Bardstown Bourbon Company 

Bourbon Brothers Distillery Hub

Overview

Bardstown Bourbon Company (often shortened to BBCo) is one of the youngest and largest modern distilleries in Kentucky. Based in Bardstown, the spiritual home of bourbon, it was built from scratch in the 2010s and has rapidly become one of the most influential and respected names in modern American whiskey. The site sits on a 100+ acre campus on Highway 245, with a working distillery, visitor centre, restaurant and bar all under one roof.

They aquired Green Rivers, which helped transform the brand further.

In just over a decade, Bardstown Bourbon Company has transformed from an ambitious startup into one of the most awarded distilleries in the world, redefi

ning how premium bourbo

n is made, blended, and presented. Its state-of-the-art campus, cutting-edge distillation practices, and open-source approach to blending have earned global admiration from critics, collectors, and enthusiasts alike.

History

Bardstown Bourbon Company was founded in 2014 and started production a couple of years later. The original idea was simple. Build a serious, fully transparent distillery in Kentucky that could make whiskey for other brands under contract, while quietly building its own house range on the side.

That model worked. BBCo became one of the biggest non-historical (sometimes called "non-heritage") bourbon producers in the country, with dozens of brand partners running their recipes through the stills. Off the back of that volume, the distillery launched its own labels and started releasing bourbons under its own name.

In 2022 the company was acquired by Pritzker Private Capital, which gave it the backing to keep expanding production, ageing stock and visitor experience. 

Today BBCo is firmly in the conversation alongside Kentucky's old guard, but with a much more modern feel.

Distilling Process

Bardstown Bourbon Company operates one of the most technologically advanced distilleries in Kentucky. Using custom-designed column stills, precision fermentation controls, and full mash bill transparency, the distillery produces bourbon with remarkable consistency and depth. A few things worth knowing:

• The distillery uses a column still followed by a doubler, the standard Kentucky setup for bourbon.
• It runs multiple mash bills, including high-rye, wheated and traditional bourbon recipes, plus rye whiskey.
• Grain is sourced from the region where possible, then milled, cooked, fermented and distilled on site.
• New make goes into new charred American oak barrels (a legal requirement for bourbon) and is aged in their on-site rickhouses in the Kentucky climate, which does the heavy lifting on flavour.
• BBCo is known for being unusually open about what's in the bottle, including mash bills and ages, which is not always the norm in American whiskey.

The short version: classic Kentucky method, modern kit, transparent labelling.

What Makes Them Unique

A few things set Bardstown Bourbon Company apart from the rest of the pack:

• They're new but serious. Most "new" American distilleries are tiny craft operations. BBCo is built at full Kentucky scale, with the volume and ageing stock to back it up.
• Transparency. Mash bills, ages and origins are disclosed on labels and online. That's still rare in bourbon.
• The Collaborative Series. BBCo finishes its own whiskey in barrels from outside partners, including wineries, breweries and other spirits producers. It's one of the best running collab programmes in whiskey.
  
• Contract distilling pedigree. Because they make whiskey for so many other brands, the team has worked across an unusually wide range of recipes and styles.
  

Awards & Recognition

1. Wolds Best Produce - International Wine and Spirits 
2. World's Highest Rated Whiskey - International Wine and Spirit
3. World’s Best Bourbon – World Whiskies Awards (Discovery Series)
4. World's best Bourbon - New York Green River. Wheated
5. Best New World Whiskey – Multiple International Competitions
6. Top 20 Whiskies of the Year – Whisky Advocate
7. Multiple Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Bardstown Bourbon Company is consistently recognised as one of the most awarded modern distilleries on the planet.

Master Distillers And Key People

Bardstown Bourbon Company has had a strong technical team since day one. Key names include:

• David Mandell, co-founder and former CEO, who set the original vision for the distillery.
  
