A younger Tennessee bourbon gets a distinctive finishing treatment with cognac-seasoned French oak and Madagascar vanilla, delivering a surprisingly rich, silky pour with plenty of red grape sweetness.
Stats
- Type: Finished Bourbon
- Age: 4 year
- Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
- Mashbills: 80% Corn │ 10% Rye │ 10% Malted Barley
- Origin: Undisclosed distillery — Tennessee
- Additional Aging: Untold Spirits — Columbia, Tennessee
- Finish: French oak cognac casks infused with Madagascar vanilla extract
- Finishing Time: Unknown
- Blend Size: Unknown
- Release: Wide release
- MSRP: $51.99 / 750 mL (via Rounds)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Sweet vanilla and prominent red grape lead the way, backed by familiar Tennessee charcoal, caramel, and a little of that unmistakable younger Tennessee bourbon character. The cognac influence is immediately apparent, bringing a fruity sweetness that stands apart from a traditional bourbon profile.
- Palate: Exceptionally silky on the tongue, with layers of caramel sweetness and a flavor profile that brings grape soda and Bottle Caps candy to mind. There’s very little traditional rye spice or bite here, allowing the vanilla and fruity cognac influence to take center stage.
- Finish: Vanilla and concentrated red grape linger surprisingly long, considering the modest 86 proof. A subtle smoky wine character develops alongside the sweetness, with just the slightest touch of pepper spice to round things out.
Edmonds Honor is a four-year-old, 86-proof straight Tennessee bourbon featuring an 80/10/10 mashbill and an undisclosed distillery. But the name carries a story that reaches well beyond the whiskey itself. The brand pays tribute to Edmond Albius, a young Malagasy botanist who, at just 12 years old, developed a revolutionary method of hand-pollinating vanilla orchids while enslaved on the island of Bourbon (now Réunion) near Madagascar. His discovery transformed vanilla cultivation and helped establish the foundation for the global vanilla industry we know today. Despite the enormous influence of his work, Albius remained largely overlooked in history.
That legacy carries directly into the bottle, with straight bourbon finished in French oak cognac casks infused with Madagascar vanilla extract. Crafted by liquid curator Tracie Franklin, the $54.99 release brings together the history of vanilla, the craftsmanship of whiskey finishing, and a bottle design inspired by Albius’s delicate hand-pollination technique. It’s an ambitious story, connecting an often-forgotten historical figure with one of the world’s most recognizable flavors.
Presentation
This is easily one of my favorite label and bottle design combos I’ve come across in the last year or two in the way they work together. The artwork features a hand reaching from the label toward a glass flower incorporated directly into the bottle itself, creating a genuinely eye-catching effect. The bottle has several other thoughtful touches, including the substantial glass base and additional decorative details that make the entire presentation feel intentional.
It’s beautiful, distinctive, and the sort of bottle that catches your attention before you’ve even had a chance to pour it. There’s a lot of personality here without sacrificing the premium feel.
Distinctiveness
This is unmistakably a cognac-finished Tennessee bourbon. I remember tasting it at Whiskey Wash back in November 2025, and my immediate reaction was that the base distillate was Tennessee bourbon. That character remains front and center, with the cognac and vanilla finishing treatment adding another layer rather than completely reinventing the whiskey.
The finishing process certainly gives Edmonds Honor its own identity, particularly with the concentrated grape sweetness and almost wine-like character. However, this isn’t necessarily going to take you on an unexpected flavor journey if you’re already familiar with younger Tennessee bourbon. The distinction comes from how those familiar characteristics interact with the cognac influence.
“The cognac influence is dominant, but it never feels like it’s fighting the underlying Tennessee bourbon.”
Transparency
There’s a little information missing, but overall, I appreciate what Untold Spirits has provided.
We know this is a straight Tennessee bourbon, bottled at four years old, with an 80/10/10 mash bill. The distillery remains undisclosed, and we aren’t given an exact finishing duration. However, the finishing process itself is described relatively openly: French oak cognac casks seasoned or infused with Madagascar vanilla extract.
That’s particularly important with finishing treatments, which can sometimes get buried behind vague marketing language. I appreciate knowing what’s being done to the whiskey, even if I would like to see the distillery and more specific maturation details disclosed.
Value
At $54.99, Edmonds Honor lands in a reasonable place for what it offers.
