Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Review

First the 1981 Daviess, then the newly launched Daviess County Bourbon and now that same whiskey finished in Cab Sauv barrels – Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish. That’s right, another bourbon finished in some kind of wine barrels in a desperate hope that wine and whiskey will merge into something tasty.

And this time… it has. I don’t want to ruin the whiskey review below, so I’m going to use the space up here to say this… I love this series. Ok, I’m not a huge fan of the Daviess French Oak release, but I love that they did it and that we have the opportunity to try the exact same whiskey, treated two different ways, next to the base.

This is a fun experiment for the senses to see the similarities and differences from one to the next. Though, on the consumer side, I do wish they offered these in a pack of three at 200ml-375ml each; would be a hell of a set for whiskey nerds. To make it even nerdier, make it a set of 5 200ml bottles that includes a 200ml of the ryed bourbon and the wheated bourbon so you can move from the components to the finals blend to the finishes. The things I’d do if I owned a distillery or NDP company… anyways, let’s get to the bourbon review!

Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish – Details and Tasting Notes

Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish bottle with a white background and tasting glass of whiskey next to it.

“A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in cabernet barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.” – LuxRow

Whiskey Details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Undisclosed (likely Heaven Hill Distillery)
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Wheat + Malted Barley (blend of rye and wheat bourbons)
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 48%

Price: $40*

Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy amber

NOSE
Dark fruit, oak, leather, toasted rye bread, Sunkist Fruit Gems, Fun Dip, citrus, cocoa and light spice.

PALATE
Dried dark fruit, oak, leather, peanut brittle, toasted rye bread, caramel, Fun Dip, citrus, cocoa and light spice.

FINISH
Med-long -> Oak, dark fruit and spice.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great, med-full, oily->dry

OVERALL
This Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon is quite nice – my favorite of the new lineup.

Aroma is layered with juicy dark fruit, is deeply oaky, leathery and spicy and combines the whole array in a balanced way that’s just plain pleasant; Palate starts nice, but grows in complexity as it open and the dark fruits expand with notes of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries coming up in intervals and playing against the more oaky and spicy notes; Finish is a slow fade that hits the main profiles.

Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish – Final Thoughts and Score

I’m always skeptical of sherry or wine finished bourbons and ryes. Sometimes they work very well like with the Wild Turkey Revival and other times they’re overpowering and awful like the Corti Bros Sherried Bourbon. And then there are times where the bourbon or rye is already so bold that the wine finish doesn’t seem to have done much at all. Here, it’s struck a nice balance.

The Davies County Bourbon Cabernet Sauvignon Finish is pleasant all around and compared to the standard Daviess County Bourbon, the Cab Sauv barrels embolden the dark, fruity, and rustic notes without covering up anything or being distracting. On the whole, this whiskey comes through just a bit richer and more dynamic. All of which is exactly what a finish is supposed to do – enhance the whiskey. Well done folks.

SCORE: 3.5/5

*Disclosure: The bottle for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.