A 106-proof blend of aged Indiana bourbon and rye, finished in pineapple rum casks with fresh pineapple and toasted oak… and one of the most unconventional whiskeys I’ve tasted this year.
Stats
- Type: Blend of Straight Whiskeys Finished in Rum Barrels with Oak Staves and Pineapple
- Age: 10-11 year
- Proof: 106 (53% ABV)
- Mashbill: 75% Corn │21% Rye │ 4% Malted Barley & 95% Rye │ 5% Malted Barley
- Blend:
- 40% 11-year-old Indiana bourbon,
- 40% 10-year-old Indiana bourbon and
- 20% 11-year-old Indiana rye
- Origin: Ross & Squibb (MGP) — Lawrenceburg, Indiana
- Additional Aging: Bardstown Bourbon Company — Bardstown, Kentucky
- Finishing Cask: Caribbean-sourced pineapple rum casks
- Finishing Time: 27 months
- Additional Finishing: Fresh Victoria pineapple was added to the barrels, and toasted oak staves were added at the end of the finishing period to help cut and balance the sweetness
- Release: Limited release, blended, finished, flavored, distillery exclusive
- MSRP: $139.99 / 750 mL (only available at BBC and their Louisville tasting room)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Banana cream pie leads the way, leaning heavily toward the whipped cream and custard-like vanilla notes I associate with older MGP whiskey. Brown sugar and cinnamon follow, with subtle touches of kiwi and orange peel underneath.
- Palate: The texture is dense, creamy and almost maple-syrup-like, with immediate sweetness. Caramelized pineapple, MGP charred oak, rum and molasses build around a persistent cinnamon spice that sits on the tip of the tongue.
- Finish: The deep sweetness carries through with almond, cherry Tootsie Roll Pop, cinnamon and a touch of funk. An interesting Kentucky hug develops deep in the throat, but without much ethanol burn, while the cinnamon spice continues to linger.
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Victoria Pineapple is exactly the kind of whiskey that is going to divide a room. It combines 10- and 11-year-old Indiana bourbon and rye, finishes the blend for 27 months in Caribbean-sourced pineapple rum casks, adds fresh pineapple, and then uses toasted oak staves to bring some balance back to the sweetness.
The result is a 106-proof, intensely rich dessert pour that tastes unlike much of anything else on the shelf. Whether you call it a finished whiskey or a flavored whiskey is part of the debate, but there’s no debating that BBC took a pretty big swing here.
Distinctiveness
This is where Victoria Pineapple absolutely excels.
It isn’t simply MGP whiskey. It isn’t simply pineapple whiskey. And it isn’t simply rum-finished whiskey. Somehow, BBC has blended all three ideas into something that genuinely occupies its own space.
If we’re judging it as a flavored whiskey, this is probably the best flavored whiskey I’ve ever tasted. If we’re judging it strictly as a finished whiskey, however, I’d argue that it is overly finished. The sweetness and syrupy texture are substantial, even if that happens to be exactly what some drinkers are looking for.
Interestingly, the pineapple itself isn’t particularly prominent to me. I get plenty of sweetness and a huge amount of sugar-driven richness, but the actual pineapple flavor seems largely buried underneath the rum, oak and older MGP whiskey. I suspect the pineapple contributes more to the sweetness and mouthfeel than it does to an obvious tropical fruit note.
(Author’s Note: Presentation is not judged when a small sample is provided)
“If we’re judging it as a flavored whiskey, this is probably the best flavored whiskey I’ve ever tasted.”
Transparency
Kudos to BBC.
The company pulled absolutely no punches here. We know the blend ratio, the age statements of the component whiskeys, the MGP origin, the rum-barrel finishing, the addition of fresh pineapple and the use of toasted oak staves.
Ironically, that transparency may be part of why this release has generated so much debate. Perhaps this is what happens when a producer tells consumers exactly what they are drinking.
For me, transparency increases value. BBC made a deliberate product, told us exactly how they made it, and appears willing to stand behind the experiment. I’d much rather have that than a product designed to obscure what is actually in the bottle.
Value
This is where Victoria Pineapple becomes a much harder sell.
At $139.99, we’re talking about a blend of 10- and 11-year-old MGP bourbon and rye, but it is still a flavored whiskey in the eyes of many consumers. That perception carries a significant value penalty in the whiskey market, where most flavored whiskey lives considerably lower on the price spectrum.
There is certainly some value in the age, proof, rarity and extremely long finishing process, but I don’t think those factors completely overcome the price. I’d probably put the underlying whiskey around the $90–110 range and give another $10–15 for the unusual finishing work if I’m being generous.
The closest comparison for me is something like Penelope Rio: an expensive, NAS MGP-based finished whiskey that asks consumers to pay a premium for the finishing and overall experience. If you’re someone who already believes bottles in that category are worth the asking price, Victoria Pineapple makes considerably more sense. If you don’t, $139.99 is going to be a tough swallow.
Buy if:
- You love dessert pours
- You want something genuinely unconventional
- You enjoy rich, syrupy sweetness
- You appreciate transparent experimentation
Skip if:
- You expect traditional bourbon character
- You dislike flavored whiskey
- You prioritize value above novelty
- $140 feels too high for a finished/flavored whiskey
Verdict
Victoria Pineapple is a fascinating whiskey because I can understand almost every argument being made about it while still enjoying the whiskey itself.
Yes, I understand the criticism around calling this a “finished” whiskey when fresh pineapple was actually added. Yes, I understand the criticism around the price. And yes, if we’re judging this solely as a finished whiskey, I think it is probably too sweet and too heavily influenced by the finishing process for the average bourbon enthusiast.
But judged on what it actually is, this is an incredibly well-executed dessert whiskey. The older MGP provides a dense, creamy backbone without completely dominating the experiment, while the rum casks, pineapple and oak create something genuinely different. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as an everyday pour, but I absolutely understand why someone who loves decadent whiskey experiences would want this on the shelf.
Ultimately, I give BBC a lot of credit for pushing the boundaries and being completely transparent about the experiment. That doesn’t make $139.99 an automatic bargain… but it does make Victoria Pineapple one of the more interesting releases I’ve tasted this year.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
An exceptional dessert pour and arguably the most distinctive flavored whiskey I’ve tasted but at $139.99, you’re paying a premium for the experiment.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 4.5 / 7
- Palate: 5.75 / 7
- Finish: 5 / 7
- Presentation: N/A
- Distinctiveness: 6 / 7
- Transparency: 7 / 7
- Value: 3.5 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 5.29 / 7 – Divine
Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. Often high value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This sample was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
About Bardstown Bourbon Company
Bardstown Bourbon Company is a Kentucky-based whiskey producer known for its collaborative approach to blending, finishing, and innovation. Founded in 2014, the company has become recognized for producing its own Kentucky bourbon while also partnering with distilleries across the country to create unique whiskey expressions.
Through its Origin Series, Discovery Series, Collaborative Series, and experimental finishing projects, Bardstown Bourbon Company has built a reputation for exploring new approaches while respecting traditional whiskey-making techniques.
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