Whiskey Review: Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Introduction

Today we’re revisiting Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled in Bond Bourbon, a bottle that longtime listeners of Film & Whiskey may recognize from a previous review. Originally released as part of Bardstown’s Origin Series, the whiskey has since been rebranded with new labels, fonts, and packaging, now standing on its own as the company’s baseline Bottled in Bond offering.

For those unfamiliar, Bottled in Bond means the bourbon must follow strict regulations: it must be distilled in a single season, aged at least four years, bottled at 100 proof, and produced by a single distillery under government supervision. In this case, Bardstown Bourbon Company distilled and produced the whiskey themselves.

This expression is a six-year bourbon with a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley, making it a wheated Bottled in Bond bourbon. The MSRP sits around $49.99, putting it right in the increasingly competitive $50 bourbon range.

Before diving in, we should acknowledge that Bardstown Bourbon Company has recently been in the news for reasons unrelated to the whiskey itself. While that situation continues to unfold, our role here remains simple: review the whiskey in the bottle that consumers can actually buy.

With that out of the way, let’s get into the glass.

Nose

Bob:
I really like the nose on this. This is much more of a classic wheated bourbon nose. The Green River Wheated we had last week didn’t quite hit this note, but here it’s much more classic and well-rounded. I get a lot of caramel corn on this. The corn is really prominent, but in a really nice way. I think we’re off to a good start here.
7.5/10

Brad:
I’m also at 7.5/10. I weirdly don’t think this is a very wheated experience because I don’t get any cherry. For me this is cornflakes, corn pops, vanilla, caramel, and a little bit of brown sugar on the nose. It’s a 7.5, but a 7.5 with a promise for more.

Taste

Brad:
When I get into the palate there’s caramel and brown sugar. It reminds me of salted butter. There’s a little bit of salt and a little bit of fattiness to it. The more I drank it, the more it reminded me of something like sugary Fruity Pebbles. There’s no specific fruit I can think of, but that’s the vibe.

This isn’t transcendent, but it’s a really good, fun experience.
8/10

Bob:
I think I’m going to stick at 7.5/10 on the palate. It’s a lot spicier, more prickly, and more alcohol-forward than I expected. It really attacks the tongue.

I get a lot of green apple right on the front of the palate. There are some generically sweet notes throughout, but toward the back it gets a little bitter. I wouldn’t even call it herbal. It’s more of a sour wood note.

We’ve been getting that a lot lately from bourbons in the five-to-seven-year range. It feels like more toasted barrel notes showing up than we used to see a few years ago. This is still good, though.

Finish

Bob:
I’ll give the finish 7.5/10 again. It’s pleasant. It’s not super long lasting, but I do get a nice chest hug on the way down.

Brad:
I actually think the finish is where this shines. I’m at 8.5/10 here. That salted butter fattiness really comes through at the end. The brown sugar sticks around, and it leaves a really nice vanilla flavor that lasts a long time.

You mentioned that bitter note we’ve been getting on other bourbons lately. I don’t get that here. I really like this experience.

Balance

Brad:
I’m giving it 8/10 on balance. It’s very straightforward. It’s very bourbon neutral. It does all the classic bourbon flavors really well. There’s a little bit of complexity, but not much. For a six-year Bottled in Bond bourbon, this is a really nice experience.

Bob:
I’ll also give it 8/10 on balance, just to throw you off.

Value

The MSRP is about $49.99, which is fairly aggressive pricing for a Bottled in Bond release from a distillery that often operates in the higher-end bourbon space.

Brad:
For Bardstown to offer something like this at $50 is a really good Bottled in Bond price. A lot of their whiskey sits in that upper-tier category. For them to put out a product at this price that gives you a really solid classic bourbon experience is impressive.

I’m going 9/10 on value.

Bob:
I’m right around where I was with the Green River. I actually like this quite a bit more than that one. I still wouldn’t put it up against something like Wild Turkey Rare Breed, which for me is ten times better at a similar price.

So I’m going 7/10 on value.

Final Scores

Bob: 37.5/50
Brad: 41/50

Average Score: 39.25/50 (78.5/100)

For context, 35/50 is typically where we begin recommending trying a pour at a bar or buying a bottle. Around 40/50 is great, and 45/50 is excellent.

At 39.25, Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled in Bond Bourbon lands just shy of that “great” category but comfortably within recommendation territory.

Bob gives it a hesitant thumbs up, noting that while it’s a very solid bourbon, there are still a few competitors at the same price that might edge it out. Brad, on the other hand, lands firmly in thumbs-up territory, appreciating the way this bottle delivers a classic bourbon profile with a little extra richness and polish.

If you’re looking for a straightforward Bottled in Bond bourbon with strong caramel, brown sugar, and buttery notes, this is absolutely worth a look at the $50 price point. And if Bardstown continues releasing core products like this alongside their more premium offerings, it’s a good sign for bourbon fans looking for quality without jumping into the luxury tier.