Copper & Cask Wave That Flag Double Oak Bourbon (May 2026 Batch) Review

Distillers: Distilled by Ross & Squibb (MGP) – Lawrenceburg, Indiana 

Proof: 117.0 (58.5% ABV)

Age: 9 Years

Mashbill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley 

MSRP: $75

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A mature, polished, sweet-oak bourbon.

Copper & Cask Wave That Flag (May 2026 Batch) arrives with clear signals of what it intends to bring.  It is a 9-year bourbon distilled by Ross & Squibb in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, bottled by Latitude Beverage Co. in Rumford, Rhode Island, released at 117 proof, limited to 3,000 bottles, and built around a patriotic America’s 250th theme.  The label is sharp, the presentation is elevated, and the bottle clearly has an enthusiast in mind.

The whiskey with secondary aging in ZAK Cooperage Wave Stave Char 1 barrels using four different toast levels.  That’s a lot to understand.  Copper & Cask describes the idea as doubling down on new American oak to create a dark, bold bourbon with sweet notes of caramel and fruit.  This is not a wine, rum, or sherry finish trying to pull bourbon into another lane.  This is an American oak finish trying to make bourbon taste even more deeply like bourbon:  more caramel, more fruit, more oak, more proof, and more finish.

That creates the real question.  Does the Wave Stave finish deepen the 9-year MGP bourbon that’s underneath, or does the story and label do more of the work than the whiskey itself?  In this case, the whiskey shows up.  Wave That Flag comes across as mature, polished, sweet-oak driven, and complete, with enough proof to justify the enthusiast positioning.

Copper & Cask Wave That Flag Double Oak Bourbon (May 2026 Batch) Review: Tasting Notes

Nose – 4.6/5

Dark caramel.  Toffee.  Vanilla bean.  Dark cherry. Fresh-cut oak.
Strengths:  Full, inviting, and clearly defined from the first pass.  Leads sweet.  Dark caramel and cherry show early.  With time in the glass, deepens into toffee, vanilla bean, and fruit candy.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Stays mostly in its sweet oak, vanilla, and toffee lane.  Unlike what we might expect, does not push into much spice, tobacco, leather, barrel char, or deeper mature complexity.
Rating Justification:  Excellent.  Fits within the whiskey’s intent.  Keeps asking for more attention to explore further.  Does not nose like 117 proof.  Does not turn astringent, thin, muted, or muddled.

Palate – 4.7/5

Sweet oak.  Dark caramel.  Cherry vanilla cola spice.  Dark chocolate.  Toasted oak.  Light rye spice.
Strengths:  Strongest part of the whiskey.  Opens with sweet oak, cherry, and a cola-like kick.  Develops dark chocolate, toasted oak, and light rye spice.  Flavors work as a team instead of standing around by themselves.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Very well built, but it remains centered around the central notes rather than stretching into a wider range of more mature bourbon notes.
Rating Justification:  Builds in a way that the flavors are connected rather than singular.  Proof accentuates the flavors without overwhelming them.  Texture stays coating and cool.  Becomes more interesting as it develops rather than flattening out.

Finish – 4.6/5

Sweet oak.  Cinnamon candy.  Rye spice.  Vanilla bean.  Cola spice.
Strengths:  Long, pleasant, and evolving.  Sits mid-Palate and back Palate.  Moves from sweet oak and cherry cola into cinnamon candy and rye spice.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Strong and well connected, but it stays centered on initial notes.  No major twist or evolution.
Rating Justification:  Finish reinforces the whiskey’s identity.  Does not turn dry, bitter, tannic, or hot like many secondary aged whiskeys are prone to do.  Grows spicier as it fades.  Leaves the kind of final impression that makes another sip easy to justify.

Value – 4.2/5

At $75, Copper & Cask Wave That Flag (May 2026 Batch) offers good value.  The price makes sense for a 9-year, 117-proof, limited-release, double-oaked MGP bourbon that feels complete.  This bottle is not only asking you to simply buy it based on the story.  It gives you enough whiskey in the glass to back it up.

This is primarily an enthusiast bottle.  It is best enjoyed neat, where the sweet oak and other nicely done bourbon notes have room to build.  A rock also works well and deepens the sweeter notes without causing the whiskey to fall apart.  The 117 proof feels right because it supports the flavor rather than showing up as heat for heat’s sake.

Copper & Cask Wave That Flag Double Oak Bourbon (May 2026 Batch): The Verdict

Copper & Cask Wave That Flag succeeds because the whiskey lives up to its billing and own hype.  The patriotic reference, elegant label, limited release, 9-year age statement, and barrel-proof presentation all suggest an enthusiast-leaning bourbon with an elevated goal. The whiskey delivers on that expectation.

This is not a delicate bourbon, and it is not trying to be.  It is a mature, polished, sweet-oak bourbon that uses proof and secondary oak aging to create a bolder, more complete sipping experience.  At $75, the Value is good and the whiskey itself is strong enough to justify the release.  Wave That Flag earns its placement by being exactly what it appears to be trying to be:  bold, mature, distinctly American, and well-built from start to finish.

Verdict – 4.5/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.5 – 5
• Gold – 4 – 4.5
• Silver – 3 – 4
• Bronze – <3