Distillery Reserve returns with a release built completely different from the ground up.
Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend brings together four distinct whiskies — two Japanese single malts and two mature Kentucky bourbons — and allows them to age together as one inside a single barrel.
This release begins in the mountains of Japan at Mars Shinshu’s Komagatake and Tsunuki distilleries. Komagatake single malt, aged in Umeshu plum liqueur barrels, delivers rich fruit and floral complexity. Tsunuki single malt, aged in rare Sakura wood, contributes delicate spice and subtle structure.
These whiskies are then brought to Bardstown, Kentucky, where they are combined with 10- and 16-year-old Kentucky bourbons. From that moment forward, all four distillates share the same barrel, aging together for a full year.
Rather than a traditional finishing process, this co-aging approach allows the whiskies to integrate completely — sharing the same time, the same wood, and the same environment. Over the course of a Kentucky summer and beyond, the barrel imparts additional wood sugars and character, helping the blend find balance and cohesion.
A First-of-Its-Kind Co-Aging Process
This release represents a new approach to whiskey-making. Instead of layering influence after maturation, four fully developed distillates are brought together and allowed to evolve in unison. The result is not a blend defined by individual components, but a unified whiskey shaped by integration.
Tasting Notes: Caramelized plum layered over roasted malt and vanilla bean leads to a rich palate of baked cherry and toasted oak, finishing with a refined balance that reflects both traditions.
Proof: 109.8 (54.9% ABV)
Price: $99.99
Format: 375mL
Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend is available in extremely limited quantities exclusively at the Bardstown Bourbon Company distillery and Louisville Tasting Room. Four distillates. One spirit. There’s nowhere we won’t go.
