Bardstown Bourbon Company is doing a lot of interesting experimentation with finished bourbons. This Bardstown Bourbon Company Copper and Kings Finish Bourbon, the focus of this review, was one of the first finished bourbons they ever released, more or less at the same time as the Chateau de Laubade, Prisoner Wine, and Phifer Pavitt Cabernet finish among others. At this point, this review is a little late given that this bourbon was released in late 2019 / early 2020 with a limited bottle count, so nearly every bottle is probably taken by now…whoops. Still, 11 year old MGP bourbon finished for 20 months in American apple brandy casks is worth writing about.
Let’s talk about the finish. Copper and Kings is a Kentucky-based distillery that focuses on brandy (distilled from fruit). I believe that the apple brandy for this finish was distilled from Michigan apples, although I have no idea how long the brandy was oak aged. American apple brandy finishes are still uncommon in American Whiskey, but I have had some apple finished whiskeys such as One Eight Untitled No. 9 finished for 20 months in Calvados barrels, Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Special Release 3 finished in American malt whiskey barrels that first aged apple cider, and Sagamore Spirit Calvados Finish. There’s a lot of uniqueness to be found, so let’s find out if it translates to something special in this Bardstown Bourbon Company Copper and Kings Finish Bourbon review.