In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, five distilleries in the Bardstown area banded together to create a unique series of bourbon to benefit the local community.
Heaven Hill, James B. Beam, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Preservation and Log Still distilleries each selected two barrels of their company’s best bourbon to bottle individually for inclusion in the limited-edition series, known as the Bardstown Collection.
The bourbon was bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Company’s new 55,000 square-foot bottling facility and sports cohesive blue-and-gold packaging with an image of My Old Kentucky Home, as well as each distillery’s logo and details about the bourbon.
Bottles will only be available for purchase onsite at each distillery’s visitor center on a staggered release schedule on January 13 and 14, followed by a ticketed celebration at Scout & Scholar Brewing in Bardstown.
All proceeds from the release will be donated back to the community of Bardstown to support local improvements and organizations.
“You can truly feel the magic of our bourbon culture and heritage come alive when working on this special release,” says Samantha Brady, executive director of Bardstown Tourism. “We are trademarked as the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World,’ but when distilleries unite to authenticate your claim, you don’t get much better than that.”
“My family has been in the area for generations, and we’ve always considered Bardstown our home,” added Freddie Noe IV, eighth-generation distiller for James B. Beam Distilling Co. “Not just because most of us have lived here, but because we’re part of the community. So, when this idea was brought to us, it was a ‘no brainer.’ We’re honored to join our fellow bourbon distillers in coming together for a good cause — and great bourbon.”
The release schedule is:
Thursday, January 13
10 a.m. – Heaven Hill Distillery
1 p.m. – Preservation Distillery
4 p.m. – Log Still Distillery
Friday, January 14
10 a.m. – James B. Beam Distilling Co.
2 p.m. – Bardstown Bourbon Company
6 p.m. – Celebration at Scout & Scholar Brewing
“A collaboration like this has never been done within the bourbon industry,” said Dan Callaway, vice president of hospitality and product development for Bardstown Bourbon Company. “It is remarkable to be part of the camaraderie and collaboration between so many Bardstown brands.”
Callaway said the distilleries creating the Bardstown Collection plan for an annual release, possibly with more distilleries joining the collaboration in future years. For more information, visit bardstowncollection.com.