Episode 34: Bardstown Bourbon Co. - Founder’s KBS Stout Finished Bourbon

The Pot Still Column: Episode 34

Bardstown Bourbon Co. - Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Founders KBS Stout Barrels

Batch: 1 of 1 (Limited Collaboration)

Proof: 110

Age: NAS

Source: Undisclosed Tennessee Distillery (George Dickel)

Price: $159.99

Bardstown Bourbon Co. is one of the fastest growing distilleries in the United States, and its recent acquisition of Green River Distillery and its extant distillation contracts has only catapulted it further forward in the world of bourbon. The blending operation is best known for its well-acclaimed Discovery series, but its limited and uniquely finished Collaborative Series is close behind in popularity. Some of the most successful collaborations to date have been the Prisoner wine and Maison Ferrand Cognac finished bourbons, but many others have been released. In 2022, Bardstown released a 10-year-old Tennessee bourbon finished in barrels that once held KBS stout beer from Founder's Brewing Company. Today we will explore that very bourbon!

Whenever a sourced whiskey is distilled in Tennessee, one would be wise to bet that it was made by George Dickel. While Bardstown doesn't always reveal the source of its base spirits, there is little doubt that their Founder's cask finished bourbon is a Dickel product. The minerality that appears in the flavor profile seems to support this theory.

As for the finish, it is certainly reminiscent of a stout beer. I had the pleasure of trying my first KBS stout just a few months ago, so the picture is still somewhat fresh in my mind. I have never been a big fan of beer, but imperial stouts do have a special place in my heart, and the love definitely extends to stout-finished whiskeys. This isn't the first stout finished whiskey to be reviewed on this account, and a stouted single malt from Rogue Spirits can be found just a few episodes back. Stouts are some of the most dramatically impactful finishing agents currently used in whiskey, and their presence is hardly ever subtle. This limited release from Bardstown is far from subtle, but it does manage to avoid the overly sweet, syrupy qualities of many stout-finished whiskeys. This is even more surprising considering the generous finishing time of 15 months.

On the nose, this thing is waxy, peppery, and loaded with molasses. The whiskey is defined by an unsurprisingly stout-like sweetness, and a careful sniff reveals beery molasses notes much like the syrupy residue in an empty bottle of KBS. While it isn't a dominant note, the beery quality does synthesize a hemp-like note on top of everything else.

The flavor is more subdued than I thought it would be based on the smell. As expected, the texture is indeed waxy, and the flavors don't pop as much as I hoped that they would. The finish is weak, leaving a completely flavorless dusting on the tongue-- a surprising fact considering the potent stout finish. The Dickel minimality comes through on the taste, and it does complement the dark, beery flavors of the finish quite well. The base spirit shines through the finish well enough, and the entire product is well balanced, despite the uneventful finish.

Closing Impression:

This is a tough whiskey to score because of the severe discrepancies that exist between the nose, taste, and finish. The nose, while pleasant, is lacking in depth and potency, only hinting at what should be a very pronounced bouquet of dark flavors. The taste is the best part of the experience, providing the most bang for buck, and introducing the flavors of the base spirit in a positive manner. The finish, which I expected to explode with beery flavors, is completely devoid of life, dragging down the experience immensely. This bottle came from a friend who very kindly passed it my way after hearing me speak very highly of it in a previous review. Clearly this bottle has changed tremendously, and not in the best of ways. While most of my bourbons have improved with some oxygen, this one seems to have lost its better qualities, and time has tamed its flavors. The only Bardstown Bourbon Co. product remotely worth its retail price that I have tried has been the Prisoner wine finished bourbon, but even that was a stretch. Charging $159.99 for a bottle of moderately aged bourbon is stupid, and the practice should be discouraged. Ten-year-old Dickel can be obtained for relatively little cost, and finishes, while often exotic, are not so horribly expensive that they should drive a whiskey over the $150 mark. Bardstown Bourbon Co. is demanding all but a first-born child for a whiskey that, while creative, simply does not hit the mark.

Nose: 75/100

Taste: 81/100

Finish: 67/100

Overall: 74/100 (Just okay - flawed but pleasant)