6 Distilleries Unite to Launch 2023 Bardstown Collection

The 2023 Bardstown Collection has been announced. (Photo: Bardstown Collection)

Six prominent whiskey distilleries in the Bardstown area are teaming up to launch the latest edition of the Bardstown Collection. This lineup of whiskeys celebrates Bardstown’s reputation as the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

Heaven Hill, Log Still, James B. Beam, Lux Row, Bardstown Bourbon Company and Preservation Distillery each selected three barrels to contribute to this year’s collection. The distilleries either blended or released them in single-barrel formats.

The collection will be released in waves over the course of Thursday and Friday. Here’s the schedule:

Thursday, April 13

• 9 a.m.: Heaven Hill Distillery
• Noon: Log Still Distillery
• 3 p.m.: James B. Beam

Thursday, April 13

• 9 a.m.: Lux Row Distillers
• Noon: Bardstown Bourbon Company
• 3 p.m.: Preservation Distillery

Each distillery will release a limited quantity of its bottles.

At 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, a pre-release tasting event will be held at Scout and Scholar Brewery in Louisville. No bottles will be sold at the event, but attendees will be treated to live tastings of each release with the master distillers, appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, and live music. To purchase a ticket for $150, click here.

If you’re not able to make it to the pre-release event but want to taste or buy bottles from the collection, don’t worry. Bardstown Collection Experiences is teaming up with Mint Julep Transportation to host four events, scheduled for April 27-28, May 18-19, June 29-30 and July 27-28.

Each experience will consist of:

• A guided tour through one of Heaven Hill’s bonded warehouses
• A continental breakfast paired with this year’s Bardstown Collection and other Heaven Hill whiskeys
• Lunch and a sampling of the Bardstown Collection at Log Still Distillery with founders Wally, Lynne and Charles Dant.
• An “elevated education sampling experience” and private distillery tour of the James B. Beam Distilling Co.
• A Lux Row Distiller’s “collection selection experience,” which includes a tour and tasting of “high-end brands.”
• A Bardstown Bourbon Co. “Art of Blending” mixology experience with Bardstown Bourbon Company’s vice president, hospitality & product development, Dan Calloway, plus lunch.
• A Preservation Distillery handmade cocktail and private tour, plus a tasting of its Vintage Barrel Brands accompanied by a ploughman’s board.

What Each Participating Distillery Had to Say About the 2023 Bardstown Collection

Conor O’Driscoll, master distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery: “A collaboration like this is unheard of in the bourbon industry. We are so pleased to be a part of the collaboration and camaraderie between so many Bardstown distilleries.”

Freddie Noe, 8th Generation master distiller of James B. Beam Distillery: “We couldn’t be more excited to join Bardstown Collection Bourbon for a second year in a row. This year, our limited-edition features Bourbons from 10, 11 & 12 millionth milestone barrels filled at James B. Beam Distilling Co., that have been left untouched for years until we found an opportunity worthy of using them. The result is a well-balanced and intricate bourbon.

“The Bardstown Collection is more than a delicious bourbon; it’s a celebration of the town’s history and camaraderie. It’s this fellowship of the folks living in Bardstown that kept Bourbon alive during the toughest times. They helped solve problems for the industry and assisted the community. It’s been such a strong part of my own family’s history and such a robust component of bourbon’s history – we’re excited to celebrate with this new release!”

John Rempke, master distiller at Lux Row Distillers: “Lux Row is proud to be the newest member of the Bardstown Bourbon Collection. For our first year, we are offering three single barrels, which are over six years old and bottled at 129 proof. These barrels feature our low rye bourbon recipe, my favorite recipe here at Lux Row.

“Since we’re not blending these single barrels, you can expect different flavor notes from each, but in general, our low rye recipe plays to the sweetness of the corn, so expect some vanilla and caramel notes, with a slight spice and a little dry fruit on the finish. Lux Row has been an active member of this community for several years now, and entering the collection lays claim to our roots here in the Bourbon Capital of the World.”

Lynne Dant, chief operating officer and distiller of Log Still Distillery: “This collaboration is a representation of the incredible bourbon that Bardstown is built on. We are honored to join the Bardstown Collection in creating a one-of-a-kind bourbon that directly impacts our community and raises the standard of the industry.”

The Palatella Family, owners of Preservation Distillery: “Our family has loved being a part of the Kentucky Bourbon community for many decades. We’re part of the community. We’re honored to join our fellow bourbon distillers in Bardstown as we come together for an incredible cause — and great bourbon.”

Last year’s Bardstown Collection included all of the same distilleries as this year’s, with the exception of Lux Row, a newcomer to the collection.

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