Review: Bourbon de Luxe 7 Years Old Rum Cask Finish and 8 Years Old

Some bourbon brands are born in the distillery. Others are born in the marketplace, shaped by the people who sell them, the companies that carry them forward, and the circumstances that determine whether they survive. Bourbon de Luxe belongs to the latter category, and its story stretches back more than a century, through Prohibition, the rise of some of Kentucky’s most influential whiskey companies, and an eventual disappearance from store shelves.

The brand traces its roots to 1911, when Fort Worth, Texas, whiskey merchant Milton Eppstein introduced Bourbon de Luxe to a growing American whiskey market. The timing was significant. Just nine years later, Prohibition would bring legal whiskey production and sales to an abrupt halt across much of the country. Yet Bourbon de Luxe would prove more resilient than many of its contemporaries. In 1926, Kentucky’s R.E. Wathen Co. acquired the brand, and it subsequently became part of American Medicinal Spirits, one of the companies authorized to sell whiskey for medicinal purposes during Prohibition. In an era when whiskey brands faced an uncertain future, that distinction helped keep the name alive.

The next chapter placed Bourbon de Luxe among considerably bigger players. In 1929, American Medicinal Spirits became part of National Distillers, a major force in American whiskey whose portfolio included such established names as Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, and Old Taylor. Bourbon de Luxe remained in that corporate lineage when National Distillers sold its brands to Jim Beam in 1987. Production continued for years afterward, but by the early 2000s, Bourbon de Luxe had largely disappeared from the market.

For a brand with roots in the pre-Prohibition era, that might have been the end of the story. Instead, its next chapter would bring it back to a family with a connection to its past.

In 2021, Turner Wathen and Jordan Morris secured the Bourbon de Luxe trademark, setting the stage for its eventual return in 2024. The pair had built Rolling Fork Spirits around an appreciation for carefully selected, blended, and finished spirits, establishing a reputation through their work with rum. But bourbon had always been part of the plan, provided they could find the right brand and whiskey to justify bringing it back. For Wathen, the opportunity carried an additional layer of meaning: his family had been involved in the American whiskey business for generations, and Bourbon de Luxe was among the brands associated with that legacy.

The revival was not simply a matter of putting a familiar name on a bottle. Wathen and Morris wanted the whiskey behind the label to merit its return, choosing to launch Bourbon de Luxe as a Kentucky straight bourbon rather than relying on nostalgia alone. Their first release arrived in 2024, reintroducing a name that had been absent from shelves for more than two decades. In 2026, Bourbon de Luxe released a small batch bourbon aged for 8 years and a small batch bourbon aged for 7 years finished in Rolling Fork Rum barrels.

And so Bourbon de Luxe finds itself in a familiar yet distinctly modern position: an old name in a new chapter of American whiskey, carrying the history of the businesses and people that kept it alive while attempting to establish its own identity for a new generation of bourbon drinkers. More than a century after its introduction, the label has returned, but its latest chapter must be judged on what is in the bottle, not merely what is printed on it.

Bourbon de Luxe Rum Cask Finished Bourbon 7 Years Old Review

Batch 2026-02 combines six barrels coopered by Independent Stave Company and filled before October 2017. Two barrels originated at Bardstown Bourbon Company, distilled from 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. These barrels spent more than two years finishing in Rolling Fork Lost Rum Cask Series barrels. One finishing cask previously held Worthy Park rum for 18 years, while the other held Trinidadian 10 Cane rum for 17 years. The bourbon entered these casks in August 2024.

The remaining four barrels were distilled at Green River in Owensboro, Kentucky, from 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. These barrels spent nearly 14 months finishing in Rolling Fork Wheated Cask Wonder Rum casks, with the bourbon entering the rum casks in July 2025.

All bourbon entered the rum casks between 119 and 124 proof. Before finishing, the youngest bourbon had aged for seven years and one month, while the oldest had reached seven years and 10 months, giving the blend an average age of seven years and four months. All barrels were dumped for blending in August 2026 at a natural harvest proof of 119.

The rum cask influence announces itself immediately on the nose, led by a pronounced turbinado sugar aroma. Bright orange zest follows, adding a citrus edge before banana peel takes a prominent position. Nutmeg joins the mix, accompanied by a faint trace of mint. The result brings bourbon and rum together in a way that makes sense, allowing the finishing casks to make their presence known without obscuring the underlying whiskey.

The palate starts with a pronounced dose of spice, as clove and black pepper take the lead. Through the mid-palate, the rum influence becomes more apparent with unsweetened dried pineapple and burnt orange peel appearing alongside a dry mouthfeel. That dryness intensifies toward the finish, where cocoa powder and spicy cinnamon join leather and another dose of black pepper.

This is a well-executed rum cask-finished bourbon that drinks as though it spent several additional years in the barrel. Those who find rum finishes overly sweet should take particular interest here. The rum influence is readily apparent, but it shares the glass with plenty of spice, dry citrus, and earthy notes. Rather than relying on sugar-driven flavors to make its point, Batch 2026-02 offers a more savory, spice-forward take on rum cask finishing. 111 proof. A- / $65

Bourbon de Luxe Bourbon 8 Years Old Review

Batch 2026-01 brings together 15 barrels from two Kentucky distilleries, with two different mashbills contributing to the final blend. Three barrels were distilled at Green River in Owensboro, Kentucky, from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. The remaining 12 barrels came from Bardstown Bourbon Company, distilled from 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. All 15 barrels received a #3 char and matured for at least eight years before being dumped for blending in June 2026.

The nose opens with buttery toffee and sweet, waxy honeycomb. Orange sherbet follows, delivering the citrus flavor of orange without the sharp bite of fresh zest. French toast rounds things out, bringing bready notes of egg wash, cinnamon, and nutmeg, minus the maple syrup.

The palate begins with the combination of caramel and apple found in a caramel apple from the county fair, followed by Honey Nut Cheerios. Through the mid-palate, Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies and candied ginger enter the picture. Sweetness, baked grain, and spice work together particularly well here, accompanied by an exceptionally oily mouthfeel.

The finish takes a different route, moving away from the sweeter opening and placing greater emphasis on spice. Cinnamon chewing gum and grapefruit provide the first wave of flavor, followed by black pepper and an almost effervescent burst of cherry Pop Rocks.

This is an excellent bourbon from the first sip through the finish. What stands out most is the progression of flavors, with each stage offering something different rather than repeating the same notes throughout. The movement from dessert-like sweetness to potent spice gives the bourbon plenty of appeal, while the quality of the blend makes the price especially attractive. Considering both its age and what it delivers in the glass, Batch 2026-01 could rank among the best bourbon values of 2026. 124,5 proof. A / $65

The post Review: Bourbon de Luxe 7 Years Old Rum Cask Finish and 8 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.