Tater Review: Bardstown Origin Wheated BiB
Bardstown Wheated Bottled in Bond - photo by Matt Hakey
The bourbon and whiskey market is quite the enigma these days. Sometimes it feels like there is a new distillery, expression or special release popping up every day. And let's not talk about the rising prices! That being said, there's plenty of decent stuff floating around, but everyone still seems to want to chase (and bunker) the same bottles. *cough* Sazerac *cough*
That's why the folks at Taters love a new, tasty bottle that not only hits the shelves but does so at a decent price. A bottle like Four Roses Small Batch Select is some of the best stuff that you can regularly buy under $60. As an added bonus, the good folks at Four Roses are rather transparent about their mash bills and batch recipes. But when it comes to transparency, Bardstown tops the charts!
For the last several years Bardstown Bourbon Company have been slowly building a strong reputation for releasing quality products. Their large distillery, set on a 100 acre property, was created with the vision of collaborating with other companies to help them produce their products while slowly aging their own products and releasing various blends of others. After six years, BBC finally announced plans to release their own products under the "Origin Series" name. The three bottles include a high-rye bourbon, a rye whiskey and a wheated mash bill. Each of them comprised of 100% of their own distillate. For our money, the wheated mash bill is a home run.
As Taters, we would be remiss not to mention the fine artisanship of the bottle itself. As always the BBC bottle boasts a fine stature with a cap branded with the BBC logo. This bottle includes an impressive gold on black label with a fancy schmancy tree sprawling along the side of the bottle. Bonus points for anyone that can identify the "origins" of said tree!
At any rate, here are the deets straight from the distiller.
DESCRIPTION
Honoring tradition and authenticity, our Origin Series Wheated Bottled-in-Bond 6-year expression presents the best locally-sourced Kentucky corn and wheat grains. This expression features 20% wheat in the mash bill, creating a modern expression of beautifully balanced bourbon.
TASTING NOTES
Baked peach with cream meets cocoa with hints of lemon, an indulgent, smooth mouthfeel of stone fruit and toffee leads to an alluring and enduring finish.
100 PROOF
AGE 6 YEARS
Corn 68% / Wheat 20% / Malted Barley 12%
Since this expression is bottled-in-bond one can expect consistency in what each bottle delivers. This is the obvious trade-off of the unique experience that a single barrel provides. Here Bardstown has delivered a product that is reminiscent of some of the cocoa noted Makers Mark private selections. But at 100 proof this is, indeed, a wonderfully balanced pour with a finish that is sometimes lacking in Makers selections.
A delicious 6-year wheated bourbon at around $50/bottle is something we can all celebrate. And hopefully we can all appreciate the fact that it is readily available on shelves across Northern Indiana. Of course we once thought that about bottles like Henry McKenna 10 yr. So maybe this bottle might fall victim to the next run on the market. Until then we highly recommend you grab a bottle for your home bar! It’s just now hitting the shelves in Northern Indiana, and may be the frontrunner for bourbon of the year!. Grab one for sure!
VERDICT: 4 Taters
SCALE:
5 Taters: Load that bunker. The kids can pay for their own college.
4 Taters: You’d better have a bottle to keep around.
3 Taters: I’ve been wanting to try it, I guess I’ll snag a bottle.
2 Taters: What’s better than drinking your own whiskey? Drinking your friend’s.
1 Tater: Maybe today is just a beer run.