Sweet oak | Maple | Marzipan | Fudge | Caramel chews | Sweet & inviting

Sweet oak | Gentle molasses | Dark fruit | Fig | Cinnamon | Full flavored

Cigar box | Walnut | Dark chocolate | Touch of coffee bean | Lingering sweet molasses & dry oak

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series is pretty self-explanatory and now features the name of the series on the front of the bottle. Previous collaborations included a wide range of wine, spirits, and beer producers, a few of which include Copper & Kings, Goodwood, Madison Ferrand, and Founders Brewing Company KBS. Their latest release has them teaming up with Plantation Rum. What was once a rare form of finishing is quickly becoming a finishing mainstay.

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Bourbon Finished in Plantation Rum Barrels immediately makes a great impression, but not for the reasons you may think. Many rum barrel finished bourbons propel their rum notes to the forefront, and for some it's an incredibly unbalanced affair. Bardstown somehow found a way to perfectly balance the bourbon and rum notes. Gentle molasses notes are intertwined with sweet oak, dark fruit, fig, and dark chocolate. With a nicely layered aftertaste that seems to change with every additional sip, it all works amazingly well. Coming in at 104 proof may seem low to some, but the whiskey remains full flavored and a joy to sip on. If it’s not clear by now, this release is a winner.