Distillery: Various
Proof: 109.3 (54.65% ABV)
Age: Blend
Mashbill: Blend
MSRP: $100
A Slow Contemplative Adventure in a Glass: Why Mizunara? And Why Now?
Picture yourself with me in Bardstown’s blending lab. A blender slides a glencairn across the table and grins. “Here’s the lineup,” she says.
Almost half of what you’re about to sip is a 15-year Kentucky bourbon—classic 75 % corn, 13 % rye, 12 % malted barley—pure caramel-and-oak goodness. Shotgun is its 14-year Kentucky cousin that kicks the corn up to 78 % for some more sweetness. To keep things lively, we gave it a 15% splash of a 9-year Indiana rye (51 % rye) for a peppery spark, then we topped it off with 5% of an 18-year Tennessee bourbon that drinks mellow vanilla and mature oak.
We give it a small swirl, take a quick sip, and I ask, “So…when does this hit to market?
She taps a nearby stave stamped Hokkaido. “First its getting a rest in fresh Mizunara oak—straight from northern Japan.”
My mind races for a reference. Nothing. “Mizunara oak?”
“Exactly,” she laughs. “Wide-pored, twisty grained, left to season outdoors for years before you can even bend a stave—but the payoff……could be amazing.”
“So why risk it—you’re already a bourbon powerhouse?”
“First, it’s about globe-trotting cooperage. If bourbon can finish in Cognac and Armagnac casks, why not Japan’s most elusive oak—the same wood for temples and sake casts? Second, Mizunara-finished bourbon is rare. We want to plant a flag while it still matters.”
She raises her own glass. “It’s an adventure, sure, but one that we’re ready to take. Give it a little more than two years, and we’ll find out what we’ve got.”
Bardstown Bourbon Company Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finished Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 4.4/5
Slight fresh cedar. Light incense (think the faint wood-smoke aroma you get when walking past a candle shop). Toasted coconut. Vanilla wafer. Caramel.
Strengths: Combines uncommon notes with classic caramel-oak bourbon notes producing a unique Nose.
Why it’s not higher: Nose remains steady in the glass—little evolution with time in the glass.
Rating justification: Distinct. Uncommon and yet has undertones that are completely familiar.
Palate – 4.5/5
Toffee. Orange zest. Sweet rye spice. Char. Fruit richness.
Strengths: Mouthfeel is silky. Seamless hand-off from bourbon sweetness to rye spice and back again. Proof feels perfectly dialed-in.
Why it’s not higher: Mid-palate could use a little more pop of fruit richness.
Rating justification: Skillful blending. Slow tasting produces significant rewards.
Finish – 4.3/5
Coconut. Charred oak. Leather. Dry spice.
Strengths: Long and wood-forward. Does not tip bitter.
Why it’s not higher: Dries out a touch too soon. Could use a last glimmer of sweetness.
Rating justification: Turns a bit too dry too quickly which trims away the faint sweetness.
Value – 4.3/5
$159. Four-state blend. Well-aged stock. Rare Japanese cooperage.
Strengths: Transparent blend. Finishing method.
Why it’s not higher: Subtle profile may feel reserved to those who are seek more of a bold expression or one that has a dessert-leaning secondary finish.
Rating justification: Cost aligns with the age, rarity of the finishing wood, and craftsmanship. Suited for enthusiasts who prize nuance not novelty.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finished Whiskey Review: The Verdict
Bardstown’s Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Finish shows that secondary maturation can refine a base blend rather than dominate or make it unrecognizable. The result is quiet confidence—a pour best suited for a slow contemplative session of sipping–not fireworks.
Verdict – 4.4/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Mike Long is a staff writer at Bourbon Inspector and has an Executive Bourbon Steward designation from the Stave and Thief Society. He’s a former “wine guy” who discovered his love for bourbon years back at a spur-of-the-moment bourbon tasting he attended. He also loves traveling throughout America with his wife of over 37 years, Debby.
