Bardstown Bourbon Company makes some great whiskeys and they are also known for their experimental blends of whiskey. This whiskey is a blend of 10 year old Kentucky Bourbon (69%), 16 year old Kentucky Bourbon (8%), 5 year old Komagata Take Japanese whisky (20%) and 5 year old Tasuki Japanese whisky (2%). It makes for an interesting flavor with a lot of fruit and spice. Matt and I sat down and tasted this whiskey the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve
Proof: 109.8
Age: Five Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, apricots, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, brown sugar, honey, mocha and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, apricots, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and smoke and black pepper come forward. Tasted with a pecan and a citrus note comes forward and the cinnamon is enhanced.
- Matt: Rich vanilla, coffee, honey, buttered toast, nutmeg and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a citrus note to the taste. The pecan made the vanilla a buttered caramel.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering cherry. The dried cranberry made the finish smoky and peppery. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, cinnamon and citrus.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and nutmeg. The dried cranberry added a coffee flavor to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, citrus and nutmeg.
I would pair this whiskey with a cigar that has rich tobacco and vanilla in the smoke. I would reach for a NUB Habano cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller