Lux Row Distillers — the company behind Rebel Yell, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and other whiskey brands — has brought back the classic whiskey label Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Re-launched this week, the brand consists of a mixed mash bill of both wheated and ryed bourbons. The three variants in this line are Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon; Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Cabernet Sauvignon Finish; and Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – French Oak Finish.
“The combination of mash bills really sets this bourbon apart – the smooth wheated mash bill and the traditional spicy ryed mash bill come together for a balanced taste profile,” says John Rempe, head distiller at Lux Row Distillers.
All three variants are bottled at 96 proof in 750-ml. bottles, with an embossed shoulder and topped with a natural cork. The suggested retail price for the regular Kentucky straight bourbon is $39.99, while the two barrel-finished bottles are $44.99 each.
The Cabernet Sauvignon Finish rested for six months in cabernet sauvignon barrels from the Napa region in California, while the French Oak Finish was in French oak barrels for six months.
“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.
The brand, bought by the David Sherman Corporation in 1993, honors Daviess County, which has a long history of distilled spirits and distilleries. One of the first distilleries in that area, Daviess County Distilling Company, with heritage dating back to 1874, was one of the few distilleries to survive prohibition. It helped pave the way for the nearly 20 other distilleries that operated in Daviess County by the early 1900s. Today, only three remain, but the county’s significance in bourbon history lives on.