Bardstown Bourbon Company is back with a bold experiment in terroir-driven whiskey. The 2026 Distillery Reserve release, Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish, leans into the rare and elusive Garryana oak from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, delivering a spice-forward profile that’s hard to find anywhere else in American whiskey. The release drops in extremely limited quantities on March 20, 2026.
Unlike typical bourbon finishes, this whiskey is resting in barrels crafted from Oregon white oak, collected only from fallen trees and sanctioned harvests — a slow, deliberate process that honors the wood’s natural scarcity. The dense, tightly grained oak carries clove and nutmeg notes, more reminiscent of French oak than standard American oak, creating a flavor depth that’s both unique and expressive of its Pacific Northwest origins.
Cascadia starts with a blend of three bourbons, aged nine and ten years, each with a different mashbill. After blending, the whiskey was rested for 10 months in ten custom barrels from Oregon Barrel Works, featuring a three-hour toast to unlock deeper spice and complexity. Stored on the sixth floor of Bardstown’s warehouse, the liquid slowly integrated into a full-bodied, nuanced profile. The resulting whiskey is rich with maple, toasted oak, toffee, vanilla créme, baked cherry, cigar box, and butterscotch, finishing with medium tannins wrapped in wood sugar.
“It was a thrill to partner with Oregon Barrel Works, who truly operates from tree to barrel. The definition of hands-on artisan coopering,”
said Dan Callaway, Master Blender.
“Its structure and chemistry create a flavor experience unlike any other—rich, spicy, and deeply expressive of its origin.”
Why This Matters
Cascadia Garryana highlights the growing trend of American distillers exploring rare regional woods beyond traditional oak varieties.
Small-scale, terroir-driven finishes like this push boundaries and give whiskey enthusiasts a chance to taste how location, wood species, and craftsmanship intersect.
For context, you can compare this approach to my take on the Westland Garryana 10-Year, which showcases a similarly rare Pacific Northwest oak experiment along with the sound of the whiskey through my Sips & Songs.
Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish comes in a 375mL Distillery Reserve bottle at 107.5 proof and retails for $99.99. It’s available exclusively at Bardstown Bourbon’s distillery gift shop and Louisville Tasting Room.
The Distillery Reserve platform, launched in 2025, continues to explore unconventional finishes and limited releases — from Cathedral French Oak to Hokkaido Mizunara and Normandie Calvados Brandy barrels — cementing Bardstown’s reputation as a home for bold, experimental bourbon.
About Bardstown Bourbon Company
Bardstown Bourbon Company blends high-quality distillation, modern design, and hospitality to push the boundaries of American Whiskey while honoring tradition. The distillery has received global recognition, including Icons of Whisky Global Brand Innovator of the Year (2025) and IWSC Worldwide Whisky Producer of the Year (2023).
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