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Starlight Distillery 25th Anniversary Sakura Reserve Bourbon Review

Can a cherry blossom wood finish tame a bold, 8-year-old bourbon? Starlight's Sakura Reserve tries a bourbon first, but does the delicate nuance shine through?

OVERALL RATING

7
$149.99
  • Jeffrey Nitschke is a Portland-based attorney passionate about whiskey and cigars, with deep ties to the American whisky community and culture.
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Tasting Notes

About:

You can forgive most people if they do not recognize the name Starlight Distillery. The Indiana distillery was born in 1998 and at first focused primarily on brandies and ports, which is connected to their winemaking label that has been around since 1843, Huber Wines. It was not until 2013 that the distillery expanded its operation to begin production of whiskey. Though certainly not as well known as that other Indiana conglomerate, MGP, Starlight has been quietly putting out quality and award-winning whiskies since. In 2026, Starlight celebrated their 25th anniversary by releasing 3 limited products: a 8-year-old Sakura Reserve Bourbon, a limited 10-year-old Bourbon, and a 20-year-old brandy.

This review focuses on the 8-year-old Sakura Reserve Bourbon. The spirit is a blend of Starlight Distillery’s two mash bills, both of which use a notably low corn and high malted barley percentage, along with a consistent rye presence, when compared to many Kentucky standards. The bourbons were aged 8-9 years before being blended and then finished in Sakura wood casks, a first in the bourbon world. The Sakura wood, which is a cherrywood rather than an oak, was toasted to assist in drawing out the delicate, sweet, floral, and gentle fruit notes from the wood over a four and a half month period.
Appearance:
Sunlit amber with legs.
Nose:
Spicy nutmeg and vanilla appear before sweet corn and floral cherry fill the nose.
Palate:
Cinnamon melts to bitter oak and herbal spice. Toasted cedar and hazelnuts pop in and out.
Finish:
Fresh pine needles and green coffee beans provide a bitter profile with hazelnuts making an appearance.
Comments:
It was a novel idea to use cherry blossom wood to finish the dram. However, as unfortunately happens too often with bourbon, being a particularly rich and bold whiskey, the nuance is lost in the final product in all but tiny hints. Nonetheless, the floral tones I detected have potential and I would love to see a similar effort in a younger bourbon to highlight the nuance, or using a longer finishing to draw out those unique flavors. A good whiskey nonetheless.

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.

Jeffrey Nitschke

Jeffrey Nitschke is Portland area attorney whose career has dovetailed with a love of fine spirits and cigars. His hometown is rich with microdistilleries, which has afforded him the opportunity to learn the nuances of whiskey tasting and whiskey making. His writing and enthusiasm for the hobby has led to lasting friendships with other whiskey aficionados and connisures across the United States.

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