Sips & Sites & Bites

If you’ve ever wanted to taste the Pacific Northwest without booking a flight to Oregon, Bardstown Bourbon Company just made that a whole lot easier … and a lot more delicious.

A Bourbon Rooted in the Forest

The latest release in Bardstown’s boundary-pushing Distillery Reserve series, Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish, isn’t just another limited-edition bottle … it’s a love letter to one of the rarest woods in American whiskey: Garryana oak.

Also known as Oregon White Oak, this elusive hardwood grows almost exclusively in the lush valleys of the Pacific Northwest, particularly around Willamette Valley. Unlike the more common American white oak used in most bourbon barrels, Garryana oak can’t simply be farmed on demand. It’s typically sourced from naturally fallen trees or tightly regulated harvests, making every barrel … and every sip … feel a little more special.

What Makes Garryana Oak So Different?

Here’s where things get interesting. Garryana oak has a tighter, denser grain than traditional American oak, which slows down oxidation and evaporation during aging. Translation? More nuanced flavor development and a deeper, more layered whiskey.

Flavor-wise, it leans closer to French oak than its American cousin, bringing bold spice notes like clove and nutmeg to the party. It’s the kind of wood that doesn’t whisper … it makes a statement.

And in this release, that statement is loud and clear.

The Craft Behind the Pour

Cascadia starts with a blend of three bourbons aged nine and ten years, each with its own mashbill of corn, rye, and malted barley. After blending, the whiskey spends 10 months finishing in custom Garryana oak barrels crafted by Oregon Barrel Works, a small-scale cooperage producing just about 1,000 barrels a year.

These aren’t your average barrels, either. Each one is toasted for three full hours, coaxing out deeper spice and complexity from the wood’s inner layers. Then, the barrels are aged through the summer on the sixth floor of Bardstown’s warehouse … prime real estate for maximum flavor extraction thanks to the Kentucky heat.

It’s a meticulous, almost obsessive process. And that’s exactly the point.

So… How Does It Taste?

In a word: distinctive.

On the nose and first sip, you’ll find decadent maple wrapped around toasted oak, toffee, and vanilla crème. But it’s the palate where things really take off … baked cherry, cigar box, and butterscotch roll through with a richness that feels both familiar and completely new.

The finish? Medium tannins with a coating of wood sugars that linger just long enough to remind you this isn’t your everyday bourbon.

At 107.5 proof, it carries its weight confidently without overpowering the experience.

A Whiskey Worth the Hunt

Like the forest it comes from, this release is anything but mass-produced. Bottled in a 375mL format and priced at $99.99, Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish is available only at Bardstown’s distillery and its Louisville tasting room … and in extremely limited quantities starting March 20th.

That exclusivity is part of what makes the Distillery Reserve series so compelling. Since its debut, Bardstown has used it as a playground for innovation, experimenting with rare woods and unique finishing techniques that push American whiskey into new territory.

This time, they didn’t just push the boundary … they brought a whole new ecosystem into the glass.

Final Sip

Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish isn’t just a bourbon, it’s a conversation between regions. Kentucky craftsmanship meets Pacific Northwest terroir, resulting in a whiskey that feels both grounded and adventurous.

If you’re the kind of drinker who’s always chasing something new, or just someone who appreciates the story behind the sip, this is one bottle you’ll want to track down. Just don’t wait too long. Like the Garryana oak itself, it won’t be around forever.