HIRSCH The Cask Strength Finished in Cognac Casks (2022 Release)

Enjoyed in the past with my small whiskey club, and this is a pour about a month later out of an Aged and Ore Flask. Nice copper color with some serious legs after a swirl of the Norlan glass. Nose is overarchingly sweet, and it isn't hard to find the influence of the cognac casks rising to the top. A bit yeasty/bready, and somewhat grainy...water doesn't do much to open things up further, but while there's ethanol, it isn't over the top given the ABV. I find the flavor of this whiskey to be the show...its deep, vibrant, and thoroughly enjoyable (and a number of drops allows the palate to shine). Plenty of fruits emerge...some grape, some fig, mostly dark fruit though, but there's more, including some chocolatey notes, some beer-like flavors, and again, no mistaking the influence of the cognac cask. I really thought this was a solid pour...but as much as I'll give a bonus tick to the lower shelfers that rise to the occasion, this does feel a bit overpriced for a whiskey that relies so heavily on the cask. Again, it is quite good, but this feels like it would be better served around $100-120...just my opinion...

A sample from MN whiskey tasting #3, good whiskey but i dont need to buy

NOSE Oak, grapey cognac, baking spice, copper, toasted bread, leather, cocoa, and vanilla. A nice duality between the cognac and the bourbon here, a very pleasant sniffer. PALATE Dried dark fruit, oak, complex baking spice, cocoa, grapey sweetness, copper, vanilla taffy, and some cocoa. Like the aroma, the palate is heavy and carries a balance of cognac and bourbon. FINISH Long -> Baking spice, oak, leather, and cognac sweetness.

Nose: congac nose translates well into enhancing the whiskeys bsckbone, not mask it. Grainy, slightly sweet, chocolate, some pepper on the finish and long tannic oak.

Delicious, higher proof (127) with the fruit, smoke smooth finish expected from a fine whiskey or cognac

This is one dram that gets super tasty once it opens up and when it does its quite good The nose is sweet and draws you in The pallet is delicious so much mouthfeel and goodness, my taste buds literally watered Finish is long and warming No flaws...anything that did not fully grab me on the 1st sip dissipated by letting the whiskey sit in the glen What started off good ended great Gonna have to come back to this pour and really pay attention At retail can't hurt to have a back up or 2 With or with out the cognac this is a great example of well done whiskey Want to do a 3 way ...side by side This bottle A purple top And the Hirsch high proof Yellow label

Disappointed. Bland, doesn't drink at its proof. Tasted like cinnamon water. Put red hots in your mouth and drink water. No burn, no flavor, no lingering flavor, just bland. 4 others at the tasting had the same opinion. I love Hirsch, but not this one, especially at this price. I feel cheated. Nice box.