Daviess County Bourbon features four variants: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (KSBW), Cabernet Sauvignon Finish, French Oak Barrel Finish, and Double Barrel Limited Edition. Each features a unique blend of wheated and ryed mash bills, but each also offers its own tasting notes with different complexities.

This is why Daviess County Bourbons make the perfect gift for new whiskey drinkers. If you’re a new whiskey drinker or it’s something you’ve been wanting to get into, we can help.

The Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey

Whiskey is a distilled spirit made from fermented grains aged in wooden barrels.

Bourbon is also a distilled spirit made from fermented grains aged in wooden barrels.

But, while all bourbon is whiskey, not all whiskey is bourbon. By law, for a whiskey to be considered bourbon, it has to follow specific criteria.

• Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn
• It must be aged in new American charred white oak barrels.
• Bourbon can’t include additives or colorings.
• Cannot be distiller higher than 160 proof (80% ABV) and cannot be put in the barrel higher than 125 proof (62.5% ABV)
• It does not have to come from Kentucky, but it must be made in America

What is Whiskey Blending?

Whiskey blending is the craft of mixing two or more bourbons or whiskeys together. Daviess County Bourbons are made by blending together two bourbons–one wheated and one ryed–and to get the variants, that blend is finished in either cabernet sauvignon barrels or French oak barrels.

Once the bourbon finishes in the barrels, it’s added back into the whiskey to finish the process.

What is finishing? This blog post explains it.

How Are The Variants Different?

As mentioned above, the difference in the variants comes from the ways each whiskey is finished. The taste profile of the base whiskey, the KSBW, offers notes of oak, caramel, and graham cracker.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Finish contains hints of fruit and more oak from the barrel.

French Oak Finish carries hints of chocolate and oak.

And the Limited Edition Double Barrel, which is finished in fresh Missouri White Oak barrels with a #2 char and toasted heads, offers sweet caramel and honey with toasted marshmallows.

Daviess County Bourbons are perfect for introducing yourself to Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey (which is what most bourbons are) or more complex whiskey profiles.

If you need to know how to taste bourbon whiskey, check out our guide: How to Do a Proper Bourbon Whiskey Tasting.

Where to Find Daviess County Bourbon

Daviess County Bourbon can be found across the nation. You can also check for it online here.