Frank August Case Study: 07 French Connection Bourbon Whiskey
53.7% ABV (107.4 proof) | 750mL | Case Study: 07 — 7th experimental release | Kentucky bourbons & ryes finished in Calvados, Martinique rhum & Caribbean rum casks | Limited 7-barrel batch | Frank August, Bardstown, Kentucky — Frank August Case Study: 07 "French Connection" is the seventh release in the brand's finite experimental series — and the name is a Franco-American bridge, not a French-oak finish. Kentucky bourbons and ryes were finished SEPARATELY in French and Francophone casks — Calvados (French apple brandy), Martinique rhum agricole, and Caribbean rum — then vatted together. The 107.4 proof nods to July 4, 1884, the year France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Frank August is a Bardstown-based non-distilling producer (launched July 2022), sourcing Kentucky whiskey and finishing it at Bardstown Bourbon Company — the Case Study line is where they experiment. 01 explored Mizunara oak, 02 XO PX brandy, 05 a wheated reserve; 07 goes tropical-French. Among bourbons, a Calvados-plus-rhum-agricole double identity is genuinely unusual — baked apple and pear compote colliding with molasses and dried tropical fruit.
Tasting notes
Nose: baked apple, pear compote, toasted coconut, stone fruit, wet stone. Palate: raw sugar, vanilla cream, crème brûlée, molasses, baked pineapple. Finish: dried tropical fruit, cinnamon, soft oak, black pepper — long.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 107.4 proof (53.7% ABV) — the proof nods to July 4, 1884
- Case Study: 07 — seventh release in Frank August's experimental series
- Finished in Calvados, Martinique rhum agricole and Caribbean rum casks, then vatted
- Kentucky bourbons and ryes, blended and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky
- Limited 7-barrel batch
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat — 107.4 proof is the whole point, and the fruit-forward finish profile opens beautifully with a few drops of water. A Glencairn catches the apple-to-tropical arc.
Frequently asked questions
What is Frank August Case Study: 07?
The seventh release in Frank August's experimental Case Study series — Kentucky bourbons and ryes finished in Calvados, Martinique rhum and Caribbean rum casks, bottled at 107.4 proof.
Is it finished in French oak?
No — despite the name, "French Connection" refers to French/Francophone cask types (Calvados apple brandy, Martinique rhum agricole, Caribbean rum), not French oak.
Who makes Frank August whiskey?
Frank August is a Bardstown, Kentucky-based non-distilling producer; its whiskeys are sourced from Kentucky distilleries and blended and bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Company.