Cognac-Finished Bourbon or a Distillery's Own Blend — Which Wins? — The Cut — S02E131

Two new bottles, two different bets. Basil Hayden's Cognac Cask Reserve leans on 20-to-25-year-old French oak that held Cognac; Remus's Repeal Reserve Series X blends three mash bills built and aged in-house for nearly two decades. One buys someone else's barrel. The other buys someone else's judgment. John argues the blend wins — and explains why finishing and blending aren't the same lever at all. The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free every morning at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.