• Steve Nally, Bourbon Hall of Fame, the inaugural Master Distiller, who joined after a long career at Maker's Mark and brought serious Kentucky heritage to a brand new operation.

• John Hargrove, longtime Executive Director of Distillery Operations, with decades of experience across major Kentucky distilleries.
  

The leadership has shifted over the years as the business has scaled, but the through line is the same. Experienced Kentucky distillers running a modern plant.

Notable Releases

BBCo's range is split into a few clear families. The ones worth knowing:

• Origin Series. The flagship line, made entirely from BBCo's own distillate. Available as a Bottled-in-Bond bourbon, a wheated bourbon and a rye, depending on release.
• Fusion Series. Blends BBCo's own younger whiskey with older sourced Kentucky bourbon. A way of getting age and depth into the bottle while their own stocks mature.
• Discovery Series. Limited blends of older sourced whiskeys, batch numbered, aimed at collectors and bourbon nerds.
• Collaborative Series. Their own bourbon finished in barrels from outside producers, including names like Château de Laubade, Phifer Pavitt, Plantation Rum and others depending on the release. 

Then there is the Green Rivers Brand, only two Expressions are offered in Aus, The Wheated and original Bourbons.

Who Their Products Are Aimed At (Or Perfect For)

Bardstown Bourbon Company is a strong fit for:

• Drinkers stepping up from supermarket bourbon who want something with more character without going full collector.
• Whiskey fans who care about transparency and want to actually know what's in the bottle.
• People who like finished and experimental whiskey but still want a Kentucky bourbon backbone.
• Gift buyers looking for a bottle that looks the part on a shelf and drinks well neat or in an Old Fashioned.
  

If you want something cask strength, weird, single-cask and spicy, the Discovery and Collaborative Series are where to look. If you just want a great everyday pour, the Origin Series is the move.

Why We Stock Them

We stock Bardstown Bourbon Company because they tick the boxes that matter to us:

• They're proper Kentucky bourbon, made in Bardstown, not just slapped with a Kentucky label.
• They're honest about what's in the bottle.
• The liquid is good. Across the range, from the Origin bourbons to the finished Collaborative bottles, the quality is consistent.
• They're doing something genuinely interesting with finishing and blending, which fits how a lot of our customers are drinking right now.
• They sit in a sweet spot on price. Better than entry level, accessible compared to the unicorn bottles, fair value for what's in the glass.

If you're looking for one of the most interesting modern bourbon producers in Kentucky, this is a name to know. Browse our current Bardstown Bourbon Company range below.

Shop the Bourbon Brothers Collection

Bardstown Bourbon Company represents the future of Kentucky bourbon — bold, transparent, innovative, and highly collectible. From Fusion to Discovery and Origin, these whiskies offer extraordinary quality for newcomers, enthusiasts, and serious collectors alike.

→ Shop Bardstown Bourbon Company Collection for Bardstown and Green River

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bardstown Bourbon Company based?

Bardstown, Kentucky, on Highway 245, on a 100+ acre site with its own visitor centre and restaurant.

When was Bardstown Bourbon Company founded?

The company was founded in 2014, with full whiskey production starting shortly after.

Is Bardstown Bourbon Company a real Kentucky distillery?

Yes. They distil, age and bottle on site in Bardstown, Kentucky. They also act as a contract distiller for other brands.

Who is the Master Distiller at Bardstown Bourbon Company?

The original Master Distiller was Steve Nally, formerly of Maker's Mark. The technical team has expanded over time, with figures like John Hargrove and Nick Smith in senior distilling roles.

What are Bardstown Bourbon Company's main ranges?

The Origin Series, Fusion Series, Discovery Series and Collaborative Series. Each one plays a different role, from house-distilled bourbon to limited finished and blended releases.

Is Bardstown Bourbon Company worth buying?

For most bourbon drinkers, yes. The liquid is well made, the labelling is transparent and the range covers everyday sippers right up to collector level bottles.