Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Finish is a 12 year old Indiana bourbon (very likely from MGP) that was finished in Chateau de Laubade Armagnac casks for 18 months and bottled at cask strength. This is one of a growing number of bourbons sourced from MGP and then finished including, but not limited to, Redwood Empire Haystack Needle 12 Year Single Barrel (port, chardonnay, or cabernet sauvignon), Belle Meade (cognac, sherry, madeira, honey, and more), and Joseph Magnus Bourbon just to name a few. Armagnac finishes for now are still relatively uncommon (Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend is the only other one that comes to mind), but the growing number of cognac and brandy finishes hint that Armagnac is next in line.
For reference, Chateau de Laubade is one of the major Armagnac producers in France. Even though I don’t drink much Armagnac (at least for now), I have a feeling that they know what they’re doing so at minimum the finish won’t be bad. With that said, I’m already very impressed with Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #2, a blend of sourced Kentucky bourbons, so I’m curious to find out how they are at finishing bourbon in this Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Finish review.
*I want to thank by friend Ryan B. for providing this sample.