A Return to Augusta: Old Route 8 & HAZMAT Buckner’s 13 Are Back

It’s been over a year since we last featured Augusta Distillery, but a lot has happened since our first Old Route 8 and Buckner’s releases hit the site. The team in Augusta, Kentucky has continued to grow both in reputation and in their historic riverfront home, transforming the century-old F.A. Neider building into a full-scale distillery and visitor experience since our last visit in 2023. 
 
Through that growth, the liquid has continued to stay delicious. Each new single barrel continues to tell the story of well-aged Kentucky bourbon brought to proof with patience and purpose (especially true in the case of this 13-year hazmat). For this latest round we teamed up with Billy Bays, Executive Taster at Augusta Distillery, to hand-select two standout barrels that showcase Augusta’s dual identity: one bright and nostalgic, the other dark and powerful.
 
We've also opened up the reserve bottles of some of our past Buckner's 10 and Old Route 8 picks, be sure to browse those from the link below.

  
Augusta Distillery Old Route 8 Limited 8-Year Single Barrel 122.5 proof 
 
Named after the road that winds past the distillery, this bourbon captures the warm, nostalgic comfort of a Kentucky afternoon drive. Folks looking for Bourbon de Luxe will find a familiar flavor profile here. 
 
The nose dances around notes of apricot, pear, and candied orange peel as it moves into peanut butter and raspberry jam.
 
The palate brings huge waves of orange soda and nougat, lingering with maraschino cherry and a touch of old-fashioned peanut butter taffy. There’s also a bit of milk chocolate and sweet oak, hidden beneath the creamier cherry and nutty notes.
 
The finish is long and creamy—showing toffee, milk chocolate, soft warming oak, gentle baking spices, orange peel, maraschino cherry, and a creamy, caramelly nuttiness.
 

 
Augusta Distillery Buckner's 13-Year Single Barrel Bourbon 140.3 proof
 
If Old Route 8 is nostalgia, Buckner’s is raw power and depth. This barrel represents the upper tier of what makes Augusta’s whiskey so memorable - high age, high proof, and massive complexity.
 
The nose is a pie shop fruit smorgasbord, with everything from strawberry and raspberry to cherry and red apple, continuing on with mature oak, waves of vanilla-coated mint, and sweet caramel sauce.
 
The palate hits with age, fruit, and spice immediately and simultaneously. Pulling back, you’re greeted by rich strands of spiced chocolate and medicinal cherry that transition into orange peel, leather, and mature oak.
 
The finish moves into slightly nutty oak but continues with overripe blueberries, cherry, and plenty of lingering dark chocolate, continually reaching back for glimpses of caramel and brown sugar.