In 2023, Lux Row’s Daviess County model launched a brand new collection of whiskeys constructed round toasted barrel ending. The primary, with a Calmly Toasted Barrel End, didn’t make a big impact on us. However the collection trudges ahead all the identical with, in fact, a Medium Toasted Barrel End expression.
Like its Calmly Toasted predecessor, Daviess County Medium Toasted options Daviess County Bourbon’s signature mixture of ryed and wheated bourbon mashbills, which is aged four-plus years in charred-oak barrels and is available in at 96 proof (48% abv). The medium toasted barrel end offers this limited-edition launch its personal distinctive taste profile, whereas giving customers extra choices inside the Daviess County household.
“We proceed to honor the wealthy historical past and custom began in 1874 by the Daviess County Distilling Co. with this newest expression of our Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon,” mentioned Lux Row Distillers grasp distiller John Rempe. “Ending our conventional Daviess County bourbon in medium toasted American oak barrels imparts aromas of roasted nuts, cocoa and hints of oak on the nostril, whereas delivering flavors of caramel with notes of honey, roasted espresso and robust coconut on the palate. This distinctive taste profile offers followers of the Daviess County Bourbon model household extra choices to select from and luxuriate in.”
How does the shift from Mild to Medium pan out? Let’s dig in.
A lot as I famous in 2023, this whiskey is daring with notes of contemporary peanuts, showcasing a chunky peanut butter character that’s unimaginable to shake. Vanilla and a few cinnamon add a tempering impact, however it’s delicate, with these peanuts practically overwhelming issues. Time in glass does assist to let some racier spice components percolate up — touches of cayenne — however as with the cinnamon and vanilla notes, it’s restrained.
Admittedly, issues are extra attention-grabbing this time round because the palate takes maintain. Peanut-focused, to make certain, with overtones of baked apples, extra cinnamon, and a contact of butterscotch. All of it stays candy and peanuty, candylike at instances, even a little bit doughy. This expression finds a bit higher steadiness amongst all these flavors (and clearly extra of a fair keel than its predecessor) — there are even some attention-grabbing banana notes perking up on the end — however on the entire it’s nonetheless onerous to shake that highly effective peanut explosion.
Guess we’ll see what occurs when the Closely Toasted Barrel End comes round in 2025, eh?
96 proof.
B / $50 / luxrowdistillers.com
Daviess County Bourbon Medium Toasted Barrel End
$50
