Bardstown Collaboration ( Ferrand Cognac) Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

Bardstown Bourbon Company is a Kentucky distillery known for its Collaborative Series, a line built around partnerships with spirits producers outside the bourbon world. This release marks the second joint project with Maison Ferrand, the French house behind Pierre Ferrand Cognac, following an earlier collaboration in 2022. Master blender Dan Callaway oversaw the project, working with cognac casks shipped directly from Ferrand's cellars in France.

The whiskey itself is a blend of aged Kentucky straight bourbon, ranging from roughly six to twelve years old and sourced from more than one distillery, combined with Bardstown's own in-house rye, distilled from a mash of mostly rye with a small share of barley. After blending, the whiskey rests for fifteen months in Ferrand's used cognac barrels, a longer finishing period than the original 2022 release, allowing the cognac wood to fully integrate with the underlying bourbon and rye. It is bottled at a robust 111.8 proof.

The nose opens with black cherry, vanilla cream, and toasted oak, backed by baking spice from the rye component. On the palate, baked apple, pecan, and raisin come forward, layered with toffee and cocoa. The finish is long and warming, closing on candied fruit, gentle oak tannins, and a light touch of mint drawn out by the cognac cask influence.