Daviess County - Double Barrel - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$49.99
Daviess County – Double Barrel – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Collection: Limited Edition – Ducks Unlimited
Proof: 96
Age: NAS
Distillery: Bottled By Lux Row Distillers, Believe to be sourced
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown. Blend of Rye and Wheated Bourbons.
Website: Daviess County – Lux Row
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: No surprises. A classic nose of Vanilla, Caramel, & Oak. At the end of the nose I get a Oak finished Red Wine which some would consider a dark fruit smell, but my first thought was a Oak Finished Cab to be specific.
Taste/Palate: Mellow and Medium on the Palate. It’s on the sweeter side with (once again) Caramel upfront, followed by other sweet flavors similar to a Sugar Cookie. A little Oak flavor, but very subtle.
Finish: Sweet all the way through to the end. The finish rounds up all that I have already mentioned above. There wasn’t any profound flavor profile like “Honey Dew on a Bermuda Grass Blade on a Frosty Morning”. Sorry I had to take a jab at the reviewing process and in turn myself. 🙂
Verdict: This Bourbon was very sweet, straight forward, and to the point. There are no surprises and it’s very solid. To be honest I expected more complex flavors out of a Double Oaked, but it ended up very sweet and very well balanced. It has that “Toasted” taste but with a minimal amount of Bread flavor. If you like sweet bourbons pick this up. Now that I think about it if you like Bourbon in general I believe you will like this one. It’s very safe. For that reason I don’t think it has a chance to win Whiskey of the Year, but this gets a thumbs up from me. From a value perspective it’s in a good price point as well (Under $50).
The Story: I’m just a guy that likes to try new bourbons. This brand (Daviess County) has been on my radar for quite some time (a year maybe). When I stopped by my local Total Wine recently I was debating if I was going to review Daviess County (Red) or (Blue). That shows how much I knew about the brand prior to buying and trying. I saw this Double Oaked sitting there. I knew nothing about it. So I went for the Double Oaked. Spoiler alert: I typically like Double Oaked Bourbons so this drew me in.
To level the playing field and to not let my tendency to like Double Oaked Bourbons create a rating bias… I did immediately try Woodford Reserve Double Oaked after I put down my nose and tasting profile on this bottle. They are different and I’m debating with myself which one I like more. I will need to revisit both bottles at least 10-15 more times to have a conclusive verdict. Joking… Maybe. If you’re looking for a Cliff’s Notes comparison Woodford Double Oaked is slightly more bold, complex, and richer. Daviess County is lighter and sweeter. It would depend on my mood and situation which one I prefer. For Example: Woodford with a nice cigar. Daviess County after dinner. If I had to choose one with a gun to my head Woodford probably edges Daviess County Double Barrel out by an inch or two.
The Distillery’s Story (My Summary): I’ll try to list the layers without losing track. LuxCo created brands such as Ezra Brooks, Blood Oath, Rebel Yell, & David Nicholson. At the start of 2020 they also dusted off a long lost brand from the 1800s, Daviess County Bourbon Line. They had your standard Bourbon, French Oak Finished, and Cab Finished selections. Some say the beginning of 2020 is a bad time to roll out a new brand. But in my opinion the alcohol market got stronger with all of us being locked in our homes with nothing to do. Fast Forward to 2021. MGP buys the LuxCo lines for half a bill (Billion), and adds in their ever growing in popularity line George Remus.
Even though Daviess County is owned by MGP it is said that they source their 2 mash bills from Heaven Hill which is independently owned. Heaven Hill has a award winning Wheated Bourbon Mash bill that can be found in Larceny and Old Fitzgerald and a more standard Rye Bourbon that is blended together to create a 4 grain hybrid bourbon. Once again I can’t confirm it’s juice from Heaven Hill, but that’s what I’ve read repeatedly in my research. I’ll stick with it unless I hear officially otherwise.
In Summary: I think that this bourbon line is here to stay given that after the MGP purchase this Limited Edition Double Barrel was released. I can’t say it was in the works prior to the acquisition or not, but it’s promising to see expansion. It remains to be seen if the juice will continued to be sourced outside of the umbrella corp or if there will be a shift in the future. I’d like to see more from this brand, but I hope there are plans to add some age to these. I’d like to see the balance this blend delivers with some more complex flavors that age can provide.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Nose, Palate, and Finish I rank regardless of cost. Value (recent addition) is ranked based on taste vs price.
Reviewer: David S
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