Bardstown Bourbon Company
The constantly-flowing stream of new whiskey releases covers all categories, from bourbon and scotch to American single malts and Mexican corn whiskeys. But one thing these releases have in common: a penchant for finishing spirits in barrels that previously held wine, port, sherry, rum and beer.
Adding to this crowded field is a new collaboration between the Bardstown Bourbon Company and the Prisoner Wine Company. And it goes by the verbose-but-descriptive name of The Bardstown Bourbon Company & The Prisoner Wine Company Collaboration.
The just-released whiskey is a 100-proof, nine-year-old Tennessee bourbon that was finished for 18 months in the same French oak red wine barrels used to age the Prisoner, the wine company’s flagship product that was introduced by winemaker Dave Phinney in 2000.
Cask-finishing is a popular technique for imparting new characteristics and more complexity into a whiskey. Sherry casks—a common finishing choice among scotch distillers—may be used to add notes of dried fruit, resin and clove. Rum barrels may add sweet vanilla and baking spices. And red wine barrels, like in the case of the Prisoner, typically imbue a spirit with red or black fruits, earthy spice and tannic structure.
The 100-proof bourbon is rich and complex, and the two-step aging process shines through into a synergistic bouquet of American oak meets red wine. Red fruits take the lead, quickly joined by sweet vanilla, spicy cinnamon, drying tannins and just a hint of cooling menthol. A drop of water opens some of the oaky spice and reveals another layer of fruits, this time leaning toward blackberries and cherries. The mouthfeel is dry and grippy, maintaining a presence on the tongue for several minutes after the first sip.
The Bardstown Bourbon Company + Prisoner collaboration feels like a natural fit, as far as wine-and-whiskey pairings go. The Prisoner quickly achieved cult status after launching in 2000, and helped to lead a resurgence of unique red wine blends from exciting new winemakers. The BBC was founded in 2014, and quickly made a name for itself by making whiskey for prominent brands like Jefferson’s, High West, Belle Meade and Hirsch. It also unveiled a new line of innovative finished bourbons, which included 2019 releases finished in brandy and muscat mistelle barrels. So perhaps this collaboration was inevitable.
The bourbon costs $124.99 for a 750 ml bottle and will be reasonably accessible. It’s rolling out this month in all of the Bardstown Bourbon Company’s current markets, which include Kentucky, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee. Throughout 2020, it will enter several new markets, including Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Ohio.
If you see a bottle, snag it.