Bardstown Bourbon Drops Discovery #13 and Ferrand II:

Innovation Meets Tradition in the Bourbon Capital

If there’s one thing we love here at The Bourbon Showdown Podcast, it’s when tradition meets a little mad-scientist whiskey wizardry. And nobody is pushing that frontier harder right now than the crew down in Bardstown, Kentucky. This week, Bardstown Bourbon Company announced not one, but two new heavy hitters that are about to shake up your back bar: Discovery #13 and the return of their wildly successful Ferrand collaboration—this time with a rye twist.

Discovery #13 – The First Double-Barreled Experiment

Let’s start with the big news: Discovery Series #13 is the line’s first-ever double-barreled release. Now, if you’ve followed Bardstown’s Discovery lineup, you know they’ve been blending Kentucky’s best barrels—ranging anywhere from 8 to 15 years old—into some of the most complex pours on the market. But with #13, they decided to take a walk on the wild side.

Here’s the breakdown:

• 45% 9-year Kentucky bourbon (74% corn / 18% rye / 8% malted barley)

• 22% 9-year Kentucky bourbon (78% corn / 10% rye / 12% malted barley)

• 20% 15-year Kentucky bourbon (75% corn / 13% rye / 12% malted barley)

• 13% 8-year Kentucky bourbon (70% corn / 21% rye / 9% malted barley)

After blending, the whiskey was split: 60% rested in brand-new American white oak barrels while the other 40% took a trip into Hungarian oak. Why does that matter? Because American oak brings those bold vanilla and caramel notes we know and love, while Hungarian oak—tighter-grained and spicier by nature—layers in coffee, mocha, and a whisper of campfire ash. Four months later, those two streams were married back together, creating a profile that feels like classic Kentucky bourbon dressed up with a little European flair.

At 110.8 proof, Discovery #13 is built to stand up in the glass. Expect waves of caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, and a baking-spice finish that lingers like a well-timed guitar solo.

Ferrand II – Bourbon Meets Cognac, Round Two

If you remember Bardstown’s first collab with Alexandre Gabriel and Maison Ferrand, you know it turned heads and took home Double Gold. Well, they’re back at it for 2025, this time bringing rye whiskey into the mix.

The blend looks like this:

• 73% 9-year Kentucky bourbon (74% corn / 18% rye / 8% malted barley)

• 10% 11-year Kentucky bourbon (78% corn / 10% rye / 12% malted barley)

• 10% 12-year Kentucky bourbon (75% corn / 13% rye / 12% malted barley)

• 7% 6-year Bardstown rye (95% rye / 5% malted barley)

That rye addition is key—it brings spice and structure to the blend. Then, the team ships over rare Ferrand Cognac casks from France and lets the whiskey rest inside for a full 15 months. The result? A pour that’s equal parts Kentucky backbone and French elegance. Look for black cherry, toasted oak, vanilla cream, baked apple, pecan, and a pop of mint on the finish. At 107 proof, this one begs to be sipped neat, but we can already imagine it shining in a Vieux Carré.

Why It Matters

Bardstown Bourbon Company has made a name for itself by balancing heritage and experimentation. They’ve been named Icons of Whisky Global Brand Innovator of the Year (2025), IWSC’s Worldwide Whisky Producer of the Year (2023), and even snagged Whisky Advocate’s American Whiskey of the Year (2024) with their Amrut collaboration.

With Discovery #13 and Ferrand II, they’re doubling down (literally) on that reputation. One celebrates Kentucky tradition through the lens of innovative oak finishing. The other deepens an international partnership that bridges bourbon and cognac in a way that feels both respectful and adventurous.

Both bottles will be available nationwide on August 29, 2025—just in time for Bourbon Heritage Month and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, where they’ll take center stage. Suggested retail is $139.99 for each release.

Final Pour

If you’re a fan of exploring the boundaries of bourbon—and if you listen to us regularly, we know you are—these two bottles should be on your radar. Discovery #13 gives you that familiar Kentucky warmth with a fresh twist of Hungarian spice, while Ferrand II is proof that the right collaboration can take whiskey into brand-new territory.

You can bet we’ll be talking about these pours on The Bourbon Showdown Podcast. Until then, mark your calendars, pour something delicious, and get ready—Bardstown Bourbon is making this Bourbon Heritage Month one to remember.