A Tale of Three Cask Finished Bourbons

The following narrative is a tale of three cask finished bourbons from the Barton Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Not only are these bourbons unique, but they are also a view into extended cask finishing. Extended finishing is for between two to five years. That is a departure from most barrel-finished whiskeys in the marketplace. What we found is that each finish was unique and exciting, with one astounding result.

Thomas S. Moore

Thomas S. Moore helped give Bardstown credibility as an excellent whiskey-producing area. He also built what is now known as the Barton 1792 Distillery. In 1889, Moore was an early distiller known for putting out popular brands such as Belle of Nelson and Morton’s Spring Rye. Mr. Moore was also a partner with Ben Mattingly and operated for a time as Mattingly and Moore.

Tom Moore Distillery

The Tom Moore Distillery successfully produced popular brands such as Silas Jones, Dan’l Boone, and Tom Moore whiskey. In 1905, records show that Moore was warehousing 20,000 barrels of whiskey. Moore became so successful that he was able to purchase and operate the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. This stagecoach stop was historical even in the early nineteen hundreds. Tom Moore learned the whiskey business at a young age while working for the Willett family. It was through his job at Willett that he met his future partner Ben Mattingly.