Brown sugar | Berries | Light orange | Plum | Dried raisins | Aged oak | Pleasant

Aged dried oak | Dry leather | Tobacco leaf | Green peppercorn | Orange rind | Light vanilla bean | Noticeably dry earthy flavors | Light mouthfeel

Light spice | Dry oak | Leather | Peppercorn | Touch of raisin | Dry lingering spice

Barton 1792 Distillery is back in 2022 with another round of four new Thomas S. Moore finished whiskeys. These barrel finishes are completely different from the ones the company released in 2021. While wine barrel finishes can feel like they’re played out nowadays, Barton 1792 Distillery tries to differentiate the Thomas S. Moore line based on finishing time. Each of the base bourbons was aged for 5-6 years before being finished in barrels for another 1-4 years. In Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon’s case, the company finished the bourbon for 2-4 years in used cognac barrels that generally held cognac for six or more years previously.

The overall sip contains scents and flavors that are tightly intertwined, making you take your time to pull them out. It starts with a robust nose that is full of fruity flavors that rest on top of a bed of aged oak. This pleasant fruity opening transitions to a palate that is noticeably dry and full of earthy flavors. It doesn’t quite live up to the nose, but it does nicely highlight the time spent in the Cognac barrels. The finish ends things on drier notes of lingering spice. Overall, this is a nice barrel aged finished bourbon. The Thomas S. Moore line tends to run the gamut of accomplished to flawed, however, this year's Cognac Barrel Finish will please those who like a challenging sip, forcing you to take your time to dissect the flavors and fully appreciate what the whiskey has to offer.