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Fellow Drammers!
We’ve been working on this event for years, and we’re so proud to be able to invite you to join us Feb. 18th for an incredible, epic tasting with nearly the entire brain trust of Bardstown Bourbon Company.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
Master Distiller Steve Nally. Steve Nally is one of the great legends in the bourbon industry. With close to 50 years of industry experience, Steve Nally is one of the few remaining Bourbon Hall of Fame Master Distillers currently working in this capacity. He and his wife Donna are the only living husband-and-wife couple in the Bourbon Hall of Fame. Steve’s unique skill set makes him an important strategic asset for the Bardstown Bourbon Company. Nally grew up in Loretto, where he started his career with Maker’s Mark in 1972. Over time, Steve progressed through every facet Maker’s operations, culminating in the role of Master Distiller which he started in 1988. Nally retired from Maker’s Mark in 2003, having spent more than three decades at the distillery, to start his own distilling consultancy. During this time, Steve laid the foundation for Wyoming Whiskey, which launched in 2009. Steve built Wyoming Whiskey from the ground up, developed their first line of products, and secured a number of awards and achievements. In 2014, Steve returned to Kentucky as employee number 1 at Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Master Blender Dan Calloway. Last year the distillery promoted Dan to the role of Master Blender, recognizing his long-standing influence on the company’s innovation-driven whiskey program. The distillery had made waves time and time again with some of the most innovative experimental releases in the industry, and nearly all of those originated with him. Formerly Vice President of Product Development at Bardstown Bourbon Company, Callaway has stepped into this overarching position where he will continue to oversee blending for Bardstown’s whiskies while also expanding his influence across the broader Lofted Spirits portfolio, including the rapidly growing Green River Whiskey brand and emerging Lofted Custom Spirits clients.
Director of Distillation and Head Distiller Nick Smith. Nick Smith has been a part of the company since day one. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2012, he worked his way up to distillery supervisor for Jim Beam in just four years before becoming distillery supervisor for Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2016. As one of the founding team members, Smith played a key role in the company’s initial growth by aiding in the expansion of the state-of-the-art distillery. From engineering to operations–down to shipping and receiving–Smith has had a hand in the development of each department.
VP of Sales (East) Nick Lewis. Longtime Drammers will already know Nick, he has long been a fellow Drammer and has been a rising star at the company. Prior to joining the Bardstown Bourbon Company team in 2020, Nick had a long history in the industry working in distribution, managing a series of high-profile gastro-pubs in London, and as the director of marketing at the long lost, but much beloved District Made Distillery in Washington DC. He has worked his way up the ranks at Bardstown since 2020 and we’ve had the honor of welcoming him as a guest speaker numerous times over the years.
We have long dreamed of assembling this incredible team for a tasting like this, and with that in mind, we have been collecting rare Bardstown releases for this moment.
LINEUP:
Limited Edition Kentucky Bourbon Festival Bottling. Only 650 bottles ever released. Straight Bourbon whiskey (reportedly 15yo and 5yo blend) finished in French oak barrels. This was only available on one day at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival if you attended a panel presentation that Mr. Nally gave that year. These retail on the secondary market for thousands of dollars. 50% abv.
Bardstown Collection: 2nd Edition (2023). Dan Calloway created this series of releases spotlighting distilleries in the Bardstown area. This is from the second set of bottles released, which were only available very briefly at the distillery. We were so excited, we flew down to pick up this release, which sold out instantly (you basically needed to be in line when the doors open to have a chance).
Discovery #3. A blast from the past! Don’t hold us to this, but we believe this was released back in 2020. Three aged bourbons blended to create a smooth and unique expression, including two 13-year-old bourbons and a 10-year-old bourbon. 55% abv.
Distillery Exclusive: Triple Stave. This limited edition bottling was available only at the distillery gift shop in 2022. And if you wanted a poster child for the mad scientist stuff that Dan Calloway and the team are doing when they create blends, this is it. They first created a blend of two very different ryes and a bourbon, they then used two different stave types for a finishing process for 3 weeks, and then recombined that liquid with a 13yo Tennessee whiskey. Where do they come up with this stuff??? 54.5% abv
Collaborative Series: Ferrand. This second partnership with Ferrand sees Kentucky straight whiskey finished 15 months in Maison Ferrand Cognac barrels, merging American character with French refinement. 55.9% abv
Collaborative Series: Amrut. Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Amrut Indian Malt Whiskey Barrels Blended With Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This limited-edition whiskey earned Double Gold at the 2024 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition and the highest rated bourbon of 2024 in Whisky Advocate. 55% abv.
Origin Series - Bottled in Bond - Wheated Bourbon
High Wheat Bourbon. This was a breakout creation from Nick Smith, their head distiller and director of distillation. It is the first 39% wheated mashbill available on the market. This expression explodes with flavor imbued by the 39% wheat in the mashbill, and is presented at 106 proof.
Drammers Single Barrel Pick: Origin Bourbon. We couldn’t be more proud of this one, a single barrel of their signature bourbon selected by our members.
Please note, the lineup above is for the 2nd set of 30 kits, as the first set sold out. The sets are identical except for the first 3 pours. SET A received:
Ultra Rare: Steve Nally’s Legacy Release 50th Anniversary Bottling. Only 650 bottles ever released. Straight Bourbon whiskey (reportedly 15yo and 5yo blend) finished in French oak barrels. This was only available on one day at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival if you attended a panel presentation that Mr. Nally gave that year. These retail on the secondary market for thousands of dollars. 50% abv.
Bardstown Collection: 1st Edition (2022). Dan Calloway created this series of releases spotlighting distilleries in the Bardstown area. The first set of bottles featured a release from each of 5 distilleries, which were only available that morning back in January 2022. We were so excited, we flew down to pick up this release, which sold out instantly (you basically needed to be in line when the doors open to have a chance).
Distillery Reserve: Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish. Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished for 28 Months in Calvados Brand Barrels then 4 Months in Toasted Oak, Normandie is a limited‑edition release only available in 375ml bottles at the distillery. Composed of five seasoned Calvados casks from the storied Christian Drouin house. 52.1% abv
That’s our lineup, we hope you can join us! The event will take place over Zoom (Zoom Link / Meeting ID: 810 5511 8931 / Passcode: 021826). Please let us know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Drammers Club