Bardstown Bourbon Company Copper & Kings Oloroso Sherry Cask Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Two of the most exciting newcomers to Kentucky’s whiskey industry are Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo) and Copper & Kings. The former’s position as a leading contract distiller means they are very, very busy; the latter doesn’t actually make whiskey, but their barrel stock winds up being used in so many top notch finishes. The latest entry in BBCo’s Collaboration Series isn’t the first time the pair have teamed up, and the results are often exceptional. This one is, to use that word again, no exception.

For this collaborative outing, BBCo has taken 12 year old bourbon sourced from MGP, and given it an 18-month stint of secondary maturation in Spanish oak, Oloroso Sherry casks. That finishing time is double what one expects in these things, and it shows in an excellent example of what a long finishing time in Sherry wood can do for a middle aged bourbon. The whiskey was bottled at 100 proof.

The Bourbon
The look of a pour of this bourbon is a deep red, murky and moody amber. If that isn’t suggestive enough, the nose is rich and musty. Dry, standing grass and oak, Christmas cake spices and dark, earthy chocolate, and mint almost smother the brown sugar and vanilla, traditional bourbon elements at the base.

Sipping builds on that experience. The bourbon roots become more like a crafty, cinnamon-dusted caramel candy, and layers on top of that is more cake spice, dried fruits, and a light, indistinct current of nuttiness. The flavor turns dry and spicy on the back end, rolling over into a finish that is quite light, surprisingly so given how rich an experience the drink has been up to this point. It’s a little woody, a little spicy, and quite dry.

I never got to try the much-loved Angel’s Envy Oloroso Sherry Cask, so I can’t make any direct comparison of the two bourbon except one: this bottle is cheaper (see below) than the $199 Angel’s Envy wanted for their Sherry Cask. That said, I’ll add that it’s the best example of a bourbon finished in a Sherry cask I’ve ever had. In terms of an Oloroso cask finish, it’s the bourbon I’ve been waiting for, and I’m tickled pink to have a full bottle of the stuff.

The Price
$124.99 per bottle.