We’re looking at a four-year-old sourced Tennessee bourbon, which I’d generally put somewhere around the $30–$40 range on its own. Add in the distinctive finishing treatment, the quality of the blending by Tracy Franklin, and the considerable attention paid to the presentation, and the asking price starts to make sense.
My biggest reservation is the 86 proof. I don’t think higher proof automatically means better whiskey, but as someone who tends to gravitate toward bottles in the upper 90s and above, I’d love to see this same whiskey bottled with a little more intensity. It would be interesting to see how those vanilla, grape, and cognac characteristics develop with additional proof.
There are certainly better values available if you’re prioritizing age, proof, or sheer whiskey intensity. But judged on its own merits, Edmonds Honor gets reasonably close to where it should be at $55.
Buy if:
- You enjoy cognac-finished bourbon and want something with a pronounced fruit-forward character.
- You prefer silky, approachable whiskey without much traditional rye spice or alcohol bite.
- You love vanilla, caramel, and red grape flavors, especially when they come together in a sweeter profile.
- You appreciate thoughtful bottle design and want something that stands out on the shelf.
Skip if:
- You gravitate toward high-proof bourbon with plenty of heat and intensity.
- You prefer traditional bourbon flavors over wine-influenced finishing treatments.
- You want substantial rye spice, baking spice, or oak-forward character.
- You’re primarily shopping for age and proof relative to price and want the most whiskey for your money.
Verdict
Edmonds Honor is a bottle that surprised me in a few ways. Cognac finishes aren’t typically my favorite, and 86 proof is well below where I usually like my bourbon. Yet somehow, this one manages to bring together a remarkably enjoyable combination of vanilla, caramel, and red grape sweetness without feeling overly manipulated or disjointed. The mouthfeel is fantastic, the flavors are cohesive, and the finish has considerably more staying power than I’d expect from a whiskey at this proof.
I think the biggest accomplishment here is the blending. The cognac influence is dominant, but it never feels like it’s fighting the underlying Tennessee bourbon. Everything works together, and the relatively low proof actually seems to complement the finishing treatment. Interestingly, two of the cognac-finished bourbons I’ve enjoyed most have both been below 90 proof, so perhaps there’s something to be said for letting these particular flavors shine without adding too much heat.
I’d still love to taste this at 100 proof or higher, if only to see what additional intensity might bring. But that’s more curiosity than criticism. At $54.99, Edmonds Honor offers a distinctive flavor profile, excellent presentation, and a surprisingly satisfying drinking experience. It’s not going to be everyone’s preferred style of bourbon, but if you’re someone who appreciates sweeter, fruit-forward whiskey without the traditional bite, this is absolutely worth exploring.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
A beautifully presented, silky-smooth Tennessee bourbon that makes an unexpectedly convincing case for cognac finishing, with loads of vanilla and red grape sweetness.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 3.75 / 7
- Palate: 4.25 / 7
- Finish: 4.5 / 7
- Presentation: 6 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 4.5 / 7
- Transparency: 5 / 7
- Value: 4.25 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 4.61 / 7 – Angelic
Good to great. Often high value for the price.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. Often high value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This bottle was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
About Edmonds Honor
Edmonds Honor is the first original brand developed by Pronghorn, an organization working to create greater opportunities for underrepresented founders, entrepreneurs, and executives while building a more inclusive spirits industry. Rather than simply investing in existing brands, Pronghorn has also stepped into brand creation, developing Edmonds Honor around the story of Edmond Albius, the young Malagasy botanist whose hand-pollination technique revolutionized vanilla cultivation in the 1800s. The brand takes that legacy a step further by connecting his contribution to Madagascar vanilla with a bourbon finished using vanilla-infused cognac casks. Fred Minnick+1
At the center of the whiskey itself is Tracie Franklin, Edmonds Honor’s Liquid Curator, whose work bringing the blend to life deserves particular recognition. Franklin brought together the Tennessee bourbon, cognac finishing, and Madagascar vanilla influence in a way that gives the whiskey its own identity while keeping the underlying spirit intact. Pronghorn’s broader vision also extends beyond the bottle, with an emphasis on uplifting the next generation of talent across art, culinary arts, and mixology. It’s an ambitious project, but one with a meaningful story behind it and, importantly, a thoughtfully executed whiskey to carry that story forward.
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