Bourbon Heritage Month gets a French accent this year thanks to the newest expression from award-winning HIRSCH Selected Whiskeys: The Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml; $180 SRP), created in collaboration with the revered HINE Cognac house. 

This limited-release expression has been aged 5 years, 8 months, before finishing in 30-Year-Old HINE Cognac XO barrels for 1 year, 10 months, in Bardstown, KY. Only 3,900 bottles will be released, beginning in September in honor of Bourbon Heritage Month; available in AZ, CA, NV, NM, WA, NJ, TX, LA, WI, IL, TN, MN, ND, SD.

“The creation of HIRSCH The Cask Strength was an exciting opportunity to bring together the legacy of a 20^th century American visionary and an 18^th century French icon,” Kevin Aslan, Head Distiller for HIRSCH, said, referring to the legacy of Adolph Hirsch, an investment banker and the consummate whiskey explorer, who commissioned the highly regarded A.H. Hirsch bourbon in partnership with a distillery in 1974, and the HINE Cognac house, which was founded in 1763.

“The marriage of exceptional Kentucky straight bourbon with the elegant XO cognac casks embodies the HIRSCH mission to explore the world of possibilities through experimentation balanced with craft,” Aslan continued. “The French Oak casks add a layer of almond, light nutmeg, citrus, and tannic structure that leads to a dry finish. The cognac that these casks absorbed over the 30-year aging period balance out the bourbon’s vanilla and baking spice quality into a nicely balanced yet complex whiskey.” 

HINE XO Cognac is premiere cru cognac from Grande Champagne, made exclusively from Grande Champagne grapes; it boasts aromatics of ginger, orange, honey, cinnamon and floral notes.

The Cask Strength is crafted from 72 percent corn, 13 percent rye and 15 percent malted barley; it is double distilled in small copper pot stills, aged for 7 years, 6 months in both new char #3 and toasted American oak barrels.

This year’s The Cask Strength follows the 2022 release – the inaugural collaboration between HIRSCH and HINE – which won a Gold medal in 2023 from the Beverage Testing Institute.

To purchase online or be notified when available in respective markets, visit the HIRSCH ecommerce website.

Read more: Hotaling & Co. Releases Hirsch The Departure Single Malt

About HIRSCH Selected Whiskeys

The story of American whiskey is not complete without mention of A.H. HIRSCH Reserve 16-Year-Old, widely considered the best American bourbon ever produced – even inspiring revered whiskey expert Chuck Cowdery to write the book, The Best Bourbon You’ll Never Taste. The True Story of A. H. Hirsch Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Distilled in the Spring of 1974. Today, HIRSCH Selected Whiskeys are inspired by the A.H. Hirsch’s adventurous mission is to source exceptional liquid at the finest distilleries to produce a modern and transparent range of Straight Kentucky Bourbon that is designed to be the best bourbon you will taste. Visit www.hirschwhiskey.com for more information.