Bardstown Bourbon Company opened in 2016 with a revolutionary idea for a Kentucky distillery: transparency. No mystery sourcing, no age-statement games — just clear labels telling you exactly what's in the bottle. The Discovery Series is their ongoing flagship blend, showcasing Bardstown's growing skill at marrying bourbons of different ages and provenances.
Each Discovery Series release is a new blend — Bardstown labels them numerically, with each edition featuring different components. The common thread is that all are blends of straight bourbons, combining barrels sourced from other Kentucky distilleries with Bardstown's own distillate as their in-house stock matures. Bottled at cask strength and non-chill filtered, these releases reflect head distiller and blender decisions without compromise.
The nose opens with dark caramel richness, stewed cherries from the older sourced components, and toasted oak char. Pipe tobacco and baking spice give it gravitas. On the palate, the full proof reveals a plush, mouth-coating texture — brown sugar and cherry cola sweetness up front, dark chocolate and cinnamon building through the mid-palate, vanilla bean smoothing the edges.
The finish is long and warmly spiced, with oak tannin, cocoa powder, dried cherry and lingering bourbon spice. It's structured enough to sip neat but responds beautifully to a single ice cube on a summer evening.
Bardstown's blending program — led by Dan Callaway and the team — has earned the distillery a reputation as one of the most exciting operations in Kentucky. The Discovery Series is where that philosophy meets the glass most directly, and each new edition is worth seeking out.
