Laws Whiskey House Brings Back Cognac Cask-Finished Bourbon

Laws Whiskey House announced the second release of their Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon. Introduced in 2017 as one of the brand’s first projects in their Special Finish series, this year’s expression contains a blend of whiskeys aged between three and eight years in three different types of wood casks. This limited release will be available in key markets across the country starting October 2022 for a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Laws’ new Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon is the second annual release of a living and evolving blend. Through several years of trial and experimentation, Laws created a distinctive solera process where only a portion of their Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon is released at a time, leaving the remainder to marry with future blends of this whiskey. 

The process starts with Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon that has been aged for a minimum of two years in new American oak barrels. Select barrels are then chosen to rest in Cognac casks for secondary aging. Finally, the Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon is combined in a 50-year-old French oak blending vat known as a foeder. Each year, only a portion of the foeder is harvested, meaning each annual release contains whiskey from prior years’ vintages and maintains style continuity from batch to batch. After harvesting for each annual release, the foeder is immediately topped with Cognac Cask finished Four Grain Bourbon and the cycle continues. The Laws team expects the whiskey’s flavor to evolve with time, making it a collectible whiskey from year to year.

“This whiskey is about process and patience,” says Al Laws, founder of Laws Whiskey House. “Like the Cognac blenders that inspire us, we are seeking harmony and depth from this whiskey. The flavor notes are so rich, balanced, and complex and that can only be achieved by following our process and by giving it time to mature.” 

Laws’ process was developed with help from sixth generation Cognac producer Alain Royer. Alain provided technical expertise on cask finishing and blending and also helped the Laws team source the foeder. Laws says, “the foeder is really crucial. Not only does it enable our solera process, it also allows for the Cognac cask influence to gently integrate over time. The French oak foeder staves also lend elegance and finish to this whiskey.” 

This second release consists of 2,340 750ml bottles. This distinctive whiskey has aromas of stewed fruit and black tea on the nose. The spirit boasts flavors of spiced apple butter, toasted wood, and raisin leading to a rich and luxurious finish. 

“One of our central philosophies is continuous improvement,” says Laws. “This whiskey is an example of that philosophy. With this release we are pushing ourselves and our whiskeys to the next level. It’s a special release and we are excited to have you join us on this taste journey to see how this whiskey evolves with time.”