I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
As we are in the middle of the Autumn Bourbon Special Release season, I find myself getting increasingly crabby with producers putting out bottles far outside a regular consumer's price range. Old Man Eric remembers when limited editions were limited in quantity, not limited to the wealthy. But that ship has long since passed us by. And all this site's frugal readers (and writers) need to remember that these bourbons are no longer for us. As my grandfather used to say, they are for people with more dollars than sense.
Or do we need to remember that? Last week, I had a Limited Edition Bourbon land on my front step. And it breaks the trend of Limited Editions being limited to people of wealth. Look, I get it. Market forces being what they are means that as more people want something that is of limited quantity, prices go up to what the market will bear. It’s just that, unfortunately for those of us in the frugal category, what the market as a whole can bear is more than we want to bear personally. But some producers seem ok with putting out a special edition bourbon that is only about $10 or so more expensive than their standard releases. And I think that should be celebrated.
So let’s pour a drink of the newly released Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon to celebrate and learn what there is to learn about this Limited Edition bourbon. I did a very deep historical dive into the history of the brand back in 2020 when they initially released bourbon under the Daviess County name, so I will let you go read that if you wish. But today, I’ll let the press release talk for itself.
I mean, I’m out here yelling at clouds. I might as well let someone with some sense take over.
Daviess County Lightly Toasted features its namesake brand family’s signature combination of ryed and wheated bourbon mashbills, which is aged four-plus years in charred-oak barrels and comes in at 96 proof (48% ABV). The lightly toasted barrel finish is what gives this limited-edition release its own unique flavor profile, while giving consumers additional options within the Daviess County family. “I’m proud to honor the rich history and tradition started in 1874 by the Daviess County Distilling Co. with this latest expression of our Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon,” said Lux Row Distillers master distiller John Rempe.
Eighteen thousand bottles of Daviess County Lightly Toasted, the “first in a series of annually offered toasted-barrel finishes” for the brand, will be hitting store shelves soon, if they haven’t landed already. The suggested retail price is $49.99. But now, I suppose that you want to know if it is any good, don’t you? Well, let’s get on with it, then.
Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon
Purchase Price: This sample was sent by the producers for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33
Details: 48% ABV. A blend of wheated bourbon and bourbon that uses rye as its flavoring grain.
Nose: Warm, buttered toast, Christmas spices, brown sugar, vanilla, and roasted nuts.
Mouth: Spicier than I'd have guessed from the nose. Notes of Christmas spices, almond, and oak.
Finish: Warm and long with lingering notes of cinnamon and almond.
Thoughts: Dry and spicy without a ton of sweetness. The added wood and the cinnamon notes really come through when you compare it to standard Daviess County. I tend to like sweet, fruity bourbons as my go-to’s, but on those days I want something dry and spicy, I'm going to reach for this one. I really like it.
This is a very tasty limited edition bourbon that doesn’t cost much more than the standard release. I like it quite a bit better, though, so if I see it, I will also buy it. Not to shit on the standard release. I’ve enjoyed quite a few bottles of that over the last year or so. Lightly Toasted is just really good.
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