For two months, the highest-scoring spirit at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition was a whiskey nobody could buy. That changes on 21 August.
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Lochs of Jura took 99 points at this year’s IWSC, the single best score in the entire North American field and one of only five spirits to reach the competition’s top Gold Outstanding tier. It did so before it had a name most people recognised, a price, or a release date. Now it finally reaches shelves, and it arrives alongside the year’s other annual bottling, 2026 Discovery.
Both go on sale nationwide in the US in limited quantities from 21 August 2026, at $139.99 per 750ml bottle. Both also carry original commissioned artwork by Louisville artist Margaret Archambault, the first time Bardstown’s annual releases have both shipped with bespoke art.
The key facts, up front:
- Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish: 104 proof (52% ABV), 750ml, $139.99. A blend of straight bourbon and rye, finished a further 32 months in ex-Isle of Jura single malt Scotch casks. IWSC 2026: 99 points.
- 2026 Discovery: 112.8 proof (56.4% ABV), 750ml, $139.99. Three bourbons aged 7, 10 and 11 years, rested four months in hand-toasted garryana oak barrels from Oregon.
What is Lochs of Jura, and why the fuss?
Lochs of Jura is Bardstown’s take on a genuine transatlantic crossover: Kentucky-made whiskey given an extended second life in casks that once held Scotch. The base is a bespoke blend of straight bourbon and rye, drawn from components aged 10, 11 and 12 years. After that, it spends an additional 32 months in single malt Scotch barrels sourced from the Isle of Jura, split 84% ex-bourbon and 16% ex-Sherry casks that had previously been filled with Scotch.
That long, patient finish is the whole story. It layers the maritime, malty character the Jura wood carries onto an already mature American whiskey, and the result is what carried it to the top of the IWSC table. The competition brought its North American judging to Bardstown itself this year, and after two days of double-blind tasting the town returned the compliment: the best score in the room went to a local bottle.
What is 2026 Discovery?
Discovery is Bardstown’s annual showcase for its blending, and this year it turns to wood most bourbon drinkers will never have tried. The 2026 edition brings together three bourbons: 55% is a 10-year Indiana bourbon (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley), 25% is an 11-year Kentucky bourbon (74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley), and 20% is a 7-year Kentucky bourbon (74% corn, 16% rye, 10% malted barley).
Once blended, the whiskey rested for four months in garryana oak barrels. Garryana, Quercus garryana, is Oregon white oak, and it is rare in the barrel trade. Each cask here was custom-made and hand-toasted for a full three hours by Oregon Barrel Works, then filled over summer for maximum extraction before the whiskey was gradually proofed down to 112.8 proof. It follows the Distillery Reserve Cascadia from earlier in 2026 as Bardstown’s second garryana experiment this year.
Who is Bardstown Bourbon Company?
Bardstown Bourbon Company sits in Bardstown, Kentucky, the self-styled Bourbon Capital of the World. It began as a concept in 2013 and has built its reputation on two things: large-scale blending and adventurous barrel finishing. Cognac, Calvados, rum, Japanese Mizunara and now Scotch casks have all passed through its warehouses, and the two disciplines meeting is exactly what these annual releases are built to show off.
Master blender Dan Callaway framed the pair as answers to two separate questions: how far an already strong blend could be pushed, and what these particular casks could add given enough time. On the evidence of the IWSC score, the second question found a very good answer.
Lochs of Jura and 2026 Discovery, side by side
| Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish | 2026 Discovery | |
|---|---|---|
| ABV | 52% (104 proof) | 56.4% (112.8 proof) |
| Base | Straight bourbon and rye, 10–12 yr | Three bourbons, 7 / 10 / 11 yr |
| Finish | 32 months in ex-Jura Scotch casks (84% ex-bourbon, 16% ex-Sherry) | 4 months in hand-toasted garryana oak |
| Profile | Vanilla cream, blackberry, mint, cigar box, soft malt | Toasted oak, burnt sugar, baked apple, dried cherry |
| For whom | The crossover drinker and the collector chasing the 99-pointer | The cask-finish enthusiast after rare wood and high proof |
| Price | $139.99 / 750ml | $139.99 / 750ml |
Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish tasting note (distillery)
These notes are supplied by Bardstown Bourbon Company. We have not tasted this release firsthand.
