What Is The Oldest Bourbon Ever Bottled?

Thanks, Roger.

One point for clarification:

The two distilleries that are in Bardstown are (or were, in the case of HH) HH and Barton.

Is it correct that if a bottle says Bardstown on the label, it would have come from one of those distilleries?

If so, does that mean that if the Kuhlsveens are putting out BMH that says Bardstown on the label, it would have had to come from HH or Barton?

Someone did in fact tell me that a few years ago, and added that since Barton wasn't giving out any bourbon, they assumed that the Kulhsveens were going across the road to HH to obtain their bourbon.

In any event, I have tasted a variety of BMH, all with Bardstown on the label, and to me they all taste like wet cardboard, musty and thin and dull.

For KBD the location statement signifies the bottling site. Similarly, all HH whiskey is now distilled in Louisville, but their rickhouses and Bettye Jo's bottling lines are in Bardstown, so they continue to state Bardstown (except for the wheaters, which state Louisville because their Bernheim plant was previously mostly a wheater distillery).

We know that Barton never talks about selling whiskey - but are you so sure they never do (with a no disclosure agreement)? One of Chuck Cowdery's favorite lines goes something like "no distillery sells their whiskey on the bulk market - except when they do."

I'd be curious, Greg, if you have the same experience with KBD's own Vintage Bourbon line and HH's Elijah Craig 18 as you have with the KBD's bottlings for BMH. It could be you just don't like older Heaven Hill juice.

Roger

PS this thread discusses a European independent bottling sourced from Barton.

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Originally Posted by GreggB

Is it correct that if a bottle says Bardstown on the label, it would have come from one of those distilleries?

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Not necessarily. It usually means that is where the product was bottled but even that is not necessarily the case. The producer also has the option of identifying its principal place of business there, even if the whiskey in the bottle was produced somewhere else. That's why that city name on the label is of limited use.

[QUOTE=Rughi;106831]

I'd be curious, Greg, if you have the same experience with KBD's own Vintage Bourbon line and HH's Elijah Craig 18 as you have with the KBD's bottlings for BMH. It could be you just don't like older Heaven Hill juice.

Roger

Hi Roger -- The short answer is yes. My brother-in-law, who lives in Kentucky, has a great collection of bourbons, the largest I have ever seen in person. He is also very generous in letting me taste whatever I want to, even opening bottles. He has several of the Black Maple Hill bottlings, and several of the Vintage Bourbon bottlings, and so I have had the opportunity to taste these. I simply do not care for any of them. They all taste thin and dull, with a wet cardboard mustiness. While I do not recall tasting an Elijah Craig 18, I'll bet he has a bottle.

Perhaps the problem is, when he and I sit down to taste bourbons from his collection, we almost always try a variety. Maybe the HH/KBD stuff pales in comparison to bourbon from Buffalo Trace, Van Winkle, etc.

However, I am willing to give the Elijah Craig 18 and the others a fresh try. Also, maybe you have some favorites from HH or KBD that you could point to. Any suggestions on an approach to getting these to open up? - a splash of water, for instance?

Regards --

Gregg

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Originally Posted by cowdery

Not necessarily. It usually means that is where the product was bottled but even that is not necessarily the case. The producer also has the option of identifying its principal place of business there, even if the whiskey in the bottle was produced somewhere else. That's why that city name on the label is of limited use.

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So are there any regulations on what goes on the label with respect to distillery name or city name?

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Originally Posted by GreggB

So are there any regulations on what goes on the label with respect to distillery name or city name?

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Yes. The regs are long and quite boring reading, even if you're into that sort of thing.

I believe, as far as non-bonded bottlings are concerned, any registered address belonging to the producer can be put on the label. Producer in this case meaning distiller, bottler or brand owner. I could look this up to be more accurate, but decided not to do that to myself.:grin:

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Originally Posted by barturtle

Yes. The regs are long and quite boring reading, even if you're into that sort of thing.

I believe, as far as non-bonded bottlings are concerned, any registered address belonging to the producer can be put on the label. Producer in this case meaning distiller, bottler or brand owner. I could look this up to be more accurate, but decided not to do that to myself.:grin:

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Thank you. Where can I read more about the regulations?

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Originally Posted by GreggB

Thank you. Where can I read more about the regulations?

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Here they are

Look especially at Section 5.36 Name and Address.

Thank you very much, Tim and Chuck.

Gregg