Old Louisville The Kentucky Series Bourbon Review

The Kentucky Series
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
8 Year Age Statement (8.5 years old)
100 proof
Old Louisville Whiskey Co
SRP: $60 / 750ml
Review

Please enjoy our The Kentucky Series by Old Louisville Whiskey Co Review with guest reviewer John Spicer!

Collect Them All!

Old Louisville Whiskey Co. released a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a fun marketing trick, albeit one we are all familiar with from Buffalo Trace’s Blanton’s.  The Kentucky Series bottles each feature a prominent blue letter that will spell out “KENTUCKY”, if you collect all 8 variations. That’s a lot of shelf space to dedicate to these bottles if you do decide to hunt them all down, so let’s see if it’s worth it!

Kentucky Proud

Old Louisville Whiskey Co. owners Amine and Beth Karaoud don’t shy away from their love of Kentucky and their old Louisville neighborhood.  In fact, they virtually yell it out to you by naming their company Old Louisville Whiskey Co. and using the biggest typeface I can recall ever being used on a bottle of Bourbon to spell out K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y across the labels in this new series.

The Details

The whiskey inside this bottle is sourced from some of the earliest runs at Bardstown Bourbon Company.  Featuring a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley, the bourbon has been aged for 8.5 years and bottled at 100 proof.

Tasting Notes – Old Louisville The Kentucky Series Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose
John: Gentle floral notes intertwine with home-made bread, toasted almonds, just a hint of oak, and vanilla round it out.  While a bit light, I find the nose very inviting.
Ed: A nice combination of cherry candy, rye spices, tart orange peel & sweet toffee are up front. Hints of leather & cedar are more noticeable later on. The alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof.

👉🏻Taste
John: Sweetness on the front of the tongue like a vanilla flan with a rich caramel sauce on top.  As the sweetness fades, baking spices and a light coffee note show up keeping this whiskey balanced.
Ed: The taste has dark cherries, ryes spices, sweet caramel, light toffee and simple syrup, with mild tannins a little later on.

👉🏻Finish
John: Spiced apples baked in butter provide a great ending with a medium length finish.
Ed: Lingering cloves and sweet simple syrup lead the way, followed by mild tannins and a touch of dried apricot. As the finish develops, it grows drier with an intensifying white pepper spice. Later still, mild smoky barrel char becomes more dominant, mingling with the spice as both linger into the long finish. In the end, I’m left with a deep, pleasant warmth.

Summary

John: The Kentucky Series by Old Louisville Whiskey Co is a very easy drinking whiskey with an inviting nose, balanced palate, and a very enjoyable finish that I feel would please both seasoned bourbon drinkers and those who are just getting introduced to it.  While I won’t be running out to purchase all 8 letters immediately, over time I might drink enough of these to collect them all. 

Ed: Overall, I enjoy this whiskey’s combination of dark and tart fruit, confectionary flavors and light rye spices up front, with a bit of spice and smoky barrel char later on in the finish. At 100 proof, The Kentucky Series by Old Louisville Whiskey Co is an easy drinker, and it should appeal to a broad range of bourbon fans.

Compare and Contrast – Old Louisville The Kentucky Series Bourbon Review

Both Ed and John agree that The Kentucky Series by Old Louisville Whiskey Co. is an approachable 100-proof bourbon suited to a wide range of drinkers. They each found early sweetness—John pointing to vanilla flan and caramel, Ed noting toffee, caramel, and simple syrup—balanced by spice that grows into the finish. Both also described fruit, though in different ways: John with dark cherries and baked apples, Ed with cherries, tart orange peel, and dried apricots. Where John found a medium-length, apple-spice finish, Ed experienced more lingering pepper, tannins, and smoky barrel char. In short, John emphasized balance and approachability, while Ed leaned into fruit, confectionary notes and late spice and dryness.

Conclusion

While John highlighted balance and approachability and Ed leaned into fruit, spice, and smoky dryness, both agree on one thing: Old Louisville The Kentucky Series Bourbon is an easy-drinking, enjoyable bourbon that should appeal to a wide range of palates. Whether you’re drawn to its softer side or its spicier edge, this release delivers plenty to appreciate. Have you tried it? What did you think? Cheers! 🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our The Kentucky Series by Old Louisville Whiskey Co. Review with guest reviewer John Spicer! Read more of his reviews here: Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B525 Review and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B525 Review.

This bottle was graciously provided by the Brand for our review. We appreciate it!

About The Reviewer: John Spicer was a Scotch drinker who became obsessed with Kentucky’s native spirit during a charity Bourbon dinner back in 2010. Since that moment, he has spent his free time expanding his knowledge about whiskey, touring distilleries, and reviewing whiskies. John is a long-time member, and current President, of Cleveland Bourbon Club and is also a founding member of the Bourbon Capital Guild. While residing in Ohio, you will often find him at his second home in Bardstown, KY where he enjoys being as close to the distilleries as possible.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!