Bardstown Bourbon Company Starts Work On A Kentucky Proud Whiskey

The Bardstown Bourbon Company is excited to partner with Kentucky Proud as one of the first distilleries to produce a wheated whiskey using ingredients and barrels derived completely from Kentucky. The recipe for this certified Kentucky Proud product yet to be named will include 39% corn from Marion County, Kentucky; 52% wheat from Washington County, Kentucky; and 9% malted barley grown in Logan County, Kentucky and malted by South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana, Kentucky. On June 19, the whiskey blend will enter 33 Kentucky Oak barrels sourced from Canton Cooperage in Lebanon, Kentucky at 112 proof. It will age for 8 years at Bardstown Bourbon Company, available as a limited release to the state of Kentucky only in 2028.

The idea for this product came from Bardstown Bourbon Company head distiller Nick Smith who will oversee the production from start to finish.

“This will be a Kentucky crowd-pleaser with all raw materials from grain to barrel sourced locally in Kentucky,” said Smith. “I’m a sucker for a product with subtle sweetness that is guaranteed to go down soft and easy. It will be filled with honey, vanilla, dried berries, toffee and caramel flavors.”

Smith has quickly become a rising star in the bourbon industry. As head distiller of Bardstown Bourbon Company, he has been a part of the company since day one, honoring the traditional art of making whiskey while bringing a modern, technical approach to the day-to-day operations and mashbill creations.

“Nick was responsible for this product from ideation to implementation,” said Chief Operating Officer John Hargrove. “It is the first recipe that will be produced completely under his care and we’re confident that his knowledge, experience and leadership will yield one of the top wheated whiskies on the market.”

“As Agriculture Commissioner, one of my goals has been to diversify Kentucky agriculture, particularly with Kentucky Proud value-added products like bourbon and whiskey,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “With 100% of the ingredients coming from Kentucky farms, including the malted barley, this is an incredibly unique and rare approach from Bardstown Bourbon Company. My hope is that this project’s success will further increase Kentucky’s reputation as a key leader in the spirits industry. I congratulate Bardstown Bourbon Company for their ingenuity and look forward to following this project as it develops.”

Raw materials sourced from Kentucky include:

Corn from Ronnie Mattingly with R&B Trucking and grown in Marion County, Kentucky.

Wheat from Ronnie Mattingly with R&B Trucking and grown in Washington County, Kentucky.

Malted Barley from R.T. Case with South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana, Kentucky. The barley was grown by Walnut Grove Farm in Logan County and was malted by South Fork Malthouse.

Kentucky Oak Barrels from Canton Cooperage in Lebanon, Kentucky.