really shows on the palate, rounding out the vanilla sweetness. A dash of water really opens up the aromatics.
