Mike And Matt Taste Bardstown Bourbon Company – Distillery Reserve – Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Finish Bourbon

I like what Bardstown Bourbon Company is doing with their whiskeys. I like some better than others, but they are always decent whiskeys. They play around with finishing their whiskeys in different woods and this whiskey includes 9 year old, 14 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old Bourbons that have been finished in Japanese Hokkaido Mizunara wood. It brings an interesting set of flavors to the Bourbon. I have to wonder if maybe some younger whiskeys might have made a better flavor, allowing more of the fruity notes from the whiskey and less domination of the wood. Still it is a good Bourbon, but it could be better for those of us who prefer a less wood dominated Bourbon. Matt and I sat down and tasted this bottle the other day and here are our tasting notes.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Finish Bourbon

Proof: 109.3

Age: Nine Years Old

Nose:

Mike: Marshmallows, vanilla, apricots and lots of oak wood.
Matt: Vanilla latte with a floral note, oak and cedar woods.

Taste:

Mike: Vanilla, apricots, cinnamon and oak tannins. Tasted with a dried cranberry and raspberries and black pepper come forward. Tasted with a pecan and orange zest joins the party, but there are a lot of wood tannins as well.
Matt: Vanilla, red pepper and lots of oak wood. The dried cranberry made the pepper a black pepper. The pecan brought out caramel, vanilla, peanuts and lots of oak wood.

Finish:

Mike: Medium long with oak wood and cinnamon. The dried cranberry made the spice a black pepper. The pecan made the finish long with lots of oak tannins and lingering orange zest.
Matt: Medium long with oak wood and red pepper. The dried cranberry made the finish longer. The pecan added peanut notes to the finish.

I would pair this Bourbon with a milder cigar, so I would reach for a Oliva Connecticut wrapper cigar.