Review #521 - Bardstown Fusion Series #3
Bardstown Bourbon Company's 'Fusion Series' focuses on a fusion between their own distillate and sourced whiskies. Early in this series, their own bourbon was still quite young - this third entry contains 3 year old bourbon from their distillery, though it's paired with much older sourced bourbon to round out the profile. Here's the full breakdown:
40% - 13 year old Kentucky Bourbon, with a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley (rumored to be Barton 1792)
18% - 3 year old Kentucky Bourbon distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Co., with a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley
42% - 3 year old Kentucky Bourbon distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Co., with a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley
So the average age is more like 7 years, and we get a derived mashbill of roughly 68% corn, 26% rye, and 6% malted barley. With 2 different sources of distillate and 3 different mashbills, how cohesive will this Fusion Series bourbon be?
Bardstown Fusion Series #3
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 65 (2025)
Age Statement: 3 Years
Strength: 49.45% ABV
Details: Bottled 2020
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Interesting - fruit forward, light. Lavender combines with grilled pineapple, blood orange, and tangerine... a bit tropical and floral. Caramel adds some additional sweetness; it's nicely rounded and mellow.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; more oak appears in the palate, bringing cinnamon and some drying flavors. There's still a fruit - grapefruit, now - and in the background, some freshly laundered linens.
Finish: Medium length, full of soft but drying oak. There's a mild metallic note like copper, and the linen sensation from the palate continues into the aftertaste.
Final Note: A nice bourbon - interesting light and sweet fruits, especially in the nose and the start of the palate. The oak grew stronger with time, though it was never a dominant feature of the bourbon. The distillates did seem to work together well - we like that Bardstown mimicked the mashbill of the sourced bourbon with one of their own components to tie the whole thing together.
These Fusion Series bottles are generally available in our area for $60 to $70 - for this flavor experience, we think it's a decent value, though we haven't tried the newer version from the Fusion Series to see if they're keeping up the trend.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 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: 6.96
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.
Check out our other Bardstown Bourbon Company reviews:
Review #512 - Bardstown Collaboration Series: Chateau Doisy Daene
Review #504 - Bardstown Origin Series Bottled-In-Bond 6 Year Bourbon
Review #411 - Bardstown Discovery Series #12
Review #367 - Bardstown Discovery Series #11
Review #312 - Bardstown Collaboration Series: Foursquare Rum Distillery
