Review: 1792 Cognac Cask Finish Bourbon

Back when it debuted in 2015, 1792 Port Finish made a quick splash and built a gradual reputation among collectors. That’s partially due to its (especially at the time) exceptionally lengthy finish of two full years in Port casks. Since then, the only in-house finishing we’ve seen out of Barton 1792 Distillery was the Thomas S. Moore line, which seems to be on at least a temporary pause.

Now, the Sazerac-owned distillery is back with a new finished whiskey, billed as the “first cask-finished expression to join the permanent 1792 portfolio.” 1792 Cognac Cask Finish starts with virtually the same whiskey in the distillery’s small batch bourbon, then finishes it for at least six months in ex-Cognac casks. According to the brand, those casks undergo secondary maturation on the highest, hottest floors of Barton’s rickhouses, conditions that encourage maximum barrel influence on the whiskey.

The final expression is bottled at 95 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $38. Let’s see how this new, value-priced line extension holds up.

1792 Cognac Cask Finish Bourbon Review

A first sniff brings a quick hit of traditional bourbon notes: caramel, seasoned oak, and vanilla wafers, plus Sno-Caps chocolate candies. That early impression changes rapidly, morphing into dark grape skins and Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder. Next up comes boysenberry jam (an esoteric note, to be sure), overripe orchard fruit, and decomposing wood, all of which carry a sweet funkiness that plays well with the cocoa notes. Building around those scents comes more seasoned oak, increasingly dominant with time in the glass. While it’s tough to think the bourbon here is particularly old, the Cognac cask seems to play a sort of (welcome) trickery here, telegraphing wood influence beyond the base liquid’s true age.

The early palate brings fruit custard in several flavors, particularly plum and ripe green fig. Vanilla wafer and honeysuckle sweetness quickly coat the palate and stick around through most sips. There’s also a thread of banana flavor, though it’s more akin to the compound conferring the flavor — isoamyl acetate — than the entire fruit proper. There’s less grape here than the nose implies, and those Cognac casks seem to impart more wood sugars and tannins than aged brandy, especially on the back and upper palates. While the mouth feel isn’t particularly viscous, it gets the flavors across without too much of a hurry. There’s certainly a narrative here, with defined beginning, middle, and back palates.

The finish is oak-forward with lingering flavors of both clove and walnut oils. A little Concord grape juice meets caramel drizzle and tanned leather for a mid-length final act.

It’s would be all too easy to compare this to heavy hitters from other Sazerac brands. That’s a rigged game at best, and one we don’t have to play here. Should we actually make a value judgement — and I very much am — this is one of the better sub-$40 bourbons to make a recent debut. For my money, it’s a lovely, accessible addition to the 1792 lineup — and it makes a good case for inclusion on any budget bar cart.

95 proof.

A- / $38 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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