Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottle. Credit: Bardstownbourbon.com.
Just a few days ago, Bardstown Bourbon Company semi-shocked the bourbon world by announcing that Fusion Series #9 would be their last.
I say semi-shocked, because it was something everyone knew would come eventually but by which was nonetheless surprised. The Fusion Series was always meant as a blending experiment that married Bardstown’s own young-but-getting-older distillate with older bourbons from Kentucky (usually Jim Beam and Heaven Hill, among others, all whose names are undisclosed but whose mash bills are).
After Fusion #9, Bardstown’s own distillate comes to the fore. But first comes Fusion #8.
At 70% of the blend, Bardstown’s two mash bills are already predominant (they were at 70% in Fusion #7, too, and have been since Fusion #5 when they were kicked up from 60%). The 12-year-old bourbon is, at best, background. Logically, this makes sense…but at the same percentages and with marginally older Bardstown distillate, I frankly expected more forward movement.
The 4-year-old bourbons in Fusion #8 aren’t as grainy in a fresh-from-the-mash sense, but they’re not quite mature yet, either. Fusion #8 also lacks the corn whiskey from Fusion #7, and I genuinely think that would have made a difference. The corn whiskey gave more oiliness to the mouthfeel and a little more sweetness to counter the younger, more savory grains
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill. Credit: Bardstownbourbon.com.
The best description I have for this is the middle book in a trilogy. It’s clearly built upon its predecessor (not to mention the six before that) but is also dependent upon it.
If I tried Fusion #8 and it were my first try, I would consider it unfinished and in need of more time (not going to lie, I still do, but it would be to a greater extent). After #7, there’s growth, but there’s also the hope that Fusion #9 will round this out and prove better that Bardstown’s in-house product is ready to shine on its own.
For now, though, I’m afraid this one is a miss. It tastes unbalanced and highlights the unready parts of Bardstown’s bourbon at the expense of the readier parts. The unnamed Kentucky bourbon (cough Heaven Hill cough) is weakened so much that only a little nuttiness ekes out, and the low proof knocks out any last hope it had of bolstering the rest of the blend.
Coming up next, Fusion #9 - the last one. Let’s see if it’s Return of the King or The Godfather Part III, shall we?
Thank you to Bardstown Bourbon Company for providing this bottle for review purposes without restriction.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Bardstown Bourbon Company and an Undisclosed Kentucky Distillery (Heaven Hill)
Mashbill: See chart above
Proof: 95.5 (47.75% ABV)
Age: 4+ Years (Two 4-Year-Old Bourbons and one 12-Year-Old Kentucky Bourbon)
Location: Kentucky
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $64.99
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #8 Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Perfect amber. Thin rims and quickly accumulating droplets.
Nose: Lemon-scented bread basket. Rye-forward, but clearly a bourbon, too. Unripe orchard fruit, astringent. Blanched almonds, nutmeg, and sweet cinnamon. Boiled peanuts emerge late.
Palate: Fruity! Totally different than the nose - high quality Juicy Fruit wrapped in tobacco. Oak is astringent and creamy with dried tropical fruits. Mouthfeel is thin at first, then oak helps to get the flavors just over the hill. Rye is dominant, but not oily, with coffee grounds and pepper from the tip of my tongue to the back of my throat. Grows slightly with time, but not much.
Finish: Astringency turns creamier, but passes through the palate quickly. Red cherries start rounding out with some acidity along the way. Short side of medium.
Overall: I’m not quite sure this is ready, to be honest. The bourbon is super rye-forward, and the flavors are promising when present, but there’s a lot that could be done to fix this and elevate it. It needs more mouthfeel, more coating, more varied flavors, and more time to let the younger bourbons “learn” from the older bourbon, which fades badly.
Final Rating: 5.7
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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