Old Bardstown Bourbon comes to us from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, better known as Willett, who only recently started distilling whiskey again and for years has operated as an NDP, buying other people’s bourbon and putting a label on it. For many years KBD / Willett has been getting a lot of their bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery and based on the taste in this one that’s my prime suspect for who actually made what’s in the bottle.
As a brand though it’s been around for quite a while and it gets it’s name from a handicapped race horse from the 1950s. The horse had a lot of hip and ankle problems but the owners raced it anyway and it actually won quite a bit. According to the Willett site old Bardstown had “31 career starts, Bardstown had 18 first place finishes, 7 second and 1 third place finish. The bay gelding had total earnings of $628,752.” Which, to put it in to technical terms, is a crap load of 1950s dough!
Old Bardstown Bourbon Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Unknown
Bottler: KBD / Willett
Cask: New American Oak (charred)
Age: NAS
ABV: 45%
Natural Color | Non-Chill Filtered
Price: $16
Old Bardstown Bourbon Review
EYE
Mahogany
NOSE
Wood, dark fruit, corn and raw grain mixed with caramel, vanilla and spice. Some hints of candied citrus peels and dried currants waft through the background. It’s not an amazingly complex aroma, but it is a nice aroma.
PALATE
Corn, ripe dark fruit, caramel, vanilla and a very apparent rye spice. The wood is lighter than on the nose and the citrus has turned oily. Very basic bourbon flavor, but well composed.
FINISH
Long and woody with notes of corn, caramel and apple pie.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance with the limited aroma and flavor it has. Nice round body with a rich smooth texture.
OVERALL
Old Bardstown Bourbon is one of those whiskeys I’ve passed over repeatedly and it wasn’t until a friend insisted I try some of his I realized what a bad decision I had made by constantly passing it by. It’s not complex, quite basic, but it’s done very well. The aroma of classic bourbon characteristics transitions well to the palate and finish. Which would be a major issue if it was weak and watery, but it’s not. It’s warm and a has a nice richness to it. This is a great value bourbon.
SCORE: 86/100
Old Bardstown Bourbon Review - Score Breakdown
Value
Looking at what you get for what you pay, the Old Bardstown Bourbon is a steal. Fantastic value whiskey!
Overall
- Nose - 87
- Palate - 85
- Finish - 86
- Balance, Body & Feel - 85
This Bourbon was bad. Neat. On ice. In a cocktail. A buddy and I almost drank the whole bottle with great difficulty. You can like it, but if you’ve never tried it…pass
I must have got a bad bottle. Wanted to try something new. The taste was decent, but not 30 good. But the after taste was that have plastic and chemicals. Really, a strange finish.
Hey Davey,
I might have some insight for ya on this. The source of this whiskey has changed since I wrote about it. It’s now coming from the new Willett distillery, so what you’re getting is indeed different. The one you might have had is this one https://thewhiskeyjug.com/bourbon-whiskey/old-bardstown-kentucky-straight-bourbon-whiskey-review/
I purchased a bottle last week while traveling through Bardstown. I think it’s a very unique taste, and I mean that in a good way.
I gave the estate bottled 101 proof version a try. It’s not horrible, but it doesn’t really do anything for me. At this proof I prefer the Henry McKenna or WT, both a bit cheaper.
Haven’t had the estate bottled yet, but sounds like I’m not missing anything. Cheers!
Hey Josh,
Was in San Diego for a work conference and picked up a bottle while in town. This is a good drink. For the value, its quite good. It is just really caramel heavy on the palate, which is not too bad. The finish on this one is pretty long with some smoky sweetness. A much better bourbon than I was expecting. I think it would hold up quite well in an old fashioned, but I enjoy it with an ice ball. Thanks again for your insight.
Cheers!
Especially for the price it’s not a bad sip. Cheers Jason!
My wife and I liked it very much. Pleasant surprise. Chauncey you may just be a snob.
I bought four bottles of this on sale in Kentucky. They shared the same DNA but were wildly, wildly, different.
1# was the scotchiest bourbon imaginable: think Speyside apples covered in caramel with a menthol finish. Favorite bourbon ever.
2# Was so old and soft as to almost vanish on the palate, more caramel, and traditional bourbon notes.
3# was like 1 but harsher and with amped up menthol. Very good.
4# was traditional bourbon flavor, Beam-like, with a finishing note half-way between varnish and embalming fluid.
This one is a lottery; some are great, some are undrinkable, others are simply ok.
Thanks for sharing man. cheers!
I wanted to try a new [to me] whiskey but still need to keep the cost around $30, so I tried, I guess the step up, Old Bardstown Estate Bottled, 101 proof. I’m going to assume it’s a bit different but I’ll agree, this IS worth a try.
The nose is quite alcohol-ey, subtle dill, cinnamon, and sugar. It doesn’t thrill me. Then the first hit on my tongue is less than yummy. Where this bourbon scores for me is the finish. This Estate Bottled Old Bardstown is a great example of a bourbon that has a unbalanced taste but a nice, long, redemptive finish. Grassy, spicy with a bit of smoke and sweetness.
This is a strange whiskey. The nose hints at what I might taste and then I have to wait til the finish to find those notes. For a bourbon in the $30 range, this is worth a try.
…then again, I do love whiskey
I haven’t had the Estate yet, but it’s on my list for sure. Cheers Amy!
this crap is absolute puke! It’s the first bourbon I have ever tasted that mad me get the dry heaves. The best way I can describe it’s flavor is cheap 100 proof vodka with a old piece of leather that has been soaking in it. A dash of some sort of artificial flavoring. But the finish of extreme bitterness and unrecognizable childhood medicine is what made me gag.
We seem to have had very different experiences. That sounds terrible.
I am looking for empty Old Bardstown bourbon bottles for my
craft.Would you have any or know someone that does?Maybe the
Estate also.
I don’t and I’m not sure. You could always buy the whiskey and drink it. That would get you an empty :)