After the straightš„ releases with Series 3 and 4 Bardstown included a substantial amount of 17 year old TN bourbon in their blends. Given the controversial nature of TN bourbon some folks including myself were hesitant about these releases. That said Bardstown releases had always worked for me until now so I grabbed them both when they dropped.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 5
Age: Blend of 6-17 years
Proof: 104.7
Neat
Notes: Strong TN bourbon notes of old oak, mineral water and chocolate with some leather, caramel and nuts in the background. Very nice mouthfeel for the proof. Also a bit of spice on the long, slightly dry finish.
Stars: 1
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 6
Age: Blend of 7-17 years
Proof: 111.1
Neat
Notes: Sweet, funky and nutty notes dominate with caramel, vanilla frosting, and peanuts with subtler notes from the old TN bourbon of rich oak, a faint minerality and a bit of chocolate on the finish. The mouthfeel is nice and what I would expect from the proof. The proof integration is excellent.
Stars: 2
Conclusion
Overall these didnāt hold up to the previous 2 releases but 6 in particular was great in its own right. Compared to some other sourced high dollar releases that dropped around the same time such as Blue Note 17 or Sam Houston 14 Iād easily take either of these Bardstown bottles.
TL;DR: 5 was the low point in the series but 6 is a step back in the right direction