The IWSC awarded Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond a remarkable 98-point Gold Outstanding rating, making it the highest-scoring straight bourbon at the 2026 Kentucky judging. We were skeptical, so we put it to the ultimate test: a blind tasting against Evan Williams Bottled in Bond and Fighting Cock. Did the award winner live up to the hype, or did another $20 bourbon steal the show? Read on to find out.

An honest Old Bardstown bourbon review from Willett Distillery. We taste the 90 proof, Bottled in Bond, and Estate 101 side by side—and ask whether tradition is enough in today’s bourbon world.