Frank August Case Study 07 "French Connection" Kentucky Bourbon & Rye Blend Finished in Calvados, Rhum & Rum Casks 107.4 Proof 750ml

On July 4, 1884, France gave the United States the Statue of Liberty — not as a transaction, but as a gesture of shared ideals. Case Study: 07 begins there. The proof is not arbitrary: 107.4 is a deliberate nod to the date that initiated one of history's most elegant cross-cultural exchanges. Everything else in this bottle follows that same intentionality.

Frank August has built the most intellectually rigorous limited-release bourbon program in America — a multi-award-winning series that has earned "World's Best Wheated Bourbon" at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Case Study: 05, alongside multiple IWSC Gold Medals across the range. Case Study: 07 is the seventh chapter and arguably the most ambitious: a blend of Kentucky straight bourbon and rye whiskies finished across not one but three distinct cask types — Calvados, Martinique Rhum Agricole, and Caribbean Rum — each contributing its own dimension of Old World and island character to a foundation of American whiskey structure.

The result sits at a genuinely rare intersection: French orchard fruit from the Calvados casks, the grassy agricole freshness of Martinique Rhum, and the dark molasses depth of Caribbean Rum, all woven through a high-proof Kentucky base with rye's signature peppery backbone cutting through the sweetness. Limited to nine batches of seven barrels each — 63 barrels total worldwide — this is one of 2026's most collectible and culturally anchored limited bourbon releases.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Frank August was founded in Bardstown, Kentucky — America's Bourbon Capital — by Johnathan Crocker, Co-Founder, CEO, and Master Blender, with a founding philosophy as deliberate as the bottle design that announces it: to evolve the identity of bourbon by uniting authenticity with modernity. The Case Study series is the fullest expression of that philosophy — each release a distinct intellectual inquiry into what bourbon can become when finishing, blending, and maturation are treated as genuine creative acts rather than marketing decisions.

Case Study: 07 begins with a blend of Kentucky straight bourbon and rye whiskies, selected for structural compatibility with the planned finishing casks. The whiskey is then finished across three French and Caribbean cask types in sequence, each contributing a distinct flavor layer:

Calvados Casks — the apple brandy casks of Normandy, France, introduce baked orchard fruit, pear compote, and a refined French elegance that softens the bourbon's oak structure and adds an aromatic lift entirely absent from standard American finishing casks.

Martinique Rhum Agricole Casks — agricole rhum, produced from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses, carries a distinctive grassy, floral freshness and a mineral terroir character rooted in Martinique's volcanic soil. The agricole influence introduces a subtle green, slightly floral lift beneath the darker cask notes — a French Caribbean dimension that no American bourbon or Scotch finishing program has historically explored.

Caribbean Rum Casks — the molasses-based rum casks of the broader Caribbean deepen the profile considerably, introducing dark sugar, tropical fruit, and a rich, indulgent sweetness that anchors the blend's mid-palate.

The final whiskey is bottled at 107.4 proof — that deliberate nod to July 4, 1884 — non-chill filtered to preserve the full texture and aromatic complexity the three-cask finishing imparts, and presented in Frank August's signature minimalist, design-forward bottle.

Tasting Profile

Nose Layered and immediately intriguing — the three finishing casks announce themselves in sequence with remarkable clarity. Baked apple and pear compote from the Calvados casks lead, followed by a subtle agricole freshness — green, slightly floral, faintly mineral — that lifts the darker notes underneath. Molasses, caramelized banana, and dark rum sweetness complete the aromatic picture, grounded by the bourbon's familiar vanilla and toasted oak. The rye's signature herbaceous quality threads quietly through the whole.

Palate Full and enveloping at 107.4 proof — yet remarkably composed. Ripe orchard fruit and brûléed sugar arrive first, deepening quickly into Caribbean tones of dark molasses, spiced rum, and baked pineapple. The rye introduces structure mid-palate, cutting through the tropical sweetness with clove, cinnamon, and cracked pepper — a necessary counterweight that keeps the finish from reading as purely dessert-sweet. The interplay between French precision and Caribbean depth is the defining characteristic: bold yet refined, indulgent yet structured.

Finish Long, resonant, and elegantly multi-stage. Waves of brown sugar, dried tropical fruit, and soft oak give way to lingering baking spice and citrus peel. As it settles, the Calvados orchard note returns — light, elegant, and persistent — balancing the rum richness with a quiet restraint that is distinctly French in its sensibility. The 107.4 proof fades cleanly, leaving warmth rather than heat.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Best enjoyed neat in a Glencairn or tulip glass with several minutes of breathing time — the three-cask finishing layers reveal themselves gradually, and patience is rewarded. A few drops of water at 107.4 proof will open the Calvados orchard character further and soften the Caribbean rum sweetness into something particularly elegant. A large single ice cube works well for a slower, richer pour that emphasizes the rum and tropical fruit notes. Food pairings of genuine distinction: aged Comté or Gruyère, dark chocolate with dried fruit, duck confit, crème brûlée, or a classic French charcuterie board — all of which echo the Calvados influence and complement the bourbon's cross-cultural character. An exceptional collector's gift and a defining bottle for any serious Case Study enthusiast.

Cocktail Suggestions

The Liberty Old Fashioned (the definitive Case Study: 07 cocktail) 2 oz Frank August CS: 07 · 1 tsp Demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. Stirred over a large ice rock. The Calvados orchard fruit and rum molasses notes transform the Old Fashioned into something simultaneously familiar and startlingly new — the orange peel ties the French citrus thread into a cohesive whole. Named for the date the bottle commemorates.

French Caribbean Sour 2 oz Frank August CS: 07 · ¾ oz fresh lemon juice · ½ oz honey syrup · optional egg white. Shaken hard, served up. Honey syrup echoes the bourbon's own tropical sweetness; lemon brings the Calvados apple-citrus character forward. The egg white version creates a foam that carries the rum and orchard aromatics dramatically on the nose.

Normandy Manhattan 2 oz Frank August CS: 07 · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 1 dash Angostura · 1 dash orange bitters · Luxardo cherry. Stirred over ice, served up in a chilled coupe. The Calvados and rum finishing transforms this Manhattan into something genuinely extraordinary — vermouth's botanical sweetness locks into the orchard fruit and dark molasses notes with a precision that feels inevitable.

Statue of Liberty Spritz (lighter serve) 1.5 oz Frank August CS: 07 · 1 oz Calvados · splash of ginger beer · squeeze of fresh lemon. Built over ice in a rocks glass. A tribute cocktail — Calvados and CS: 07 in direct conversation, lengthened with ginger for lift. The agricole freshness threads through the ginger and lemon in a way that is refreshing and deeply complex simultaneously.