RD1 Spirits has introduced a limited release, Kentucky Straight Whiskey Finished with Japanese Mizunara and French Oak, designed to invite whiskey fans into a global conversation. 

The 2025 “Sister Cities” expression — a blend of 5- and 7-year-old bourbon with 8-year-old rye — is finished with Japanese Mizunara and French Oak, bringing together the American spirit of Kentucky whiskey with the wood character imparted from two different countries. 

With a mash bill that starts in classic Kentucky tradition and finishes with an international perspective, this new release speaks to RD1’s experimental ethos — and to its hometown roots. Lexington, Kentucky, shares “Sister Cities” relationships with Shinhidaka, Japan, and Deauville, France. The bourbon brand created a unique opportunity to honor these connections through innovation and wood finishing from both countries. 

“We saw this as more than a whiskey experiment,” Jarrad Gollihue, PhD, R&D Master Distiller for RD1 Spirits, said in a news release. “It’s a cultural expression. Japanese Mizunara and French Oak each bring their own subtle but complex influence and beautifully showcase the bold foundation of the Kentucky bourbon and rye.”

In this Limited Release, Gollihue began with a 5-year-old bourbon (70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley), matured in new, charred, American White Oak barrels. French Oak “necklaces” were added to the casks, extending maturation for a total finish time twice that of RD1’s existing portfolio French Oak release. 

This finished expression was then blended with a 7-year-old bourbon (75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley) and an 8-year-old rye (51% rye, 37% corn, 12% malted barley) — both well-aged, grain-forward spirits that added depth and contrast. The final step introduced lightly toasted Japanese Mizunara staves, which added delicate nuances of the wood’s iconic character of sandalwood and incense. 

“For those of us who work to foster international connection, seeing a local distillery embrace our Sister Cities with such care and creativity is incredibly rewarding,” Kay Sargent, executive director of the Lexington Sister Cities Commission, said. “This new release speaks to the power of cultural appreciation, and how those values can be shared through something as iconic as Kentucky bourbon.”

The 2025 Limited Release “Sister Cities” (102 proof) is now available at the new RD1 Distillery at The Commons in Lexington on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and sold through select retailers across the country, and has an SRP of $69.99. The whiskey will be available for online purchase at RD1spirits.com later this month. RD1 produced 1500 cases (6-pack, 750 ML) of its Sister Cities expression.

Read more: RD1 Spirits Opens New Distillery in Lexington

About RD1 Spirits

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, RD1 Spirits exists to explore the bourbon frontier. Lexington entrepreneurs founded the company in 2020 to help give life to the stories of Lexington’s bourbon firsts, namely its first federally registered distillery, established in 1865. For more information on the brand brand and its destination R&D distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, visit RD1spirits.com.