Belle Meade Bourbon Finished in XO Cognac Casks

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery offers a series of Belle Meade Bourbons finished in different used casks. The Cognac finish helps reign in the bourbon’s flavors and choreography, coming to a narrower, cleaner point as it leaves the palate. Its aroma was described to me as “eggnog,” a descriptor I find hard to shake. The spirit does find a beautiful combination of suave, warming flavors – cream, cinnamon, clove – as well as a gentle magnolia blossom florality.