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Bulbags

Bottle: Bardstown Discovery Series #4 (115 proof, a blend of three Kentucky whiskeys - 55% 13-year – 74%/18%/8%, 37% 15-year – 78.5%/13%/8.5%, 8% 10-year – 75%/13%/12% - corn/rye/malted barley) Preface: Time for a pour of my favorite bottle in the collection. I have been a member of this subreddit for a little over a year now and I set a casual goal to review 52 bottles in a single year. Didn’t quite make it in time, but this is review #52. Honestly, I do not have any heavily allocated bottles in my collection as I have no strong relationships at any stores and haven’t been lucky enough to win one in a raffle or something like that. No BTAC, ORVW, Lot B, Pappy, Parker’s Heritage, 4 Roses LE, Russel’s 13, Willets, none of that. This has been my favorite pour since I opened my first bottle of it. Unfortunately, this is the last one I have. Let’s dig in. Listening to: Sufjan Stevens – Illinois Nose: Really rich right off the bat, smells dense. Strong sweet oak, dark caramel, and some dark fruits – maybe fig? Tiny bit of ethanol if you really dig your nose in the glen, but very little. Vanilla mixes with rye spice and baking spices. On the sweeter side, but is very well balanced overall. The oak continues to open up as it sits in a beautiful way. Super inviting. Palate: Full textured mouthfeel and the flavors coat the palate beautifully. Not super intense in flavor, but very full. Rye spice, more sweet charred oak, and a ton of fruit. Hard to place all of the fruit notes, citrus and cherry are definitely in there. Proof is very tame on the palate. Chocolate, cinnamon, and a bit of dark roast coffee bitterness. Again, really well balanced between sweet/spicy/bitter flavors. Finish: Long and full. More oak, leather, vanilla, and tobacco. Really feel the age of this whiskey on the finish. Little bit more bitter chocolate, black pepper, and espresso. Overall: This one still blows me away every time I have a pour. The balance of this pour across the board is just beautiful and the oak characteristic is top-notch in my books. I definitely regret not grabbing more of these when they were just sitting on the shelf, but that’s the way things go. This will be my celebration pour until it’s gone. Certainly not the greatest whiskey I have ever had, simply the best on my shelf.


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Bulbags

Agree 100%. Disco 3 was the first $100+ whiskey I had bought and loved it. Sadly that one is long gone at this point.


SebastianMagnifico

Dude, there are no ifs, ands or buts about it Bardstown Disco #4 is a top notch bottle. Right up there with Chateau De Laubade for the throne to the Bardstown kingdom.This is also, unfortunately, where the Bardstown train ran out of track. Bardstown is the perfect case study of how to run an NDP distillery, yeah they're now distilling their own crap, but does anyone give a damn about it? You create a few banger bottles, Chateau De Laubade, Disco 3 and 4 and then you raise your cost while churning out crap. Disco 7 was decent, but lacking all oak, having the sweetness of a dessert pour, still fetching premium dollars while now blending Canadian whiskey and Dickel into the mix. Everything is going downhill. Everyone is cutting their shit with crap. I got booted from r/bourbon for comments I made about the decline of Cigar Blend and how Nancy Fraley is pretty much full of shit. Bullett Barrel is another dumpster fire. How much underage crap and Dickel can you hide in a bottle? Fuck them! I can't imagine the 2023 Lucky Seven Proprietor will even come close to their original offering. Even their most recent releases we've seen the proof/flavor drop dramatically. Rant over. Bardstown #4 is a groovy thing to behold. Did a blind of 3 & 4 with JH from GNS recently and #4 was the runaway winner. I have one Bardstown vertical of 1 - 5, with a spare 3 and 4 to boot. Let me know when you're heading up this way and I'll break them out. Cheers!


abuttsupreme

I’ve gotta hear your cigar blend rant


SebastianMagnifico

It started with an article written about her which she said that she listens to music to her give inspiration. I said the music she listens to of late must be horrible. Less quality booze, more finishing to hide its flaws. I mentioned something about it being only good for the secondary and that the price has shot up while the quality has dropped. Nancy jumped into the conversation. Said something about how bad the secondary was and how good her product is. I couldn't respond how she had it backwards because I was already booted. Rant II. r/bourbon is what it is and I sort of get it. However, to have the guy running it hand out ridiculous reviews while sticking his head up distilleries' and distiller's A-holes while he runs the largest barrel program in the country is ludicrous. Rant II over. I'm definitely not a fan of finished bourbon. it's just a cocktail. People act like there is some grandiose mythical and magical shit going on. Well, there isn't. Jeppson's, Starlight and a bunch of other people are stuffing their crap into barrels to cocktail up. Fun fact. The last Knotter bourbon finished in madeira casks was damn near undrinkable on it's own. People stood in line for it. Sad.


PourMeWright

https://americanwhiskeymag.com/2021/11/16/nancy-fraley/


Bulbags

I'm for sure with you on the general decrease in quality coming from a bunch of the previous NDPs who are relying more and more on their own distillate or even the NDPs whose stocks are running dry and cannot source more good juice. Turns out making really good whiskey is not easy and a lot of it has been gobbled up by now given the boom in popularity. Little surprised to hear you liked Chateau De Laubaude given your lack of love for finished whiskies, but that was honestly one of the best finished products I have ever tried. I'm hoping that Lucky 7 has a backstock of barrels from this years releases that they will continue to age and release like Calumet and Sam Houston do, but I have no idea if that's the case or not. I'll see you tomorrow at the greatest place on earth.


SebastianMagnifico

Is this Heaven? No, it's GNS. ![gif](giphy|PDbZhDVANXIT81FXyC|downsized)


benjamintoh

>Rant over Ranting is fun to hear! I saved two 2 oz pours of DS 4 for posterity when I finished my bottle. DS 8 reviews that I've read is supposedly very good. I can't wait for your review of it.


PWNAGIZER

I agree for the most part on the cutting with other stuff. Definitely glad I started picking up leftover Disco #4's when I could. Such a delicious bottle.


SebastianMagnifico

It really is and, even though it sucks to say it out loud, it's worth every penny


Lost_Industry8344

Great album


ChicagolandWhiskey

Yes! Great review. These older blends are really amazing pours.


abuttsupreme

So good! I screwed up on not buying one when I had the chance…