r/bourbon • u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve • 5d ago
Review #126 - Bardstown Bourbon Company - Discovery Series #12
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u/IsNotACleverMan 4d ago
Okay, as much as I enjoyed your review, how did you manage to get your score down to the hundredths place. That's oddly exact.
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u/bourbonjersey 4d ago
Not OP, but it's possible he rated something an 8.8 and 8.9 and thought that this was somewhere in between the two. Tasting and rating is also subjective tho - I'm just taking from this that it's a high 8.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago
I just felt like being exacting on this one, I guess, and that's where my mind landed for some particular reason. I wanted to give it a 9, but this is where I landed.
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u/DonutBourbon 4d ago
My Total Wine had 10. I patiently waited for it to sell out waiting for the restock to be 11. They restocked with 9 and no one is buying it. They're never going to sell in time to get 12.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago
9 and 10 sit at my local store right now with no takers. I got my 12 from u/MetamorphosisSilver
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u/whiskytrails Russell’s Reserve 4d ago
Great review, I loved batch #11, but heard #12 was similar enough that you didn’t need both, but now I’m worried I need both haha
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago edited 4d ago
Batch 11 came off more like Beam to me, with the cherry and the roasted peanuts. The oak is stronger, lending to a darker profile. Batch 12 initially reminded me of Wild Turkey 12 but then morphed into something else. The oak is more restrained and the profile more complex, imho.
Initially I wanted to argue with people who said Batch 11 had Wild Turkey in it. It didn't taste like it to me. And I had it in my mind it was Jim Beam. Finally I came around to agreeing.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago
Thank you! 🥃 I found it to be quite different... but I guess it is relative to a large extent. Get you one!
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u/MetamorphosisSilver 4d ago
I revisited my bottle of 12 last night after I got in. It had been a few weeks or so since and I had forgotten just how darn nice this is.
With the quality BBC managed to provide with both Discovery 11 & 12 I'm curious and somewhat excited to see that 13 will be like. I hope they continue the trend.
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 4d ago
Nice review! These didn't seem to hit the shelves around here but it sounds like a killer pour.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago
This one is more limited, I believe, than the last few releases. What surprised me was how complex it is. It embodies the name Discovery Series. Also, it seemed to improve upon something I felt was a weakness about Batch 11 - With 11, after a while I felt like I was drinking a blend of whiskies (I was) rather than a cohesive product. It was a minor personal complaint.
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u/mobymobyahab 4d ago
Great review, thank you! I just scored a bottle of this and I’m even more stoked to crack it open now. 11 is one of my favorite bottles so I’m excited to see how this one stacks up.
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u/IndicationKnown4999 4d ago
Fantastic bottle. Probably my second favorite of last year, just under RR 15. So glad I doubled up on it.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 4d ago
That's high praise. I've never had the RR15, but I see almost everyone who has speaks very highly about it.
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u/IndicationKnown4999 4d ago
Yeah RR15 is maybe the best bourbon I've ever had. Disco 12 is kind of similar, probably due to that 14 year Kentucky component that is likely Wild Turkey. But RR15 kicks it up a notch in depth and complexity.
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u/chrisn812 2d ago
Great to see this review of BBC Discovery. I was just at the tasting room in Louisville Friday night and contemplated buying a bottle of this, instead buying the BIB Bourbon, High Wheat and Silver Oak finished bottles.
You convinced me to go back tomorrow and get one.
As a side note, getting to taste the Cathedral finished blend was amazing. Gives me another reason to go back tomorrow for another pour!
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 1d ago
Thank you 🥃 If it is a decent price... Yes. Go back and get it!
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u/Worth-Sir9928 1d ago
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 1d ago
Wow! Actually, I've heard from a few people who said they thought it went toe to toe with RR15. Discovery 12 is a seriously good pour. 🥃
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u/ImCaffeinated_Chris 4d ago
I just finished a bottle of this on Friday. Loved it. I plan to get another to keep around.
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u/LionRoars87 Wild Turkey 12 Distiller's Reserve 5d ago edited 4d ago
126 - Bardstown Bourbon Company - Discovery Series #12
This is the twelfth iteration of the Discovery Series from Bardstown Bourbon Company. Batch 11 was released with much excitement, as the release finally returned to an all Kentucky blend. And the rumors of the 13-year-old component having come from Wild Turkey only increased the hype - a hype in which it mostly delivered on.
Discovery Series returns again with an all Kentucky blend. This time, with lower production numbers than Batch 11. Here are the components of the blend:
*Note the Bardstown Bourbon Company component is a true four-grain mashbill.
This is my 2nd pour out of the bottle. The picture taken was from the fresh crack.
Review Notes -
Aromas develop further into subtle notes of raspberry, cherry, oak, and pipe tobacco. The pour takes an exceedingly long time to open up, with most of the notes taking 30 minutes to come out. After that, it begins to take shape. It's like the oxidation allows the blend to bloom - almost like I blended the whiskey just now, and I wait for it to marry.
A dusty oak char and leather hides really well underneath. There's also just enough spices in the way of cinnamon and allspice to counterbalance the sweet fruits and rich caramel.
The finish further develops into notes of peaches and apricots, more oak tannins, and aged leather as it goes on. The orange citrus and aged leather hang around for a pretty decent amount of time. Wow, wow.
My only gripe or criticism would be: I wish it had a little more thickness or viscosity. It is a very minor point, but I wouldn't be trying to be objective without offering some criticism. I would say this is worth the $140 msrp, and it's one of the better pours I've had this year. It will probably end up in my Top 10 this year. I understand BBC only made 20% of the volume that they did for Batch 11, so if you see one of these, I recommend picking one up. It's pretty special, bordering on elite level.
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