Bardstown Bourbon Company has made a name for itself by blending tradition with experimentation, and their latest releases keep that momentum rolling. Two new bottles are hitting shelves … Discovery #13 and Ferrand II … each taking familiar Kentucky whiskey roots and twisting them in unexpected ways.

Discovery #13: A Double-Barreled First

The Discovery Series has long been Bardstown’s playground for exploring unique blends, but Discovery #13 marks the line’s first dive into double-barreling. The foundation is pure Kentucky: straight bourbons aged 8 to 15 years, blended into a sturdy base. But instead of stopping there, Bardstown split the whiskey for secondary finishing.

Sixty percent of the batch went into new American White Oak barrels, while the other forty percent rested in tight-grained Hungarian Oak. For four months, each worked its own kind of magic … American oak pulling out familiar vanilla and caramel, while Hungarian oak layered on baking spice, mocha, and even a whiff of campfire smoke.

Once reunited, the blend doesn’t just echo bourbon tradition; it bends it. At 110.8 proof, it’s bold without being overpowering, offering a sip that’s equal parts comforting and surprising.

Ferrand II: Bourbon Meets Cognac, Round Two

The second headline release builds on Bardstown’s ongoing partnership with Maison Ferrand in France. Their first team-up in 2022 won awards, and the sequel looks determined to keep that streak alive. This time, Bardstown married Kentucky bourbon with rye before finishing it for 15 months in Ferrand Cognac casks shipped straight from Cognac, France.

The result leans rich and layered … think black cherry, baked apple, pecan, and a touch of rye spice woven into the depth of Cognac’s influence. At 107 proof, it strikes a balance between elegance and structure, equally at home neat or as the centerpiece of a classic cocktail like a Vieux Carré.

It’s also not just hype: Ferrand II already snagged Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, echoing the success of the first release.

Why These Matter

What makes these bottles interesting isn’t just their flavor … it’s the way Bardstown keeps rethinking what American whiskey can be. Discovery #13 plays with barrel science in a way that feels experimental yet grounded, while the Ferrand collaboration reminds us that whiskey doesn’t exist in a bubble. By partnering with a Cognac house steeped in tradition, Bardstown blends worlds that rarely meet, and the results speak for themselves.

Both releases will roll out nationwide starting August 29, just in time for Bourbon Heritage Month and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. If you’re near Bardstown, you can even snag them early at the distillery or their Louisville tasting room.

At $139.99 a bottle, they’re not casual weeknight pours, but for whiskey fans chasing something both rooted and adventurous, Bardstown’s latest chapter might be worth the splurge.

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