Bardstown Blended Bourbon with Japanese Whisky… and It’s Incredible

This week on the Bourbon Bytes podcast, we’re kicking off June with a packed lineup of whiskey news and one of the most surprising reviews of the year. Four Roses just announced the start of its new Anthology Series, launching with a 21-year-old OBSF barrel-strength bourbon called The Origin. Russell’s Reserve 13 is back for Spring 2026 with a new release celebrating Eddie Russell’s 45 years of whiskey-making mastery. High West also returns with the 2026 edition of The Prisoner’s Share, now featuring High West’s own straight bourbon whiskey in the blend. On the gaming side, PlayStation’s latest State of Play brought new looks at Marvel’s Wolverine, Marvel Tokon, and Rayman Legends Retold. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend. This limited release blends Kentucky straight bourbon aged 10 to 16 years with Japanese single malts from Mars Whisky, including whisky aged in Sakura cherry wood and Umeshu plum liqueur casks. It sounds wild on paper — but somehow, it works beautifully.