Bardstown Bourbon Pt. 2 – Silver Oak & Stave-Finished Showstoppers
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Bardstown Bourbon Pt. 2 – Silver Oak & Stave-Finished Showstoppers
Premiere Date: May 21, 2025
Author: Tortured Bourbon
In Part 2 of our deep dive into the ever-evolving world of Bardstown Bourbon Company, we move beyond the Origin Series and head straight into innovation. This week, we’re tasting two boundary-pushing bottles from Bardstown’s Collaborative and Limited Edition Series—expressions that go beyond traditional Kentucky bourbon and straight into flavor experimentation.
If Part 1 was all about Bardstown’s foundation, this episode is all about the fireworks. We’re tasting:
Small Batch Stave-Finished Bourbon (94 proof)
Silver Oak Collaborative Series (108 proof)
And trust us—this isn’t just another bourbon review. These pours reflect what happens when expert blending meets unique finishing barrels, and the result is something you’ll want to seek out.
🥃 Tasting #1 – Bardstown Small Batch Stave Finish (94 proof)
This is a blend of four bourbons, each with different ages and origins:
48% 8-year-old Georgia corn whiskey
26% 5-year-old Bardstown Bourbon Co.
20% 4-year-old Kentucky bourbon
6% 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon
It’s then finished with custom oak staves, giving it a layered flavor profile.
Nose: Baked cherry, vanilla cream, hazelnut, toasted oak
Palate: Coconut, red fruit, toffee, brown sugar, cinnamon spice
Finish: Long, soft caramel finish with hints of roasted peanut and butterscotch
Heather and B were blown away by how well this bottle balanced sweetness, spice, and complexity. This bottle didn’t just show up—it flexed.
🍷 Tasting #2 – Bardstown Silver Oak Collaborative Series (108 proof)
This is where Bardstown gets bold.
Aged 9 to 14 years and blended from bourbons sourced from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Georgia, this expression is then finished in Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels—yes, that Silver Oak.
Mash bill: All high-corn recipes, with the lowest being 75% corn
Nose: Baked strawberry, plum, roasted nuts, cocoa, and spice
Palate: Caramel, fig, blackberry, vanilla, and soft oak tannins
Finish: Dry, balanced, elegant—like a bourbon that spent a semester abroad in Napa
At around $160 a bottle, this one lives in “special pour” territory—but it makes a strong case for the splurge.
🎯 Final Verdict
Bardstown Bourbon Company continues to prove that they’re not just another distillery—they’re a powerhouse of creativity and execution. Between the stave-finished blend and the Silver Oak collaboration, both bottles offered complexity, balance, and a whole lot of bourbon nerd excitement.
We ranked both bottles using our Tortured Bourbon Scale:
Piddlin
Bless Your Heart
That Dog Will Hunt
Hush Your Mouth
Cock of the Walk
Which expression came out on top? You’ll have to watch to find out. But spoiler alert: we’re still talking about these pours.
🔥 Why Bardstown Deserves the Hype
Bardstown doesn’t just make bourbon—they collaborate, innovate, and push boundaries. Their facility distills for over 30 brands, their blending game is unmatched, and their finishing barrels include everything from Cabernet and Armagnac to Rum and Toasted Stave experiments. They’re a distillery built for the modern bourbon drinker—without losing sight of Kentucky roots.
If you missed it, be sure to check out Part 1 of our Bardstown series, where we reviewed the Origin Series: Straight Bourbon, Bottled-in-Bond, and Wheated Bourbon.
📺 Watch the Full Review
Get our rankings, real-time reactions, and a whole lot of wine-barrel banter.
📈 Tags Bardstown Bourbon Company, Bardstown Collaborative Series, Bardstown Silver Oak, stave finished bourbon, Bardstown bourbon review, bourbon tasting, Kentucky bourbon, finished bourbon, high proof bourbon, small batch bourbon, wine barrel bourbon, bourbon review blog, bourbon collaboration, bourbon series review
