June 2020

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – French Oak Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon
French Oak Cask Finish

48% ABV
$45
Website
Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon French Oak Finish
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition.

Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world.

A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in French oak barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.

The French Oak Finish has been rested in French oak barrels for six months for a hint of dry oak.

“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smoothness from the barrel finish with hints of chocolate and oak
FINISH: Long, warm finish with hints of spicy oak

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak just toasted, vanilla, spongecake with subtle baking spice, honey, hint of caramel and chocolate.
Palate:  Sweet with honey, vanilla, bit of milk chocolate and more pronounced spices of allspice and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey and pepper spice.
Comments:  This is fairly similar to the non-finished bourbon with a bit more spice and chocolate notes (and the finish is a tad longer). Nicely done where the finish is adding something without overwhelming the bourbon, and keeping that familial profile.  Hate to provide spoilers, but this is my favorite of the three Daviess County Bourbon’s I tried, but only slightly.

Rating: Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

48% ABV
$40
Website
Daviess County Straight Bourbon
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition.

Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world.

A unique combination of two bourbon mashbills – a smooth wheated and a traditional ryed – for a balanced sweetness and spice.

“The combination of mash bills really sets this bourbon apart – the smooth wheated mash bill and the traditional spicy ryed mash bill come together for a balanced taste profile,” says John Rempe, Head Distiller at Lux Row Distillers.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smooth notes of honey, vanilla, and caramel
FINISH: Long, warm, sweet finish with a hint of spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak, vanilla bean, roasted corn bread with butter and honey, subtle baking spices, a hint of caramel.
Palate:  Sweet and smooth with honey, vanilla, a hint of caramel corn followed by a touch of allspice and gentle pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with honey and soft spice.
Comments:  This is a pretty nice bourbon. Appreciate it being bottled at 96 proof, although it drinks like a lower proof bourbon to me. Nice balance, and definitely softer than a typical rye-mashbill bourbon, but a bit more spice than a typical wheater. Lux Row Distillery hasn’t been distilling long enough to have a no-age statement straight bourbon (and to be clear, their label doesn’t try to claim that in any way). I inquired if they would share who distilled this particular product, and their response was as follows:  Yes, this is sourced bourbon as the Lux Row Distillers distillate is still resting comfortably in their barrels. We have many relationships in the bourbon industry that have been great partners over the years. There is nothing wrong with sourced bourbon, and if I had to guess, the distillate came Heaven Hill (who make some pretty damn good whiskey).  All that said, other than striking a solid balance between wheater and rye, this one didn’t leave a memorable impression.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye Whiskey

45% ABV
$50 (for a 375 mL)
Website
Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye

What the Distillery Says

Islay Rye (eye-la) is a small batch Rye Whiskey that takes two of our favorite things and combines them into something awesome and unique!
The mash bill is composed of 80% Rye and 20% Peated Malted Barley, making this a Rye Whiskey with a heavy nod to Islay Single Malt Scotches. Islay Rye is sure to please anyone who appreciates the bold flavor and subtle spice of a rye whiskey or the mellow smokiness and near floral character of a master-crafted Islay Single Malt.
We do not chill filter our whiskies so the taste and aroma is pure still and barrel. Enjoy!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty damp cardboard, mineral notes from freshly shoveled earth, old pencils, husky malt, given enough time I get rye baked bread (but having to work for it).
Palate:  Round mouthfeel, sweet rye spice with a bit of dill and a subtle citrus note; earthy notes with black tea.
Finish:  Short and drying, with earthy mineral notes.
Comments:  I love rye whiskey, and I love Islay single malts. When a friend had recommended this, I had really high hopes – which may have been my undoing. As a small distillery, perhaps there is a lot of variation batch to batch, as having read and watched their reviews – I can’t imagine what was in the bottle I got was the same whiskey. I really wanted to like this, but didn’t.
In fact, this is one of the few whiskies I have that I wouldn’t drink.  I tried leaving it sit in the glass for 30 minutes (which definitely made some difference), and while that allowed me to get a bit more out of it – the earthy/mineral notes were still pretty prominent, and just not in my wheelhouse.  I’ll share out in samples what is left from the bottle so friends and family can experience it for themselves (and they may have very different impressions). For me, there wasn’t any Islay smoke or peat going on. There was loads of earthiness – reminds me on the nose of when I till the garden for the first time each spring. This is only available from their tasting rooms, so likely unless you’re passing through Michigan you may never encounter. If you are in one of their tasting rooms, I’d definitely ask for a sample before buying.

Rating: Probably Pass

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Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old (Export)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Export; Sold in Japan

50.5% ABV
$25
Website
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon 8 Years

What the Distillery Says

For more than 60 years, legendary Master Distiller Jimmy Russell has been crafting Wild Turkey 101 the right way. With a high rye content, this iconic bourbon is perfectly aged in American White Oak barrels with the deepest char for more character.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty oak, vanilla, bitter chocolate, cinnamon spice with nutty caramel.
Palate:  Classic Wild Turkey spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper with honey and vanilla, just a hint of dark chocolate and caramel.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with pepper spice and oak trailing.
Comments:  This is only available in select export markets (this isn’t the ‘dusty’ 8 yr you may have found in the states years ago).  To benchmark it, I first sampled it in a blind side-by-side with current Wild Turkey 101.  Personal preferences will vary, but I actually liked the domestic NAS Wild Turkey 101 over this – although they were insanely close.  This had just a touch more oak and a touch less caramel to me than the other, but were incredibly similar.  That said – this didn’t strike me as something special I’d seek out (and I take some comfort in knowing that I’m not missing out).  Although if you like more oak in your bourbon, this might edge out what you find on the shelf – although again, the differences weren’t significant to me.

Rating: Average

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