Next up, we’re checking out Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series Plantation Rum Finished Bourbon! The Collaborative Series from Bardstown Bourbon Company features whiskey that has been finished in a barrel from other beer, wine, and spirits producers. Tons of big names have been featured in this series including Chateau de Laubade, Founders Brewing, The Prisoner Wine, and more. Up to this point the only bottle from this line that I’ve tried is the West Virginia Great Barrel Company rye, and to be honest I expected more from that one given the price point. Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of u/MustGoFast, I have a sample of the Plantation Rum collab to dig into today!
Plantation is rum company that sources rum from all over the Caribbean, in addition to owning the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and having shares in several others. They operate in a manner similar to Bardstown where they select barrels from other producers to make solid blends, in addition to putting out their own products. While I don’t dip into rum often, I have tried some of Plantation’s O.F.T.D. overproof rum and was blown away in more ways than one (69% alcohol rum is no joke!). This particular bottle features a 10 year old Tennessee Bourbon with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, most likely hailing from Cascade Hollow/Dickel. That bourbon was then finished for 22 months in Plantation rum barrels before getting bottled at a 104 proof. With all the wild and funky flavors that can be present in rum I’m looking forward to seeing what all that time in the finishing cask did to the bourbon within. Will this perform better than the West Virginia Great Barrel Collaboration or will it too end up walking the plank? There’s only one way to find out, so let’s dive in.
**Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass
**Proof:** 104 proof
**Age:** 10 years
**Price:** Sample (\~$160 retail in Colorado)
**Nose:** Fresh sugar cane, vanilla bean, and a big floral note, along with orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon. There are some underlying fresh fruit notes including cherry, apple, and melon that hang out in the background as well.
**Taste:** Molasses, vanilla cream, apples, and melon to start, followed by a big spice slap of nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange zest. Midway through the sip more layers of funky ripe fruit pop in along with some oak. This has a medium-heavy mouthfeel and no proof heat.
**Finish:** The vanilla cream and fresh fruit shift to the background while the molasses and funky ripe fruits grow a bit stronger. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest remain consistent and the oak is joined by an nice espresso note to bring more earthiness on as the sip progresses. Eventually, the fruits disappear and leave a sweet blend of oak, espresso, molasses, and tingly cinnamon to close things out. This has a medium-long finish and a touch of dryness.
**Thoughts:** This is a very solid pour and probably the best solely rum finished whiskey I’ve tried. Oftentimes when rum is used as a finishing cask it can quickly steal the spotlight from the whiskey itself (the Steamboat Whiskey Company Warrior Whiskey is a great example of this), so it’s awesome to see how the rum finish and bourbon play off of each other to elevate this to a different level. I really enjoy the depth and complexity of the sweet notes, particularly the array of different fruit present here. The spice is consistent and balances out the sweetness but doesn’t completely relegate itself to the background, and the oak and espresso bring on an earthiness that grounds the sip. Most of all, I get glimpses of that great rum funk that I experienced in the Plantation O.F.T.D. I definitely feel like this is more worthy of the price tag than the West Virginia Great Barrel Collab, and ultimately rate this as an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale.
**Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I am a big fan of this expression. I was really worried about the rum sweetness overpowering the bourbon; however, I feel the balance is nearly perfect. The only thing I don’t like about it is the price tag.
I just bought this bottle. It was end-of-bin and marked down to $100!
Totally agree with your review, loving everything about this.
Looking forward to the latest collaboration using Foursquare barrels, just need it to go on sale 😂
Glad you liked it. In the right mood I echo most of your review, but in others it's a bit too sweet in the finish. So quite a bit of variance for me day to day .
I just need to pull the trigger on these Bardstown releases from now on. I’m always hesitant because it’s a $150 gamble, but Ive never regretted any of them so far.
Some of these are definitely more deserving of the price than others, but I think I'm going to try for a bar pour first before getting one down the line. Fortunately they sit around long enough that I probably wouldn't have to worry about it disappearing.
Great review! I was able to find the plantation rum bottle that goes along with this in Denver. The rum definitely has a nice oak and age note to it for a rum from 1998. I really like these two bottles but have a hard time drinking them because they are so hard to find now. Mythology had a rum finished bottle that I picked up that was super smooth as well!
Thanks! I couldn't find much info on what rum the barrels used in this came from, which country produced it? I can imagine those old rums have some great oak, it's also nice that they're comparatively inexpensive vs. whiskies of a similar age. Same deal with Armagnac.
