Beam Suntory-owned Courvoisier has kicked off its new Avant-Garde series with a Bourbon cask-finished Cognac.

The limited edition Courvoisier Avant-Garde Bourbon Finish is a VSOP expression finished in Kentucky Bourbon casks.

The extra ageing is said to give the Cognac an “elegant and velvety finish with tasting notes of vanilla, honey and sweet marmalade”. On the palate, it is described as having notes of “soft smoky leather and sweet orange”.

The 40% ABV Cognac was created by Courvoisier’s master blender, Patrice Pinet, and master distiller Benoît Desutter.

“We’re thrilled to release Avant-Garde Bourbon Cask Edition, a first-of-its-kind expression for the House of Courvoisier,” said Stephanie Kang, senior marketing director for Courvoisier.

“With the help of our local artisans and winegrowers in our hometown of Jarnac, we were able to develop an innovation that is sure to appeal to Cognac and Bourbon drinkers alike.”

Courvoisier Avant-Garde Bourbon Finish is available exclusively in the US for a limited time, priced at US$39.99 per 750ml.

In September 2017, Courvoisier moved into cask finishing with the launch of an expression finished in Sherry casks.

Last month, Pinet said the Cognac house has enough stock to meet demand after it was affected by poor weather conditions in 2017 and 2019.

Source: thespiritsbusiness.com by Nicola Carruthers