Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
There’s no other way to put it… Bardstown Bourbon Company is cool. Their blending is top notch – literally. They seek out the best bourbons and whiskeys, with the goal not only of combining greatness, but propelling it into something new. And then they distill – some for themselves, and a lot for others. So you might not even know how great they are, because you’re drinking it from a bottle marked Jefferson’s, or Blue Run, and many more!
Okay, nerd-out over. Let’s get into the real details here.
The Discovery Series is a range of sourced and blended bourbons, “discovered” rather than distilled. The #10 expression here is a mix of five different bourbons that have already been aged. Three of the five are from Kentucky, creating the foundation of the whiskey, with the other two being from Tennessee and Georgia.
According to the distillery, ““Inside you’ll find a trailblazing blend, rooted in Kentucky that explores innovative flavor from unexpected sources.” All of the bourbons are cited as “premium” though it’s not disclosed which distilleries they are from. The company does give a solid breakdown of the bourbons within, however, listed below:
- Blend 62: Kentucky: aged 9 years: 78% corn, 13% rye, 9% malted barley
- Blend 18: Kentucky: aged 13 years: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
- Blend 10: Georgia: aged 10 years: 80% corn, 10% rye, 5% wheat, 5% malted barley
- Blend 8: Kentucky: aged 6 years: 53% corn, 26% rye, 21% malted barley
- Blend 2: Tennessee: aged 10 years: 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley
So what we’re seeing overall is a bourbon that’s predominately corn, a fairly standard amount of rye and malted barley, and just a whisper of wheat. The Georgia blend is definitely the outlier here, bringing us that wheat and a considerably higher amount of malted barley.
The Discovery Series started with blending only Kentucky straight bourbons, then branched out with further expressions. Later releases started to include other states, then extended even to Canadian whisky (taking away the official designation of bourbon, and becoming blended whiskey instead), and played with some different staves during the aging process.
Tasting Notes: Bardstown Bourbon Discovery Series #10
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Vital Stats: 114.24 proof, 57.12% ABV, aged minimum 6 years, 750mL, SRP $139.99
Appearance: Light toffee, very translucent. Slow, unevenly spaced legs.
Nose: Lightly sweet and woody, with forest floor notes coming through. Think vegetal and mushroom, rather than dank.
Palate: Honeyed start, but also a lot of spicy heat. Soft chocolate and nut notes come in after the heat burns off a bit. Strong cherry flavors carry through into a long finish. Very soft texture.
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