Legent Vs. Daviess County French Oak Finish
I’m not typically a big fan of “finished” whiskey. So many times the cask-finish completely takes over the taste profile. Here, however, we have 2 bottles that do it right. These are both clearly bourbons first, with subtle notes and complexity from the cask finishes second.
Daviess County) $45 - This bourbon from Luxco is made from a blend of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a high-rye, and finished for six months in French oak barrels. 96 proof.
The nose is fairly light with some floral notes, baking spice, spongecake, and oak. The palate is surprisingly flavorful and has a vanilla sweetness, stone fruits, subtle baking spices, and a little maple syrup. The finish has some cinnamon, and some pastry notes, and right at the end a slight cherry and chocolate bitterness. Overall this is quite good, and a great wheated option in this price range.
Legent) $36 - This is a collaboration between the two halves of Beam Suntory. It's a Kentucky bourbon, made by Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe, with three components. The first is the bourbon itself, matured for approximately five years, blended with a portion finished in California red wine casks (for one extra year) and a portion finished in sherry casks (for two extra years). The whiskeys were blended by Suntory chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. The first new standalone bourbon brand from the company in 27 years. 94 proof.
The nose is fairly strong and definitely has some dark fruit/red wine notes, along with vanilla and oak. The palate is clearly a bourbon with strong caramel, vanilla, charred oak, along with some fruity notes and hints of a Speyside scotch. The fairly long finish definitely shows some sherry notes with peanuts, some black pepper, vanilla, and a hint of brine at the end. I love the complexity of this bottle.
Verdict) I am definitely a fan of Legent, and it is the winner here. I feel like it’s being overlooked, but for the price-range I think it’s a steal! Both are worth having, but Legent is $10 less than the Daviess County! (BTW, the French Oak Finish is my favorite of the DC line).