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Combining Kentucky bourbon and a fan favorite Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout barrels results in a whiskey that stout cask finished bourbon lovers will want to seek out.
Bardstown Bourbon Company is no stranger to collaborating with other players in the spirits, wine, and beer categories to come up with creative releases for their Collaborative Series. Collaborating with popular brands such as Foursquare for their rum finish release or Founders Brewing for their KBS Stout Finish release, the company showcases a willingness to bring exciting finishes to the market. For their latest Collaborative Series release, the company partnered with Goose Island Beer Company out of Chicago, Illinois.
According to the company’s press release, “This limited release features a bespoke blend of 6 and 7-year Kentucky bourbon aged an additional 12 months in freshly emptied Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout barrels. These barrels were not rinsed so the stout soaked staves could immediately mingle with the Kentucky bourbon once filled. The finished blend was then married with a beautiful 9-year Kentucky bourbon...” Representing a truly collaborative spirit, the company goes on to state that “The stout barrels were emptied in Chicago in the morning and filled in Bardstown the same afternoon.” The collaboration produced roughly 42,000 bottles.
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series: Foursquare Rum Barrel Finished Blended Straight Whiskey is a mash-up of aged rye whiskey and bourbon, finished in rum barrels sourced from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados. It’s bottled at 107 proof and made from two base components: a seven-year-old rye whiskey (mostly Indiana rye mash) and a seventeen-year-old Tennessee bourbon. These are married into barrels that once held rum, where the finish lasts around 23 months.
On the nose it carries aromas of plantain, toasted almond, clove, coconut, peanut, orange zest, and raisin, wrapped in rum influence and oak. The palate brings forward rye spice, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, caramel, dark fruits and a mix of toasted oak char. On the finish you’ll notice aged oak and a longer drying quality, with molasses, stewed or baked fruit, lingering spice, and a trace of pepper that balances the sweetness.
For a starter it pairs well with smoked meats or charcuterie that accentuate its oak and spice while contrasting the rum-finish sweetness. As a main course it shines with roast pork with a sticky glaze or grilled jerk chicken, where its brown sugar, fruit, and molasses interplay with the spices and char of the dish. Cheeses with depth—think aged cheddar or gouda—bring out its vanilla and oak backbone, while for dessert something like a dark rum cake, banana foster, or pecan pie (with caramel) harmonizes with its molasses, fruit, and spice.