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Bardstown Bourbon Co. Distillery Reserve: Mars spirit image
95Exceptional

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Distillery Reserve: Mars

Whiskey Bardstown Bourbon Co.
  • Distiller

    Multiple

  • Bottler

    Bardstown Bourbon Co.

  • ABV

    54.9%

  • Age

    NAS (5-16 Years)

  • Price $60 to $99.99

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Distillery Reserve: Mars is a blend of Kentucky straight bourbon and single malt Japanese whisky from Japan's Mars Distilleries. The blend breaks down as 69% 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon distilled from a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley; 20% 5-year-old Komgatake single malt whisky; 8% 16-year-old Kentucky bourbon distilled from a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley; and 3% 5-year-old Tsunuki single malt whisky. The Komagatake portion was aged in Umeshu (plum liqueur) barrels, while the Tsunuki was aged in Sakura (cherry wood) barrels.

The final blend was aged for one year after being blended and then bottled at 54.9% ABV (109.8 proof). It releases in very limited quantities May 29, 2026 at Bardstown Bourbon Company’s distillery gift shop and its tasting room in Louisville for $99.99 per 375-milliliter bottle.

Suggested Cocktails
Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 95
  • The Daily Pour
  • By David Morrow
  • Under the adept hand of Bardstown Bourbon Co. Master Blender Dan Callaway, bourbon and Japanese whisky combine for an extremely complex and delicious expression.
  • Read Full Review

Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Nose:

    The nose is fruit-forward and confectionary: Custard and buttercream frosting weave around soft oak and subtle baking spice notes of cinnamon and gingerbread, plus a big apple note that starts out subtle but really emerges with a bit of air.

  • Taste:

    Moderate mouthfeel with a wide-ranging palate offering plenty of fruit and spice: apple strudel, cherry, plum, oak, salted caramel, cranberries, clove, sassafras, cinnamon, tobacco, sesame oil, balsamic. There's a ton going on here, and yet it's very cohesive — and delicious.

  • Finish:

    A rush of clove, toasted barley, sea salt, plums, blackberries and cherries lead the finish, slowly giving way to leather, dark chocolate and a big, dark, jammy blueberry compote note.

  • Overall:

    A stupendous blend from Bardstown Bourbon Co. All the classic bourbon character American consumers know and love are here, and they're joined by a litany of lovely, pronounced malt notes from the Japanese components. Under the adept hand of Bardstown Bourbon Co. Master Blender Dan Callaway, bourbon and Japanese whisky combine for an extremely complex and delicious expression. Despite bourbon making up 77% of the blend, the Japanese whisky contributes a great deal here.

  • Score:

    95

  • Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.

  • By David Morrow
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources