Bardstown Bourbon Company Founders KBS Aged Stout Barrel Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a limited release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series in Bardstown, Kentucky. It begins as a 10-year-old Tennessee straight bourbon made from a mash bill of approximately 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted barley, then spends 15 months in barrels that previously held Founders Brewing’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV), it carries a suggested retail price of around $160.
The palate punches with considerably more complexity, delivering an initial burst of milk chocolate-covered caramel and toasty dark malts that quickly turns unusually, almost excessively, fruity. Fresh squeezed orange juice, pulpy and tart, along with some dark Bing cherries offer a sharp contrast to the stout cask’s roasted coffee and dark chocolate foundation.