Four Gate Whiskey Debuts Cognac Cask Finished Kentucky Bourbon

by Gary Carter
March 27, 2022

Four Gate Whiskey Company recently launched a new entry in the barrel-finished craft American whiskey category … the “Saint Charente.”

In a recent statement, the whiskey team at Four Gate said the Saint Charente is a seven-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Cognac casks. Those casks contained spirits distilled from grapes and aged in French Oak casks, similar to the way whiskey is aged.

The bourbon Four Gate finished in these Cognac casks was distilled and aged in Kentucky from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.

Four Gate Batch 18 — Four Gate Whiskey Batch 18 – Saint Charente (image via Four Gate)

“I absolutely love the nose on this batch,” said Four Gate’s chief blending officer, Bill Straub, in a prepared statement. “It has tons of orchard fruits from those cognac casks and the French oak gave it some great baking spice notes as well. It’s like apple pie.”

The Batch is named for the River Charente that flows through the Cognac region of France.

“All the little towns in that area are called ‘Saint’ this or that,” explained Chief Barrel Officer Bob D’Antoni. “We added the Saint in front of Charente in homage to that.”

The Saint Charente batch was bottled with no water added and no chill filtering at 119.2 proof, and 2,365 bottles were made which carry a suggested retail price of $199. They are available in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas, as well as online.

Four Gate Whiskey also announced that distribution to Illinois will begin with the next release, Batch 19, in April, through Republic National Distributing Company and their partnership with Heritage Wine Cellars Ltd.