Rabbit Hole Announces Special Mizunara Founder’s Collection Bourbon

Rabbit Hole Distillery has set a May release for their Mizunara Founder’s Collection 15-Year-Old Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Japanese Oak.

Mizunara Founder’s Collection pairs Rabbit Hole’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon with oak from Japan. This spirit spent 15 years in new charred American oak before a year of finishing in virgin Japanese Mizunara oak.

Image Source: Rabbit Hole Distillery

It’s the Louisville-based brand’s oldest offering to date and the second expression in Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection, after the Boxergrail Release.

Rabbit Hole Founder and whiskey maker Kaveh Zamanian chose the family-owned Ariake Sangyo cooperage in Shochu Island, Japan, for their handcrafted casks for this special-edition whiskey, which he paired with bourbon from his own personal collection.

The casks are crafted from indigenous wood harvested from 200-500 year old oak trees and charred at levels 3-5 mm. They’re notoriously difficult to work with yet create beautiful flavors in liquid aged with Mizunara Oak.

Each bottle of Mizunara Founder’s Collection comes in a wooden box with an engraved rabbit, gold appointments, and a personal note from Zamanian. The front and back panels of the box may be removed to display the bottle and liquid within.

Only 1,403 sequentially numbered bottles will be available for purchase from selected retailers in May, for a suggested retail price of $1,500 per bottle. For more information visit the Rabbit Hole Distillery official site.

Tasting Note

ABV: 57.1%/114.2 proof

Nose: Banana, pear, and cherry, balanced with mint and spice. 

Palate: Tobacco and oak linger with hints of custard and cinnamon giving way to honey and rose with a long buttery finish