Even if you consider yourself a bourbon connoisseur, you might not be familiar with the term ‘toasted bourbon.’ Toasted bourbon is taking the spirits world by storm, and it’s a style worth learning about and exploring.
Here at Daviess County Bourbon, we’re big fans of using specialized methods to craft bourbon that goes above and beyond, and we love releasing special edition bottles that are truly unique — like our Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon. Learning about what’s inside the bottle can be (almost) as fun as drinking it, so read on to learn everything you need to know about toasted bourbon.
How is toasted bourbon made?
One of the most important aspects of any bourbon is the barrel in which it’s aged. To be considered bourbon, a whiskey (amongst other requirements) must be aged in new, charred, American oak barrels. What happens inside the barrel is also how toasted bourbon gets its distinction.
While the interiors of traditional charred barrels are scorched for about a minute at high heat, toasted barrels are toasted. Rather than a quick burst of heat, toasted barrels are exposed to lower, more prolonged heat that goes deeper into the wood. This ‘low and slow’ approach is more time-intensive (and expensive) than the traditional method, but bourbon aged in toasted barrels is special enough to warrant the extra effort.
Toasted bourbons are often aged in charred barrels and then transferred to toasted barrels at the end of the aging process as a unique finishing touch.
What does toasted bourbon taste like?
Toasted bourbon is lighter in color than the charred variety and boasts a unique flavor profile. The char on the inside of a barrel imparts significant characteristics to the spirit, and using a toasted barrel allows distillers to highlight more delicate and nuanced flavors. Most toasted bourbons feature notes of:
- Vanilla
- Subtle caramel
- Light oak
- Coconut
On the other hand, charred barrels result in bourbons that are heavier on caramel and oak since the high heat works to break down the sugars in the wood more rapidly. Like all of our bourbons, Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon is made from a combination of ryed and wheated mashbills. The result is a silky smooth, aromatic, and perfectly balanced bourbon.
What’s the best way to drink toasted bourbon?
Toasted bourbon is inherently unique due to the time, and care producers must put into distillation. That being said, a great way to appreciate these special bottles is to sip them neat or on the rocks. Doing so will allow you to appreciate vanilla’s soft, smooth flavor and deep notes.
However, toasted bourbon can also be the perfect cocktail base. Take a look:
- Old Fashioned: An old fashioned is one of the best cocktail options to let bourbon shine. Feel free to swap out demerara sugar for white sugar to amp up the toasty, warm bourbon notes. You can even get creative and whip up a toasted coconut old-fashioned variation to highlight the coconut notes in our Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon.
- Sidecar: The orange liqueur in the sidecar goes perfectly with the hints of vanilla in toasted bourbon.
- Bourbon Sazerac: Since sazeracs are served neat (and contain absinthe), they typically pack a boozy punch. Swapping out traditional bourbon for a bottle of toasted bourbon will result in a more approachable beverage.
Try Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Bourbon Today
If you’re excited about exploring the world of toasted bourbon, pick up a bottle of Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon today. This one-of-a-kind bourbon is aged for four years in charred, new American oak barrels, then finished in a lightly toasted oak barrel to give it the perfect balance of flavor and subtlety. Like all our bourbons, it comes in at 96 proof and is unbelievably drinkable.
With a limited allocation of 3,000 six-pack cases, this limited-edition bottle won’t last long. We’re thrilled to offer another way to enjoy Daviess County Bourbon!