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Please read and drink responsibly.
Classification: Blend of Straight Bourbons Finished in French Oak Barrels
Company: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Sourced from an undisclosed distillery(ies) in Kentucky
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Proof: 110.1
Age: Blend of bourbons aged 9-18 years and then finished for 14 months
Mashbill: Blend of 5 bourbons:
-45% | Kentucky | 14 Years | 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
-37.5% | Kentucky | 18 Years | 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
-10% | Kentucky | 11 Years | 78% Corn, 13% Rye, 9% Malted Barley
-5% | Kentucky | 9 Years | 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
-2.5% | Kentucky | 17 Years | 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Color: Rich Mahogany
MSRP: $100 / 375mL (2025)
Aged oak | Leather | Maple wood | Dark cherry | Cinnamon | Rich
Seasoned aged oak | White pepper | Burnt brown sugar | Aged leather | Cherry | Crème brûlée | Baking spices | Full-bodied | Refined
Baking spices | Graham cracker | Toasted oak | Dark fruits | Vanilla custard | Long
For their inaugural Distillery Reserve line, Bardstown Bourbon Company delivers an exquisite blend of high-aged Kentucky whiskey finished for 14 months in barrels made of 300 year old French oak and packaged in 375mL bottles to make it accessible to a greater number of bourbon fans.
Cathedral French Oak is Bardstown Bourbon Company’s inaugural release in their new Distillery Reserve line, which is intended to “stretch the boundaries of American Whiskey innovation” with releases “ranging from two to nine barrels” that bring “selections from hundreds of experiments that explore flavor through wood, aging, finishing and blending techniques,” according to the company. Distillery Reserve releases are available exclusively at the distillery’s gift shops in Bardstown and downtown Louisville, with each being a one-time-only release. Cathedral French Oak is available exclusively in 375mL format.
The release features a blend of five high-aged Kentucky bourbons ranging from 9 to 18 years, with a weighted average of just over 15 years when combined. According to the company, the blend was “finished for 14 months in barrels made of 300-year-old French Oak from the legendary Bercé Forest in the Loire Valley. This plot of giant trees, planted during the reign of Louis XIV (circa 1715), was harvested to restore the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the fire of 2019.” The barrels are described as having an “intricate grain structure and unparalleled density, [that was] strong enough to restore the Cathedral’s famed spire.”
Cathedral French Oak is everything you might hope a high-aged Kentucky bourbon finished in French oak might be, doubling down on refinement as opposed to an out-of-the-box flavor profile. Aged oak is present throughout in various forms, but never overpowers the whiskey’s sweeter flavors of brown sugar, cherry, dark fruits, and crème brûlée. Its rich, welcoming aroma is followed by a full-bodied midpoint and a long, delicious finish. Everything comes together in near-perfect balance, with subtle influence from the French oak finishing throughout.
The fact that Bardstown Bourbon Company bottled Cathedral French Oak exclusively in 375mL packaging is a welcome decision, as I have long been a proponent of high cost, low yield limited releases being bottled in 375mL format as opposed to the standard 700mL or 750mL format you typically see. This gives access to more consumers at a lower cost of entry, and in this case, it’s $100 well spent.
