Bardstown High Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon

When you think of Kentucky Bourbon, you probably picture time-worn rickhouses, limestone springs and family names stretching back to the 1800s. And you’d be right. But Bourbon isn’t just about the past – it’s also about the future. And no distillery embodies that better than Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Founded in 2014, Bardstown Bourbon Co. is the new kid on the block, but don’t let that fool you. In less than a decade they grew to become one of the most exciting names in whiskey, proving that you don’t need centuries of history to make world-class Bourbon. You just need a bold vision, a whole lot of skill, and just a bit of Kentucky magic to be sure.

The distillery was dreamt up by a group of entrepreneurs; Peter Loftin, David Mandell, Daniel Linde, and Garnett Black, who wanted to do things differently. Their idea? Create a "destination experience" for Bourbon lovers. A modern, open, glass-walled distillery in the heart of Bourbon country, a place where visitors could see every step of the process with nothing hidden, no secrets, just pure whiskeymaking on display. Think less creaky barn, more Napa Valley wine estate, complete with its own restaurant, Bardstown Bourbon Co. Kitchen & Bar.

It was a gamble, but it worked. And before Master Distiller and industry legend Steve Nally could even fire up the stills in 2016, demand from industry partners was so huge their production slots were filled almost immediately. Today, the company’s sprawling campus covers over 100 acres, with multiple stills, warehouses, a state-of-the-art bottling line, and the ability to pump out more than 110,000 barrels of whiskey a year. Not bad for a distillery that didn’t even exist a decade ago.

Here’s the clever bit: Bardstown Bourbon Co. isn’t just making whiskey for themselves. They’re the quiet force behind some of the biggest names in Bourbon. Through their Collaborative Distilling Program, they’ve distilled, aged and bottled over 50 unique mash bills for more than 30 brands, including the likes of Jefferson’s High West, James E. Pepper, and Belle Meade.

In fact, if you’ve enjoyed an up-and-coming American whiskey in the past few years, there’s a good chance Bardstown had a hand in it. They’ve become the engine room of innovation in Kentucky, giving craft and established brands alike access to world-class production without needing to build a distillery from scratch.

For years, Bardstown were the behind-the-scenes heroes, but in 2023 they stepped firmly into the spotlight with the launch of their Origin Series — a trio of whiskies distilled, aged and bottled entirely on site. These included a six-year-old Kentucky straight Bourbon, a bottled-in-bond wheated Bourbon, and a rye, each showcasing the distillery’s house style: balanced, complex, and undeniably modern.

Awards followed in quick succession. They’ve picked up Double Gold medals at San Francisco, been crowned Worldwide Whiskey Producer of the Year by the IWSC, and even featured on 60 Minutes. Safe to say, the whiskey world has noticed.

What makes Bardstown Bourbon Company so exciting is that they honour tradition without being bound by it. They’ve got the fields, the charred oak, and the Kentucky heat doing its slow, patient work. But they’ve also got gleaming glass walls, a killer cocktail bar, and a philosophy of transparency that feels refreshingly 21st century.

In Bardstown – the town known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World” – this distillery stands as proof that the spirit of Bourbon isn’t just about where it’s been, but where it’s going.