Earlier we reviewed the new flagship Daviess County Bourbon and now we’re tasting one of the two variants they’ve released: Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish. In the world of finished bourbons and ryes, this isn’t something you see every day. It’s more common in Scotch, but even there it’s in the minority. An interesting decision for sure.
If you’ve read this blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m not always the biggest fan of French Oak influence. Sometimes it’s a bit floral, other times a bit bubblegummy and others it’s just… off. And when that happens you never know for sure if it’s the spirit or the barrel it was finished in. But now we have the chance to try it next to the original spirit. This should be educational.
Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish – Details and Tasting Notes
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, French Oak (6 mo)
Age: NAS
ABV: 48%
Price: $40*
Tasting Notes
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Grain sweetness, oak, citrus, spice, vanilla, cocoa, powdered sugar, marzipan and light notes of nuts, tropical fruit and floral notes.
PALATE
Grain sweetness, oak, citrus, spice, vanilla, cocoa, powdered sugar, marzipan and light notes of nuts, soap and bubblegum.
FINISH
Medium-short -> Oak, grain sweetness, caramel, soap and bubblegum.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not fully balanced, light body and a soft feel.
OVERALL
Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish isn’t terrible, but it isn’t doing much for me either.
Aroma is sweet and soft, pulling in a lot of lighter sweet notes over the regular bourbon giving it a muted sweeter tone as if it’s somehow removed some of the original oak influence; Palate, again, feels a bit muted, like someone threw a blanket thrown over the speaker and I’m getting a flatter delivery across the board; Finish whispers out with the most oak influence, and bubblegum note, in the whole whiskey.
Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish – Final Thoughts and Score
My biggest complaint here is that it tastes and smells so soft and watered down; I’d take the standard over this any day. It’s quite the odd choice in finishes, but I’m still glad they did it. I love being able to taste this side-by-side with the standard whiskey to compare and contrast what’s going on and really taste and smell the French Oak cask influence.
In this case, it seems to have detracted more than enhanced and while this isn’t something I’d quickly reach for, it is something I can see a lot of folks who like softer whiskeys gravitating to. If that’s you, then this Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish might be right up your alley. If not, then you might want to stick with the original.
SCORE: 2.5/5
*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.
Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish Review $40
Overall
2.5- Nose (2.5)
- Palate (2.5)
- Finish (2.5)
- BBF (2.5)
User Review
0 (0 votes) Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)Summary
A soft whiskey that gets a bit more floral and fruity as it opens but the oak and spice stay low making this come across rather light.