Bargo 459 is in Gray, a small community in southeastern Kentucky. The building works well with the process design. There is a receiving area for incoming barrels of bourbon whiskey. Each barrel is numbered, and information logged. The bourbon contained within this barrel will always have this identifying number.
Samples are taken from each barrel of bourbon and analyzed to proof, color, taste and mouthfeel. This information will follow the bourbon through processing.
Bourbon meeting our initial criteria will be placed in one of three processing rooms. The rooms are environmentally controlled and are limited to two barrels each. The history of the barrel of bourbon within will be updated during their time in process.
As the process continues, the barrel proof is reduced to 50% by the addition of Kentucky spring water, which is expensive but well worth the outcome.
Information is recorded as the process continues. Whenever it is determined that the barrel of bourbon has reached the level required to meet the tasting, aroma, color and mouth feel of a fine Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, it is removed from the process room. That barrel can, then, follow 3 different paths.
It can be placed in a rick house to continue to age. It can be bottled, yielding a single barrel, small batch, pot distilled, non-chilled filtered, bottled at cask strength Bourbon. This product will be labeled identifying the barrel and the bottle number.
Third option for the bourbon is to be placed into a finish barrel. One that previous aged a fine port, sherry or rum. The bourbon is transferred into the finish and will continue to age in the assigned process room.
The process flows from receiving, laboratory, process room, bottling, labeling, finished good storage and shipping is in place. Process effort is intense. It closely controls procedures.
The effort required to analyze every barrel and bottle is part of our commitment to excellence. Bargo 459 Bourbons are Kentucky Proud, distilled in Kentucky, aged in Kentucky, processed and bottled in Kentucky.