Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s ongoing Collaborative Series is getting to the point these days that I find myself wondering if they’ll simply run out of novel concepts at some point, if no further casks will exist for them to use in finishing bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years it has been in operation, this series has dabbled in finishes involving seemingly every possible combination of barrels–rum barrels, brandy barrels, wine barrels, beer barrels, liqueur barrels, uniquely toasted barrels, you name it. But each time I think they’ll have to start repeating themselves, BBC pulls out yet another unexpected collaboration–and although one might expect the constant quest for novelty to result in the pursuit of flavor experiments that don’t work particularly well, the reality is that most of these bottles are pretty excellent. And that’s certainly true of the latest and possibly most unique entry in the Collaborative Series, Bardstown Bourbon Co. Amaro Nonino.
Yes, Amaro Nonino. Most of the bitter herbal liqueurs we spirits geeks classify as amari do indeed see time aging inside of oak barrels; barrels that can then be used to finish another spirit a secondary maturation. In this case, BBC has brought together a blend of 80% 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon, paired with two Indiana ryes, from both MGP’s 51% and 95% rye mash bills. This blend was then aged in Amaro Nonino Quintessentia Riserva barrels for an additional 17 months, before being bottled at 55.5% ABV (111 proof). This is a very limited release, being composed of just three barrels in the blend, and will be offered for sale ($160 MSRP) at the Bardstown Bourbon Co. Louisville Tasting Room and a handful of on-premise accounts on Nov. 3, 2023.
Not familiar with Amaro Nonino? It is known and loved as a lighter amaro, less syrupy and heavy on the palate than heavy hitters such as Montenegro, and with a more gentle (less bitter) flavor. It’s a delicate, easy neat drinker in the Italian amaro world, and mixes less assertively than some others into classic cocktails. The cocktail world became more specifically familiar and enamored with Amaro Nonino after it was spotlighted in the recipe for modern classic the Paper Plane, an equal parts combination of bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon juice. The resulting cocktail is bright, zippy, semi-sweet and fruit forward, with just enough bitterness to hold things together.
“The singular, exquisite flavor of Amaro Nonino has captivated beverage directors and cocktail enthusiasts around the globe. Our custom blend of bourbon and rye absorbed this one-of-a-kind flavor, lightning in a bottle,” said Dan Callaway, VP of New Product Development at Bardstown Bourbon Company in a statement. “An added bonus, it makes the greatest Paper Plane of all time.”
A pretty big promise there, but one that makes good logical sense. Why wouldn’t a bourbon finished in Nonino barrels make for the ideal Paper Plane, after all? So with that said, let’s get to tasting.
On the nose, Bardstown Bourbon Co. Amaro Nonino is enticing, with pleasant wafts of caramel candies, vanilla buttercream and a lot of sweet spice, evoking the likes of pumpkin pie to my nose. I’m getting Tootsie Roll chocolate, and then more hints of the fruitiness likely contributed by the Nonino barrels, coming across like stewed dark fruit compote, lifted up by brighter orange zest.
On the palate, this bottle features a sweet, herbal spiciness, and a texture that is slightly on the syrupy side. It starts quite sweet, but then slowly transitions into a gentle herbal bitterness, with notes of honey, caramel, dried herbs–something a little resinous like rosemary or sage–with licorice/anise spice that also evokes a hint of absinthe. Heat is sturdy, but appropriate for the proof point. The most interesting thing is the way the herbal bitterness comes through this, paired with the sweetness–typically, one might think of bitterness as a universally undesirable quality in most American whiskey, or it would likely be perceived that way, but here it feels intended.
Finally, I also felt compelled to mix up a Paper Plane with this whiskey, especially after the press release name-dropped it. The result: Quite nice, with none of the four elements dominating the proceedings. I thought that perhaps an 111 proof blended whiskey might make the drink a little more spirit-forward than intended, but it makes for a deft balance between elements that are sweet, sour and bitter. If the Paper Plane is a favorite cocktail of yours, this is a bottle you’ll want to go out of your way to track down.
Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Co.
City: Bardstown, KY
Style: Blend of straight bourbon and straight rye whiskey
ABV: 55.5% (111 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $160 MSRP
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident craft beer and spirits geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.