Hirsch 'The Cask Strength' Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks
Hirsch 'The Cask Strength' Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks is a 127-proof (63.5% ABV), 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon — aged about seven and a half years, then finished 18 months in 30-year-old Hine XO Cognac casks — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 63.5% (127 proof), uncut at cask strength
- Age: about 7.5 years in new charred oak, + 18 months in Cognac casks
- Finish: 30-year-old Hine XO Cognac casks (54 barrels), Bardstown, Kentucky
- Mash bill: 72% corn, 13% rye, 15% malted barley
- Size: 750mL, exclusive limited release
- House: Hirsch Selected Whiskeys, curated by Hotaling & Co., San Francisco
Bourbon Meets a 259-Year-Old Cognac House
The Hirsch name once graced the $8,000 A.H. Hirsch Reserve; Hotaling & Co. — the San Francisco house behind Old Potrero — revived it in 2020, and The Cask Strength is its most serious bottle. The concept: take Kentucky straight bourbon, age it seven and a half years in new charred oak, then transfer 54 barrels into casks that held Hine XO Cognac for three decades — a collaboration with one of the world's most prestigious Cognac houses — for an 18-month finish in a Bardstown rickhouse. Bottled uncut at 127 proof, it is the rare Cognac-finished bourbon where the two spirits are in genuine balance, not a gimmick at 90 proof. The Whiskey Jug called it one of the best Cognac-finished bourbons made.
Tasting Notes
Nose: oak, grapey Cognac, baking spice, copper, toasted bread, leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Palate: dense and full-bodied — dried dark fruit, oak, complex baking spice, cocoa, grape sweetness, and vanilla taffy. Finish: long — baking spice, oak, leather, and Cognac sweetness.
How to Enjoy
Neat, after dinner, with a drop of water to coax out the orchard fruit. This is the crossover bottle for the Cognac drinker curious about bourbon — and the finish collector's answer to "what's the best Cognac-finished bourbon?"
Frequently Asked Questions
What casks are used for the finish? 30-year-old Hine XO Cognac casks — 54 barrels of bourbon rested in them for 18 months in Bardstown, Kentucky.
What proof is The Cask Strength? 127 proof (63.5% ABV), bottled uncut at cask strength. (Note: a later 2025 release bottles at 112–116 proof — check the bottle.)
Who makes Hirsch whiskey? Hirsch Selected Whiskeys, curated by Hotaling & Co. of San Francisco — the revived label of the legendary A.H. Hirsch name.
Cognac royalty meets Kentucky muscle — order Hirsch The Cask Strength online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.