20-year Beam Bourbon Among Bardstown Collection Releases On Sale June 12-14

To kick off National Bourbon Week, a tasting of the third-annual release of the Bardstown Collection was held on June 11. Fittingly, the event happened at My Old Kentucky State Home Park in the heart of the Bourbon Capital of the World.

Each of the seven participating distilleries poured 300 guests tastes of bourbons that, after their first release in 2022, quickly landed on whiskey collectors’ “want” lists. Priced at $250 each, the MSRP for all seven bottles will set you back $1,750 plus tax. (Secondary market prices for past Collections now go for a reported $4,000.) A portion of the bottle sales proceeds go to boost bourbon education in the hospitality sector in Nelson County, home to Bardstown.

Lucky me, I got to try them all, including the 20-year-old bourbon released by James B. Distillery. Bottled at 109 proof, the 259-bottle batch came from six barrels aged on the first floor of a nine-story rickhouse on its Clermont, KY, campus. I was told the average proof of those barrels was 112.1, a decline of 12.9 proof over that long and languid rest.

How was it? Truly remarkable. Not at all the tannin bomb I (among many others I spoke with) assumed it might be. Rich, hugely complex and redolent of stone fruit, it’s sure to become a legendary bottle on its own.

Other terrific and unique bourbons in the Collection were poured by Preservation Distillery + Farms, Heaven Hill Distillery, Lux Row Distillers, Limestone Branch Distillery, Log Still Distillery and Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Bottles weren’t for sale that evening since that starts today, June 12, and runs through June 14. Following is the schedule for each release and distillery-supplied tasting notes.

Wednesday, June 12, 9 a.m.: Preservation Distillery + Farm is releasing a cask-strength blend of its own wheated pot distilled Kentucky Bourbon, layered with liquid from some of their most precious vintage Kentucky Bourbon casks.

Wednesday, June 12, 12 p.m.: Heaven Hill Distillery’s release consists of three carefully blended barrels aged between 7 and 16 years. The bourbon is bottled at 105 proof and consists of Heaven Hill’s traditional bourbon mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. The extra-aged nature of the bourbon results in aromas of spice, leather and toasted oak with notes of cinnamon spiced apples, nutmeg and caramel on the palate.

Thursday, June 13, 9 a.m.: Lux Row Distillers’ contribution will feature three single barrels from their wheat recipe (68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, 12 percent malted barley). Aged six years, these barrels went through an additional toasted finishing process with toasted caramel honey staves for a rich, full-bodied finish.

Thursday, June 13, 12 p.m.: Limestone Branch Distillery used a 1930s mash bill to produce a 6-year-old, 100 percent pot-distilled wheated bourbon made with 28% red winter wheat. The resulting bourbon is exceptionally approachable yet complex.

Thursday, June 13, 3 p.m.: Log Still Distillery’s 2024 Bardstown Collection release is a 9-year-old Kentucky High-Rye Bourbon that evenly blends aromas of sweet caramel with lingering earthy scents of smoke and oak.  On the palate, bourbon lovers will enjoy a burst of full-flavored spices blended with mild sweetness of honey, providing a warm, smooth finish.

Friday, June 14, 9 a.m.: Bardstown Bourbon Company’s offering to the Collection this year is a bourbon that’s a layered and complex balance of ripe cherry with toasted oak leads to cinnamon, maple, and spearmint.

Friday, June 14, 12 p.m.: James B. Beam Distilling Co. At age 20, James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s Bardstown Collection 2024 selection is the oldest whiskey that the iconic brand has ever released. Delivering intense flavors of oak, vanilla and sweet smoke, it’s sure to be a fan favorite.