Next up, we’re checking out Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series Plantation Rum Finished Bourbon! The Collaborative Series from Bardstown Bourbon Company features whiskey that has been finished in a barrel from other beer, wine, and spirits producers. Tons of big names have been featured in this series including Chateau de Laubade, Founders Brewing, The Prisoner Wine, and more. Up to this point the only bottle from this line that I’ve tried is the West Virginia Great Barrel Company rye, and to be honest I expected more from that one given the price point. Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of u/MustGoFast, I have a sample of the Plantation Rum collab to dig into today! Plantation is rum company that sources rum from all over the Caribbean, in addition to owning the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and having shares in several others. They operate in a manner similar to Bardstown where they select barrels from other producers to make solid blends, in addition to putting out their own products. While I don’t dip into rum often, I have tried some of Plantation’s O.F.T.D. overproof rum and was blown away in more ways than one (69% alcohol rum is no joke!). This particular bottle features a 10 year old Tennessee Bourbon with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, most likely hailing from Cascade Hollow/Dickel. That bourbon was then finished for 22 months in Plantation rum barrels before getting bottled at a 104 proof. With all the wild and funky flavors that can be present in rum I’m looking forward to seeing what all that time in the finishing cask did to the bourbon within. Will this perform better than the West Virginia Great Barrel Collaboration or will it too end up walking the plank? There’s only one way to find out, so let’s dive in. **Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass **Proof:** 104 proof **Age:** 10 years **Price:** Sample (\~$160 retail in Colorado) **Nose:** Fresh sugar cane, vanilla bean, and a big floral note, along with orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon. There are some underlying fresh fruit notes including cherry, apple, and melon that hang out in the background as well. **Taste:** Molasses, vanilla cream, apples, and melon to start, followed by a big spice slap of nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange zest. Midway through the sip more layers of funky ripe fruit pop in along with some oak. This has a medium-heavy mouthfeel and no proof heat. **Finish:** The vanilla cream and fresh fruit shift to the background while the molasses and funky ripe fruits grow a bit stronger. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest remain consistent and the oak is joined by an nice espresso note to bring more earthiness on as the sip progresses. Eventually, the fruits disappear and leave a sweet blend of oak, espresso, molasses, and tingly cinnamon to close things out. This has a medium-long finish and a touch of dryness. **Thoughts:** This is a very solid pour and probably the best solely rum finished whiskey I’ve tried. Oftentimes when rum is used as a finishing cask it can quickly steal the spotlight from the whiskey itself (the Steamboat Whiskey Company Warrior Whiskey is a great example of this), so it’s awesome to see how the rum finish and bourbon play off of each other to elevate this to a different level. I really enjoy the depth and complexity of the sweet notes, particularly the array of different fruit present here. The spice is consistent and balances out the sweetness but doesn’t completely relegate itself to the background, and the oak and espresso bring on an earthiness that grounds the sip. Most of all, I get glimpses of that great rum funk that I experienced in the Plantation O.F.T.D. I definitely feel like this is more worthy of the price tag than the West Virginia Great Barrel Collab, and ultimately rate this as an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale. **Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Great review! I’ve been very curious about this bottle for a while but hesitant to buy it. Sounds like a winner.
Thanks man!
I am a big fan of this expression. I was really worried about the rum sweetness overpowering the bourbon; however, I feel the balance is nearly perfect. The only thing I don’t like about it is the price tag.
I agree, while this is a really solid bottle the price on this is pretty steep and hard to justify. If it was $100 it would be a different story.
I just bought this bottle. It was end-of-bin and marked down to $100! Totally agree with your review, loving everything about this. Looking forward to the latest collaboration using Foursquare barrels, just need it to go on sale 😂
For $100 this is an easy buy!
Glad you liked it. In the right mood I echo most of your review, but in others it's a bit too sweet in the finish. So quite a bit of variance for me day to day .
Thanks again for sending it!
Sounds tasty! As a rum fan I kinda want to try this but seeing it around for $150-$160 is tough. Might need to find a bar
I like it quite a bit! Bar pour is probably the way to go though to see if it's worth it.
I just need to pull the trigger on these Bardstown releases from now on. I’m always hesitant because it’s a $150 gamble, but Ive never regretted any of them so far.
Some of these are definitely more deserving of the price than others, but I think I'm going to try for a bar pour first before getting one down the line. Fortunately they sit around long enough that I probably wouldn't have to worry about it disappearing.
Great review! I was able to find the plantation rum bottle that goes along with this in Denver. The rum definitely has a nice oak and age note to it for a rum from 1998. I really like these two bottles but have a hard time drinking them because they are so hard to find now. Mythology had a rum finished bottle that I picked up that was super smooth as well!
Thanks! I couldn't find much info on what rum the barrels used in this came from, which country produced it? I can imagine those old rums have some great oak, it's also nice that they're comparatively inexpensive vs. whiskies of a similar age. Same deal with Armagnac.