Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon French Oak Finish

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.

I’ve seen this one around a few places, and was always curious to try it. A French oak finishing is tricky to master, it adds a layer of depth and balance, but over do it, and it takes over the base spirit. Generally, as far as American whiskey, I’ve only seen this in Balacones, where considering the oomph of that Texan, an overpowering by French oak wasn’t a concern. Thanks to a generous pour from @jonwilkinson7309, I had my curiosity met. This is like walking into a pastry shop and going head first into an almond topped croissant. It does get that balancing, albeit the base spirit seems a bit sweet. If a sweet tooth is your thing, you’d love this. And at a reasonable price, the VFM is there as well. Nicely done. Thanks Jon for the pour !

Oak, vanilla

$40; Neck Pour; Tasted neat in a Glencairn; Rested 10 minutes. Pleasant scents of sweet vanilla, touches of green apples, hints of orange peel and an overall note that is somewhat floral at the fore, while fresh wet oak lurks underneath in the background; shows faint to no ethanol on the nose. On the palate it opens with an initial burst of sweetness -- vanilla intermingled with traces of orange and thin honey that appear after a slightly oily (not viscous) mouthfeel coating. The opening sweetness dissipates quickly as the short to medium (non-burning) finish transitions into more of a (pleasant) fresh vanilla oak aftertaste while it fades. Merits 3.75 to 4.0 stars if you can pick up the bottle at $40 or less; and agree with a previous reviewer that at prices of $50+ it would perhaps knock the rating towards the lower side of the range as other offerings may ratchet up the experience and provide better value. Still, I believe many would find this offering to be an easy, pleasing pour, and appreciate its refined finesse and elegant quality. While others who prefer bolder styled bourbons may find they would want a more pronounced profile with a heavier punch in the finish -- I for one enjoy the dram, however do wish the flavors held on and lingered just a little longer.

Daviess County French Oak Finish NOSE: Light and Dry. Floral. Dry Oak Spice. Leather. A Dried Musty Orange Peel note I previously have only gotten from Johnny Drum Private Stock. It's like when you find that one orange in the bag that has started to go bad and has started to mold. It's not a smell I like in real life, but it kind of works in Bourbon. There is Light Vanilla and Dried Spices as well. NEAT: That Dry Dusty Character is the first thing that washes over the tongue. There is a little more Sweetness here than the nose would lead you to believe. Subsequent sips reveal Oak Spice, and that dried Orange Peel. There is a Medium Length Finish followed by a Light KY Hug. The Orange, Oak Spice and a Peppery Tingle coats the palate. After a bit, an aftertaste of Dark Chocolate and Cinnamon emerge. SPLASH: Sweetens the Palate a little more. Makes it a little more Traditional. A hint of Pencil Shavings on both nose and palate. VERDICT: A surprisingly good pour. The French Oak is evident in the finish and almost hints at Maker's 46 in profile, but doesn't quite get there. This is very good, but I am going to ding it a quarter point for its $45 price tag. $35-$40 is where this one should be IMHO. Looking forward to trying the other two expressions.