Vanilla | Cognac | Barrel char | Dark oak | Clementines | Potent & expressive

Almond | Caramel | Seasoned oak | Lightly herbal | Malt

Toffee | Cedar | Almond | Mild tannins | Hot & long

Bardstown Bourbon Company is known for their transparency and disclosing the blend of mashbills for their bourbons, which in the case of their Fusion Series blends, constitutes reading a book. That is to say, Bardstown’s Fusion Series is anything but simple.

Including three of their own 3 year old bourbons (which each feature a different mashbill), and two 12 year old Kentucky sourced bourbons, understanding each new release in this series is an undertaking. Blending one or two bourbons is hard enough, blending five each with their own different mashbill seems like a personal challenge of epic proportions.

The end result of Fusion Series #7 is once again anything but simple. First, the nose is quite expressive, especially given the bourbon’s proof. Rich vanilla, barrel char, dark oak, and even some Cognac come pouring out of the glass. The palate doesn't completely come across on paper how different tasting it is, but the abundance of almonds, combined with a herbal and malt taste, will make you raise an eyebrow. The finish has a similar trajectory combining toffee, cedar, more almond, and tannins into a noticeably different tasting whiskey. The bourbon is also surprisingly hot given its proof, and depending on whether you prefer a splash of heat or not, this can be a benefit or hindrance.

The whiskey is more cohesive than I expected, but isn’t without some rough edges. Thankfully it drinks full flavored and improves the more time you spend with it. This isn’t a surprise given its complicated base.