Bardstown Bourbon Company The Prisoner
Bardstown Bourbon Company The Prisoner is the distillery's Collaborative Series release with The Prisoner Wine Company — a Tennessee straight bourbon finished for 18 months in the same French oak red wine barrels used to age The Prisoner's flagship California red blend, bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) in a 750mL bottle. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 100 proof (50% ABV)
- Size: 750mL
- Base: Tennessee straight bourbon (9-year original release; 10-year Finish II — check the bottle)
- Finish: 18 months in The Prisoner Wine Company's French oak red wine barrels
- Mash bill: 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley
- Origin: Bardstown Bourbon Company, Bardstown, Kentucky — Collaborative Series with The Prisoner Wine Company, launched January 2020
When Bourbon Met The Prisoner
The Prisoner Wine Company built a cult following by breaking California red-blend rules; Bardstown Bourbon Company built its name by breaking bourbon rules — finishing whiskey in brandy, Muscat Mistelle, and now red wine barrels. This collaboration puts Tennessee straight bourbon into the French oak that held The Prisoner's flagship wine, and the wine's red-fruit character leads the palate in a way no ordinary finish can.
Tasting Notes
A complex, welcoming bouquet of blackberry and black cherry with rich honey, vanilla, and baking spices. On the palate, hints of the original premium grape blend take the lead with a touch of sweetness, drying tannins from the wine casks framing the fruit before a ringing, balanced finish.
How to Enjoy
Serve neat to catch the full dialogue between bourbon and wine cask; a drop of water opens the red-fruit complexity further. A bourbon for the wine drinker's shelf and a wine-cask finish for the whiskey collector — try it beside a bold red blend to taste the connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Prisoner bourbon?
A collaboration between Bardstown Bourbon Company and The Prisoner Wine Company: Tennessee straight bourbon finished 18 months in The Prisoner's French oak red wine barrels, bottled at 100 proof.
Is this the original release or Finish II?
The original 2020 release used 9-year Tennessee bourbon; Finish II used 10-year. Check the bottle label for the release.
What does the wine finish add?
Red-fruit depth — blackberry and black cherry — plus drying tannins and a wine-like texture unusual in bourbon.
Order Bardstown Bourbon Company The Prisoner online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — bourbon, finished in wine legend.
