Bardstown Bourbon Company is making some very good whiskey. They are releasing some very interesting finished whiskeys. Their latest is a Bourbon finished in Calvados apple brandy barrels. I really like this whiskey. The apple brandy complements the Bourbon flavor and does not overpower it. They sent me a bottle for review last month and it was so good that Matt and I decided it had to be a whiskey of the month. Here are our tasting notes.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Normandie Calvados Brandy Finished Bourbon
Proof: 104.2
Age: Twelve Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel, apples, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, marshmallows, candied apples, baking spices and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apple and nutmeg are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and chocolate and black pepper come out to join the party.
- Matt: Caramel, brown sugar, apples, raisins, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the raisins and brown sugar. The pecan brought out chocolate.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, apples and hints of cinnamon. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and added lingering nutmeg. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, apple, black pepper and lingering chocolate.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and cinnamon. The dried cranberry added some brown sugar. The pecan added a chocolate note.
I would pair this fine whiskey with a My Father The Judge cigar. The rich vanilla and chocolate in the smoke would pair well with the caramel and chocolate in the whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller