Bache-Gabrielsen American Oak: Where the Charente Meets Tennessee

There are cognacs that respect tradition. And then there are cognacs that ask a simple, audacious question: what happens if we take the most French of spirits, and finish it in the most American of woods?

This is that cognac.

American Oak is an innovative, first-of-its-kind Cognac, aged both in French oak barrels for several years and in new American Tennessee oak barrels for a minimum of six months. It was conceived by Cellar Master Jean-Philippe Bergier in collaboration with the house's cooperage partner who sourced the oak in Tennessee, then had it crafted into barrels by French coopers in Cognac. Not shipped in as American barrels, but built in France, from American wood, for a French spirit. The meeting point of two great oak-ageing traditions, expressed in a single cask, a single cognac.

As the house itself describes it: "This is a 'good time' cognac. There really is no other quite like it and its personality is certainly unique and, on every level, its aromatic profile is distinct and instantly recognisable." 

The Double Maturation: Two Oaks, One Cognac

To understand what makes this cognac genuinely unique, you need to understand what the two woods do differently and what happens when you combine them.

Bache-Gabrielsen American Oak is a blend of eaux-de-vie made from Ugni Blanc grapes from the Fins Bois appellation, aged at least two years in French Limousin oak barrels. After spending time in French Limousin oak, Bache-Gabrielsen ages the eaux-de-vie in American oak from Tennessee for another six months. 

Limousin oak the traditional wood of Cognac is tight-grained, slow to extract, and brings the classic cognac vocabulary: dried flowers, vanilla, fine spice, elegance, structure. It is the language of centuries of French tradition. Tennessee oak works differently: wider grain, faster extraction, more aggressive in its impart of tannin, coconut lactones, tropical fruit esters, and the bold vanilla and caramel character that defines great American whiskey. Six months in new Tennessee oak is enough to layer an entirely new aromatic dimension onto what the Limousin had spent years building without erasing it.

On the palate, American Oak reveals all the aromatic power from the American oak with the smoothness of Limousin oak. The result is that of a fruity and gourmet cognac. 

Awards

The American Oak has collected a remarkable haul of international recognition since its launch particularly in the United States, where the bourbon-drinking market recognised something familiar, and exciting, in the glass:

Best Cognac at Spirits Innovation Awards / Cocktails Spirits France, 2017 · Gold Medal at New York International Spirits Competition USA, 2017 · Silver Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition USA, 2017 · Gold Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2023 · Gold at Bartender Spirits Awards, 2023.

Tasting Notes

Eye

The American oak gives the brandy a ton of colour a deep, warm golden-amber, closer to the colour of a young bourbon or a rich Tennessee whiskey than to the pale straw of a typical VS cognac. This is one of the first things that signals something unusual is happening here: the Tennessee oak has imparted colour rapidly and generously during those six months in new wood, creating a robe that is rich, warm and eye-catching in the glass.

Nose

Aromas of ripe apricot, pear and vanilla open the nose with the classic fruitiness of a Fins Bois eau-de-vie bright, fresh and inviting. But then the American oak begins to speak. Creamy coconut and oaky vanilla arrive, with oily toasted nuts and a tang of passion fruit a tropical register that no Limousin oak cognac could produce, born of the lactone compounds that are the distinctive gift of American white oak. Mild almond aromas complete the picture, adding a soft nuttiness that bridges the French and American influences beautifully. The overall impression is of something immediately approachable and distinctly gourmet a nose that is familiar to bourbon lovers while remaining unmistakably cognac.

Mouth

The palate is where the dialogue between the two oak traditions becomes most vivid and most compelling. First there's chewy caramel and vanilla, then raisiny sweetness shortly thereafter. A big slug of spice hits next cloves and cinnamon, followed by racy cayenne and black pepper, then ample notes of raw, toasty wood. The American oak adds rich notes of coconut and pineapple to accompany the traditional French-cask flavours of vanilla, roasted nuts and chocolate. Nuanced pecan jostles with hints of orange and lemon peel, while the drying finish offers lots of cinnamon sweet heat a finish that clearly owes as much to Tennessee as it does to the Charente. Long, bold, and genuinely unlike anything else in the cognac category.

Perfect For

Neat or on a large ice cube the bold character handles dilution well. Cocktails exceptional in an Old Fashioned, a Sidecar with a twist, or simply with premium ginger ale and a slice of lime. The bourbon drinker who wants to explore cognac through a familiar lens this is the most natural entry point imaginable. The whiskey lover's gift  something they've never tried, from a house that had the courage to try it first. Pairing: dark chocolate, pecan desserts, dried tropical fruit, banana bread, spiced charcuterie

Product Details

🌍 Worldwide Shipping: Delivered to the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia & beyond 🏡 Sourced directly from the Bache-Gabrielsen house in Cognac, France 🔒 Authentic bottle, guaranteed quality, secure checkout 🏆 Gold Medal: San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023