Cut to 90.4-proof and non-chill filtered, the final product is a mix of six and nine-year-old high rye content (around thirty percent) bourbon that is then finished for two-to-four months in French Limousin Oak that previously contained a premiere Fine Champagne XO Cognac over the course of its twelve-year aging process.
“The six-year-old barrels enhanced the spicier aspects of the bourbon and the nine-year-old barrels enhanced the smoother, sweeter, softer side that’s brought to the front by the cognac,” said Andy Nelson, one of the proprietors of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery.
Related: A Brief History of Bourbon
The nose is a fine mix between cognac and bourbon—with a woody dryness from the French Oak that isn’t necessarily there with American Oak-aged bourbons. The palate, too, might seem a little different to bourbon drinkers, but it is something that’s easy to acclimate to. Vanilla and caramel mix with, again, a slightly drier mouthfeel than a typical bourbon (again, that French Oak coming through in nice ways).
If you like Scotch, this flavor profile will be familiar to you. There’s a little bit of orange near the end, which terminates in a medium-long finish where you’re going to get some of the spice you had on the nose again.
The follow-up to Belle Meade Bourbon Cognac Cask Finish in the special finish line, according to Nelson, will be their bourbon finished in Madeira casks.
The limited release Cognac Cask Finish retails for $74.99.
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