Bardstown Bourbon Company announced its latest launch from the brand’s Distillery Reserve, a marriage of French tradition and American craft.

Once forbidden by the Minister of State Jean-Baptiste Colbert to protect the French wine brandy trade, cider eau-de-vie, Calvados, made the journey from the white chalk cliffs of Normandy to Bardstown Bourbon Company, resulting in a blend aptly named Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish.

This release emphasizes Bardstown Bourbon’s promise to push the boundaries of traditional whiskey production, crafting bespoke products through experimental finishes, extended aging and uncommon blending. Nowhere is this approach more evident than through the Distillery Reserve. 

Extremely limited in quantity and packaged at 375mL, Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish is the third and final Distillery Reserve release of 2025. Previous small-batch explorations in the series include Cathedral French Oak and Hokkaido Mizunara Oak, each distinctly showcasing how relentless innovation and global curiosity fuel the brand’s rapid growth.

“Three generations of meticulous craftsmanship and nearly 300 gold medals have made Christian Drouin House an icon of Calvados,” Dan Callaway, Master Blender, Lofted Spirits, said in a news release. “Over the course of the past two years, these five barrels have become the apple of my eye – the most attention per barrel project aging in Bardstown. The result: a cross-continental conversation in a glass that bridges centuries of tradition on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish is a tasting experience borne of curiosity. Each 59-gallon Calvados cask was filled with a custom bourbon blend of stock aged between 11 and 12 years. After a 28-month slumber, the whiskey settled into new, medium-toast American white oak, coaxing out layers of caramel, spice and roasted almond. 

Bardstown Bourbon’s Distillery Reserve launched in February of this year with Cathedral 300-Year-Old French Oak, featured on 60 Minutes, and continued with Hokkaido Mizunara Oak finish, awarded as Best Bourbon in both Rolling Stone and Esquire’s 2025 Spirit Awards.

Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish Distillery Reserve is presented at 104.2 proof (52.1% alc. by volume) and available in extremely limited quantities at Bardstown Bourbon’s distillery gift shop and Louisville Tasting Room beginning Black Friday, November 28, 2025. Distillery Reserve releases are offered in a small format 375mL and retail for $99.99.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. will host a digital raffle allowing a limited number of bourbon fans the opportunity to purchase all three 2025 Distillery Reserve releases including Cathedral French Oak and Hokkaido Mizunara Oak, and will offer tasting experiences with Callaway. Details about these offerings will be available exclusively through Bardstown Bourbon’s email list. For more information fans can sign up at BardstownBourbon.com.

Read more: Bardstown Bourbon Company Launches New Brand Campaign

ABOUT BARDSTOWN BOURBON

With the most modern, technically advanced whiskey distillery, Bardstown Bourbon combines high quality distillation and spirited hospitality into a modern, authentic bourbon experience unlike any other on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Bardstown Bourbon Co. is working to push the entire industry in a direction that is more innovative, more transparent and more collaborative. For more information visit BardstownBourbon.com.