A classic bourbon with an experimental finish. You may have seen it before in one of my Explorers Packs with the Angel’s Envy that was in last summer’s edition. But despite the fact that this is the second time I’ve included a finished bourbon in my pack, it’s still a rather rare occurrence in the world of bourbon. Mainly because as soon as you put a bourbon in anything other than a virgin oak cask, it’s not a bourbon anymore! But since flavour comes first at Dram1, including this Daviess County Cabernet Sauvignon cask in my pack posed no problem for me!
So, technically this isn’t a bourbon. Because it did spend 6 months in an ex-Cabernet Sauvignon cask. But more and more people in the American whisky industry are looking to change that rule (something that’s feared by other whisky industries around the world, because it would mean an end to affordable ex-bourbon casks). For now, it makes this finished (and thus not a) bourbon a harder sell in the States. But if you look past that you’ll find that the wine finish adds some lovely layers to the traditional bourbon notes.
Tasting Notes: Daviess County – Cabernet Sauvignon Cask
Stats:
ABV: 48% (96 proof)
Age: NAS
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Bottled by: Daviess County
Cask: Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks
Category: Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Chill-Filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Nose:
On the nose this whisky is very much a bourbon. As hard as I am trying to find the wine influence, I can’t say that I’m picking up on it. That having been said, it smells like an excellent bourbon though! There’s loads of vanilla, caramel and molasses. I’m also picking up some Maraschino cherries and notes of chocolate and mocha beans. A full-bodied and complex nose!
Palate:
On the palate I do start picking up the wine influence, with some clear notes of grape juice and even some mulled wine showing up. It’s paired with notes of oak, vanilla, caramel and molasses. With some burnt sugar and liquorice root in the mix as well. It’s also fairly tannic, giving this dram a rather dry mouthfeel.
Finish:
The finish is long and doubles down on the tannins that I was finding on the palate. Those tannic influences are paired with a lovely apple syrup note though, which makes the overall experience rather pleasant. I’m finding some dried fruits as well, such as dates, raisins, and plums. Near the very end I’m getting some dark chocolate cherry bon-bons.
Verdict:
I love a good bourbon, and though this technically may not be called a bourbon… it’s a damn good bourbon. The Cabernet Sauvignon finish has a very minimal effect on the whiskey and is only really noticeable on the palate. But what it does add, adds to the complexity in a pleasant way. This dram is still very much American though, a bit loud and in your face. But I don’t mean that in a bad way at all, big flavours pair well with big flavours after all and this would be a perfect accompaniment to a nice steak!
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