Bardstown Bourbon Just Dropped One of the Best Cognac-Finished Whiskys You Can Find

A few years ago, Bardstown Bourbon Company launched its own in-house-produced lineup of whiskys called the Origin Series. These are very good, but the distillery is better known for its sourced products, blends of whiskys from various distilleries that are often given a unique cask finish. The latest BBC release falls into that category, and it happens to be one of the better Cognac cask-finished whiskys you can find at the moment.

Cognac cask-finished American whisky has been in the news lately—last week we reported on a new Barton 1792 expression and a cask-strength bourbon from Hirsch, both of which were finished in French oak Cognac barrels. This new BBC release is the second collaboration with esteemed French Cognac house Maison Ferrand (the first came out in 2022 as part of the Collaboration Series), and it is very different from the first version. That Ferrand finish was a blend of bourbons, but this new release combines sourced bourbon with a splash of rye whisky that was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company. “Our friends at Maison Ferrand are true masters of their craft,” said master blender Dan Callaway in a statement. “The addition of rye to this blend adds spice and structure, creating a layered, complex whisky that’s both familiar and adventurous.”

The exact makeup of Ferrand II are as follows: 73 percent 9-year-old bourbon, 10 percent 11-year-old bourbon, 10 percent 12-year-old bourbon, and 7 percent 6-year-old rye whisky. The rye was made from a 95/5 rye mashbill, similar to what you’d find coming out of MGP in Indiana, while all of the bourbon mashbills contain about three-quarters corn. The secondary maturation is longer than the first release, moving from about eight months to a total of 15 months in Maison Ferrand Cognac casks to soak up flavor, and the whisky was bottled at 107 proof. The palate is rich with notes of dried fruit, baking spice, pecan, grape jelly, raisin, and apricot, a gentle but noticeable reminder of the time spent in those secondary casks.

That’s not the only new release from BBC, however. Discovery #13 is the first double-barreled expression in the Discovery series, a blend of 8-, 9-, and 15-year-old bourbon that was split up and finished in two different types of oak for four months. 60 percent went into new American white oak barrels on lower level floors of the rickhouse, the remaining 40 percent was finished in Hungarian oak on higher floors to promote flavor extraction. “Double-barreling whisky of significant age is a challenge we were excited to take on,” said Callaway. “We’ve honed our technique and process, carefully controlling conditions to add wood sugar and complexity that enhances aged liquid and showcases how innovation and tradition can come together to produce something truly rare.”

Discovery #13 and Ferrand II are both available now around the country at specialty liquor stores (SRP $140), and you can find other expressions in the portfolio at websites like ReserveBar.