American

Bardstown Bourbon Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend Review

What happens when you co-age Kentucky bourbon and Japanese single malt in the same barrel for a year? This Double Gold winner creates something entirely new.

OVERALL RATING

9
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Tasting Notes

About:

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Distillery Reserve Mars Collaboration is a groundbreaking limited-edition release created in partnership with Japan’s renowned Mars Whisky, bringing together mature Kentucky bourbon and Japanese single malt through a year of co-aging in the same barrel. The blend combines 10- and 16-year-old Kentucky bourbons with 5-year-old Mars Komagatake single malt, matured in Umeshu plum liqueur casks, and 5-year-old Mars Tsunuki single malt, matured in Sakura wood, resulting in exceptional harmony and complexity. The key experiment here was blending all four whiskies together for one year in the barrel. 375 ML
Appearance:
Light orange, the color of a #2 pencil.
Nose:
Hay drying in the sun, sandal and cedar wood, caramel, forest bush.
Palate:
Fine, reserved bourbon, not sweet, not rascally, but refined as if the blend wants to present a single composed note. Menthol, cedar wood. Flatter than a typical bourbon, neither sweet nor full of rye; instead a delicious light dance upon the tongue. No fruit, but a bit of toasted grain and oak.
Finish:
Exceptionally long and complex. As it cycles through a series of notes, it leaves you with a touch of regret when it finally ends.
Comments:
This is not bourbon, and even less a Japanese whiskey. It’s something new and very welcome. As with all Distillery Reserve releases, production is extremely limited and intended to showcase Bardstown Bourbon Company’s willingness to challenge conventional whiskey-making techniques. Earned a Double Gold Medal (98 points) at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Jeff Bogursky

Jeff Bogursky is a restless innovator and entrepreneur. He started one of New York’s first digital agencies and developed software applications for decades, before simpliying his life by becoming a wine and spirits seller. His website vintagekosher.com specializes in hard to find and good to drink bottles.

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