What happens when Kentucky tradition meets Japanese innovation? 🥃✨ 

In this episode of Your Bourbon Journey, we are bringing you an exclusive, first-look whiskey review of a groundbreaking new bottle before its retail launch: the Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend!

Thanks to Lofted Spirits and Bardstown Bourbon Co. for sending us this early media review bottle! This isn’t your average finished whiskey. Instead, Bardstown Master Blender Dan Callaway pioneered a true “co-aging” process. They took 5-year-old Japanese single malt whisky from the Mars Komagatake and Tsunuki distilleries and filled the “angel’s share” space right into barrels of mature 10-year and 16-year Kentucky straight bourbon. The spirits spent a full 12 months integrating together in the Kentucky heat.

We crack this bottle fresh to give you our unfiltered first impressions on the complex mouthfeel, rich viscosity, and unique tasting notes—from caramelized plum and vanilla bean to the stunning, lingering finish of rare Sakura (cherry wood) and plum liqueur barrels.

Priced at $99.99 for a 375mL bottle and bottled at a bold 109.8 proof, this extremely limited distillery exclusive drops on Friday, May 29, 2026, only at the Bardstown gift shop and Louisville tasting room. Is it worth standing in line for? Watch to find out!

If you love innovative whiskey, make sure to hit that SUBSCRIBE button, drop a comment with your thoughts, and always drink responsibly!

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Mars Single Malt Japanese Whiskey Blend

• Classification:  Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Single Malt Japanese Whisky
• Company: Lofted Spirits   
• Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company (Kentucky) and Mars Distilleries (Komagatake & Tsunuki, Japan)
• Mash Bill: Multi-Component Component Blend:
  • 69% Kentucky Bourbon: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
  • 8% Kentucky Bourbon: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
  • 20% Mars Komagatake: 100% Malted Barley
  • 3% Mars Tsunuki: 100% Malted Barley
• Age: Multi-Component Blend (Aged 5 to 16 Years) with 12 Months of Co-Aging:
  • 10-Year-Old Kentucky Bourbon (69%)
  • 16-Year-Old Kentucky Bourbon (8%)
  • 5-Year-Old Komagatake Japanese Single Malt (20%)
  • 5-Year-Old Tsunuki Japanese Single Malt (3%)
• Proof: 109.8 (54.9% ABV)
• MSRP: $99.99 (375ml)
• Release: May 29, 2026 (Distillery Exclusive)

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

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NOTE: Thank you to Lofted Spirits & Bardstown Bourbon Company for providing this bottle for review. Your Bourbon Journey maintains strict editorial independence; samples are accepted for educational and review purposes only and are never a guarantee of a favorable review.

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