Review #295 - Bardstown Collaboration Series: Amrut

The latest release in the Collaboration Series from Bardstown Bourbon Company - this is the Amrut Collaboration. Amrut is a distillery in India, and they specialize in malt whiskies, though they also produce rye, rum, and other spirits. Bardstown Bourbon Co. finished this blend of whiskies in single malt whisky barrels from the Amrut distillery.

The brand also gives us a nice breakdown of the components of the blend, as usual:

43% is 9 year old rye from Indiana (51% rye, 45% corn, 4% barley mashbill)
20% is 8 year old rye from Indiana (95% rye, 5% barley mashbill)
17% is 14 year old bourbon from Kentucky (75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley mashbill)
15% is 10 year old bourbon from Kentucky (78% corn, 12% barley, 10% rye mashbill)
5% is 11 year old bourbon from Kentucky (78% corn, 13% rye, 9% barley mashbill)

So, the minimum age of this blend is 8 years, giving it an 8 year age statement, but the average age of the whisky inside is roughly 10 years. We get a nice strength of 55% ABV (110 proof), and the overall implied mashbill is 48% corn, 45% rye, and 7% malted barley. How will that malty cask character interact with the more traditional American spirits?

Bardstown Collaboration Series: Amrut

USA - Blend

Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024)

Age Statement: 8 Years

Strength: 55% ABV

Cask Makeup: Finished in Amrut Indian single malt casks

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Sweeter, with red fruit like cherry popping out immediately; lots of vanilla, and a bit of a sweet malty note, and then hints of balsamic glaze. It's slightly dusty, with some fine sugar, maybe vanilla icing.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; slightly prickly up front, soft tannins, but also lots of sweet vanilla. There is some malty character, both sweet and slightly sour (in an interesting, good way), and then some spiced caramel. Nicely rounded, and oak grows stronger with time.

Finish: Medium-long, and the tannins from the palate linger, but they're not too strong. Softer and subtle, with vanilla extract and malt; rye notes develop more into the finish, adding mint and peppery spice.

Final Note: This is a very nice blend, and the bourbon elements and rye elements are balanced well. In our tasting, we found that the malt influence from the casks was definitely there, but it isn't overpowering - for the most part, it adds a sweet, dusty vanilla element to the flavor profile. The development of the rye character in the finish was a nice surprise, too.

Great whisky, but it comes at a price: $160 to $170, or even up to $200 in some places, which is steep. Not everyone is a fan of single malt, so might that association cause this to sit on shelves, especially at the price? We'll see soon enough; for the flavor in the bottle, value is a little below average for that cost, but not too bad.

Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 5.89

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.