Bardstown Bourbon Co. Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration Bourbon 750ML

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration Bourbon 750ML is a 107-proof (53.5% ABV) blended bourbon finished in French Armagnac casks from Château de Laubade. This expression earned Best in Class for finished bourbons at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, affirming its place among the most accomplished cask-finished American whiskeys on the market.

Quick Facts: ABV: 53.5% (107 Proof)  |  Origin: Kentucky & Tennessee, USA  |  Blend of 12-Year & 10-Year Bourbons  |  Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company

Production & Heritage

Bardstown Bourbon Company, founded in 2014 in Bardstown, Kentucky, has built its reputation on the Collaborative Series — partnerships with established producers that result in limited, boundary-pushing expressions. For this release, the team blended a 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon (75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley) with a 10-year-old Tennessee bourbon (84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley), then finished the blend in casks sourced from Château de Laubade, one of the most respected Armagnac houses in Gascony, France. In a distinctive aging approach, half of the Laubade barrels were aged for two years on a lower warehouse floor while the second half rested for 16 months on the top floor, creating a deliberate contrast in wood extraction and temperature exposure before the final blend was married together.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Baked pear leads the nose, followed by warm layers of nutmeg, cinnamon, and a subtle herbal note of sage. Beneath that spice, toffee and brown sugar create a rich, dessert-like foundation with a whisper of toasted almond.

Taste: The palate opens with vanilla bean and a lush sweetness that quickly gains structure from mature oak. At mid-palate, golden raisin and floral nuances emerge, adding a fruity complexity uncommon in most straight bourbons. The 107-proof backbone keeps everything balanced, delivering weight without excessive heat.

Finish: The finish is elegant and extended, resolving into brown sugar and almond that linger well past the last sip. A gentle warmth from the Armagnac cask influence carries through, leaving behind delicate dried-fruit sweetness.

How to Drink Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration

Neat or with a few drops of water is the ideal starting point — water opens the floral and fruit notes while taming the proof slightly. The Armagnac cask character also makes this an unusually versatile bourbon in cocktails. A Vieux Carré benefits from the brandy-like undertones that echo the drink's traditional Cognac component. An Old Fashioned built with this bourbon gains a dried-fruit richness that replaces the need for elaborate syrups. A Boulevardier plays off the wine-adjacent raisin and toffee notes, matching beautifully with sweet vermouth and Campari.

Best For

• Gifting a bourbon enthusiast who already owns the usual suspects
• Side-by-side tastings exploring cask-finished American whiskeys
• After-dinner sipping alongside dessert or a cheese course
• Adding a conversation-starter bottle to a home bar collection

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration taste like? It delivers a rich interplay of vanilla bean, golden raisin, and baked pear layered over mature oak and brown sugar. The Armagnac cask finish adds floral and dried-fruit complexity that distinguishes it from typical bourbon profiles.

How does Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration compare to Angel's Envy Bourbon? Both are cask-finished bourbons, but Angel's Envy finishes in port wine barrels at a lower 86.6 proof with younger whiskey, resulting in a lighter, fruit-forward pour. The Bardstown expression uses significantly older base whiskeys (10 and 12 years) at a higher 107 proof with Armagnac casks, yielding a denser, more oak-driven and brandy-influenced character.

Is Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration good for sipping neat? Absolutely — the well-aged blend and 16-month Armagnac finish create enough depth and nuance to reward slow, attentive neat sipping, though a splash of water can open up additional floral complexity at this proof.

Where is Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration made? It is produced at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky, the self-proclaimed "Bourbon Capital of the World." The base whiskeys come from Kentucky and Tennessee distilleries, while the finishing casks are sourced from Château de Laubade in the Bas-Armagnac region of Gascony, France.

What foods pair well with Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration? Aged Comté or Gruyère cheese highlights the nutty, toffee-like qualities. Pear tarte tatin mirrors the baked-pear aromatics. Duck confit bridges the savory-sweet spectrum with its rich, caramelized flavors. Dark chocolate truffles emphasize the brown sugar finish. Charcuterie with dried fruits and toasted almonds echoes many of the bourbon's core notes.

What sizes does Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration come in? This expression is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration worth the price? It positions as a premium expression within the Bardstown Collaborative Series, justified by its use of well-aged base whiskeys (10 and 12 years), an extended Armagnac cask finish, and its Best in Class recognition at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition — strong credentials in the competitive finished-bourbon segment.

Why Chateau de Laubaude Collaboration?

What separates this release from the crowded field of cask-finished bourbons is its dual-mashbill, dual-age blend paired with a thoughtfully executed split-floor aging strategy in Armagnac casks. The decision to age half the barrels on a cooler lower floor and half on a warmer top floor introduced a range of extraction profiles that, once married, create a more dimensional whiskey than a single-environment finish could achieve. Its Best in Class win at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition validates the approach. For drinkers who appreciate the intersection of American bourbon tradition and French brandy-making heritage, this collaboration delivers a genuinely distinctive result rather than a gimmick.