Founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin, David Mandell, Daniel Linde, and Garnett Black, the Bardstown Bourbon Company sits on a massive campus. The distillery was never meant to make only its house brands; by design, it handles contract distilling for several well-known brands.
The
distillery offers over 50 mashbills, which give it the flexibility to avoid
producing only a handful of me-too products. Toss in the various barrel
char levels and potential finishing cycles, and the options become
mind-blowing.
I’ve
been to the distillery, and it is, most assuredly, a work of art. The
rickhouses are nothing that you’d expect out of Kentucky (or anywhere else, for
that matter). The moment you walk into the distillery, you’re pretty much in
the dining area, and everything is modern.
Bardstown Bourbon Company offers its own branded whiskeys as well. They fall into five categories: Origin Series (its core expressions), Discovery Series (blends of whiskies from around the world), Collaborative Series (finishing experiences with partners around the world), Distillery Reserve Series (small-batch, distillery-only offerings), and Single Barrels.
The
2026 entrant into the Distillery Reserve Series is called Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish. It is a blend of three Bourbon mashbills aged
between nine and ten years in new, charred oak barrels, then, after blending, transferred
to ten Garryana oak casks for a ten-month finishing cycle while residing on the
6th floor of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s warehouse. Once that was
complete, the whiskey was slow-proofed before bottling.
Native
to the Pacific Northwest, Garryana oak (Quercus garryana) is sometimes
better known as Oregon White Oak. It is a hearty, dense wood that imparts spicy
notes when used to age spirits. Due to Garryana’s paucity, the only way it can
be legally harvested is from felled trees or sanctioned harvesting. As you can
imagine, Garryana barrels are few and far between.
“It was a thrill to partner with Oregon Barrel Works, who truly operates from tree to barrel. The definition of hands-on artisan coopering. Its structure and chemistry create a flavor experience unlike any other—rich, spicy, and deeply expressive of its origin. This release is a celebration of craftsmanship and the beauty of regional terroir.” - Dan Callaway, Master Blender, Bardstown Bourbon Company
The
Distillery Reserve is available in 375mL bottles exclusively at Bardstown
Bourbon’s distillery gift shop and its Tasting Room in Louisville. It comes in
a lovely white presentation box with a pamphlet that briefly explains Garryana
oak.
I appreciate Bardstown Bourbon Company for sending me a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what it tastes like!
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Distiller: Bardstown Bourbon Company
- Age & Mashbills: A blend of
- 10-year-old Kentucky Bourbon 70% corn, 18% rye, 12% malted barley (80%)
- 10-year-old Indiana Bourbon 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley (12%)
- 9-year-old Kentucky Bourbon 74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley (8%)
- Cooperage: New, charred oak barrels, then after blending, 10 months in 10 Garryana oak casks with a customer 3-hour toast from Oregon Barrel Works
- Alcohol Content: 53.75% ABV (107.5°)
- Price per 375mL: $99.99
Appearance: I used
a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. Inside, the whiskey possessed a
dark mahogany color, and a medium-thick rim created tightly-packed, thick, slow
tears.
Nose: After
pausing for 15 minutes before nosing, I was ready to deep dive into the Bourbon.
The aroma included notes of dark chocolate, toffee, fresh coconut, ancho chiles,
and toasted oak. When I pulled the vapor through my lips, I found crème brulee.
Palate: Cascadia’s
mouthfeel was full-bodied and oily, with a palate shock of dried tobacco leaf. With
my second sip, I encountered cherries, red currants, and cocoa nibs on the front,
while the middle featured flavors of dried tobacco leaf, dark roast coffee, and
ancient leather. I tasted cinnamon rolls, heavily toasted oak, and gingerbread
on the back of my palate.
Finish: Gingerbread,
dark roast coffee, dried tobacco, dark chocolate, maple sugar, and cherry pie filling
created a captivating, even finish. Gingerbread, cherry pie filling, and maple
sugar left first, while the others carried the entire duration. It was
even-keeled and lasted 1:09, making it a medium one.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I did
the Spock eyebrow thing while discerning what I was tasting on the back of my
palate. I detected what I could swear was a typical Amburana wood finish. It
stuck around through the first half of the finish before vanishing – and by
that, I mean it totally disappeared. It was absolutely an attention-getter.
There was a trio of fruity,
savory, and spicy notes that seemed well-balanced and complementary. I was
shocked as the proof hit my head, and I didn’t even feel it coming. Blindfolded,
I might have guessed about 90° or so.
I stopped doing whiskey-by-the-mL
math a few years ago. It is pointless. If the only choice is XmL, then you deal
with its price. Cascadia Garryana Oak
Barrel Finish is a fascinating pour; one that likely won’t be repeated. Is it
pricey? Yes. Is it delicious? Yes. I’m willing to give it my Bottle rating. If you’re in Kentucky, just get it. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit,
but begs you to do so responsibly.
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