Chestnut Farms

More and more “house bourbons” or “store bourbons” are coming to market, it’s Costco’s Kirkland brand, Liquor Barn’s Flatboat series, Binny’s Clark & Sheffield lineup, or today’s selection - Chestnut Farms - there is a common thread - they’re all from the 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. 

Craft Names from a Distilling Giant

I was recently in Austin, Texas for work and my co-worker shared that she and her partner were enamored with a great tasting bourbon for their favorite cocktails and it had “something to do with a horse”. As I rattled off names like Blanton’s, Old Bardstown, Horse Soldier, and several others, none seemed to match. Then, she pulled up a picture - Chestnut Farms - and yes, there was, indeed, a large etching of a horse on the side of the bottle. 

I then asked the follow-up question - Do you have a Total Wine where you live? Sure enough. Mystery solved. Many of these store brands, for years, were quite mysterious with respect to origin. While the label may have shared “Kentucky” somewhere in the distillation, aged, or bottled statement, their exact where-abouts remained elusive. Even today, MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana has a long list of clients as their source of bourbon. Some openly share that their spirits are produced by MGP; others just leave it as “Distilled in Lawrenceville, IN”. 

Known today as the Barton 1792 Distillery, operations can be traced back to 1879 when it was established by Thomas S. Moore. The distillery was known for decades as the Barton Distillery, but was renamed in 2009 when it was purchased by Sazerac (owner of Buffalo Trace) to the Barton 1792 Distillery in honor of the year Kentucky gained statehood. The distillery is the oldest operating distillery in Bardstown and continues to be the bourbon source for many brands, including its flagship 1792. 

The Tasting    

The bourbon is displayed in a tall bottle with a white chalk etching of a large, galloping horse. It is labeled as a straight bourbon whiskey, with no additional age statement, so we can safely assume it has aged for at least four years. The Total Wine website shares that it is a six-year bourbon. The mash bill is not disclosed, but it’s probably safe to assume it is similar to Barton 1792’s high-rye mash bill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley. The label shares that it is bottled at 90 proof by the Clear Springs Distilling Company - a subsidiary of Sazerac.

Eye: Light amber with some thin legs are displayed in my Glencairn glass. 

Nose: Smells like a rickhouse, with light oak, vanilla, and light spice.  

Palate: A light mouthfeel delivers light-everything with vanilla, oak, and spice. It’s pleasant. Not spectacular, but nothing off-putting either. 

Finish: Medium in length and drying with oak and spice. 

Overall: This was pleasant. Not crazy good, but neither was it diesel additive. My co-worked loved it and found it great in an Old Fashioned. The real question, perhaps, is value. Priced in the $50-range, this has plenty of competition, including the parent company’s own 1792 products, as well as solid offerings from Wild Turkey with a similar proofed Russell’s Reserve and even some of the longer-aged Bottled-in-Bond products, such as the 7-year bourbons from Old Grand-Dad and Heaven Hill which are now being found in the $40-range.