Nose: vanilla cream, blackberry compote, mint, toasted oak, cigar box
Palate: fresh spearmint, caramel, light cinnamon spice
Finish: long and rounded, with fruit-forward ex-Sherry notes carrying it out
ABV: 52% (104 proof) | Casks: ex-Isle of Jura single malt Scotch (84% ex-bourbon, 16% ex-Sherry) | Price: $139.99
2026 Discovery tasting note (distillery)
These notes are supplied by Bardstown Bourbon Company. We have not tasted this release firsthand.
Nose: decadent toasted oak, burnt sugar, baked apple cobbler
Palate: dried cherry, cinnamon bark
Finish: long and warming, accented by the rare garryana oak character
ABV: 56.4% (112.8 proof) | Casks: hand-toasted garryana (Oregon white) oak | Price: $139.99
Price and availability
Both releases carry a suggested price of $139.99 per 750ml bottle and roll out nationwide in the US, in limited quantities, from 21 August 2026. Given the IWSC result and the buzz that has followed Lochs of Jura since June, expect the Jura bottle in particular to move fast and to appear at pre-order through retailers who secured early allocation.
Outside the US, the realistic routes are specialist importers who carry Bardstown or the secondary market, so international readers should plan for a premium over the US shelf price and factor in shipping and duty.
Our take: which one, and for whom?
This is a clean split. Lochs of Jura is the one people will talk about, and not only because of the score. A mature American whiskey finished for the better part of three years in Scotch casks from a single, remote island is a genuine crossover, and the vanilla-cream-and-cigar-box profile suggests something contemplative rather than loud. If you enjoy both bourbon and Scotch and like seeing the two traditions meet on good terms, this is the bottle of the pair, and the 99 points make it a collector’s target on top of that.
2026 Discovery is for the drinker who reads “garryana oak” and leans in. Rare wood, a three-hour custom toast and 112.8 proof of high-age Kentucky and Indiana bourbon is a specific pleasure, and the dried-cherry-and-cinnamon direction plays to people who want their cask influence bold. It is the more familiar shape of the two, done at a high level.
At $139.99 each these sit in premium annual-release territory rather than everyday buying, and at that price the pull is the wood: Jura casks on one side, Oregon oak on the other. If you can only chase one bottle before the limited run thins out, chase the Jura.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bardstown Bourbon Lochs of Jura? Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish is a limited 2026 release from Bardstown Bourbon Company: a blend of straight bourbon and rye finished for 32 months in single malt Scotch casks from the Isle of Jura. It is bottled at 52% ABV (104 proof) and won 99 points at the 2026 IWSC.
What is 2026 Discovery? 2026 Discovery is Bardstown Bourbon Company’s annual blending showcase for this year. It combines three bourbons aged 7, 10 and 11 years, rested for four months in hand-toasted garryana oak barrels from Oregon, and bottled at 56.4% ABV (112.8 proof). It replaces the numbered Discovery Series name.
What is the difference between Lochs of Jura and 2026 Discovery? Lochs of Jura is finished in ex-Jura Scotch casks and bottled at 52%, leaning malty, minty and fruit-forward. 2026 Discovery is finished in rare garryana Oregon oak and bottled at 56.4%, leaning toward toasted oak, dried cherry and spice. Both are $139.99 per 750ml.
How much do they cost and when are they released? Both Lochs of Jura and 2026 Discovery have a suggested price of $139.99 per 750ml bottle. They release nationwide in the US in limited quantities from 21 August 2026. No official European, UK or Danish pricing has been announced.
Where can I buy Lochs of Jura? In the US, Lochs of Jura is sold through Bardstown Bourbon Company’s retail partners from 21 August 2026, with some retailers taking early pre-orders. Outside the US, expect to rely on specialist importers who stock Bardstown, or the secondary market, at a premium over the US price.
What is garryana oak, and why does it matter? Garryana (Quercus garryana) is Oregon white oak, uncommon in whiskey maturation. Bardstown had its 2026 Discovery casks custom-made and hand-toasted for three hours by Oregon Barrel Works, and the wood contributes an unusual toasted-oak and spice character that sets the release apart from standard American oak.
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