Review: Lux Row Distillers Four Grain Bourbon Double Single Barrel

Luxco has expanded its Lux Row whiskey brand with the launch of a new, and somewhat unorthodox, four grain bourbon called Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon.

Offered at 115 proof, Lux Row Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon is the combination of a single barrel of 4-year-old wheated bourbon and a single barrel of 4-year-old ryed bourbon. The wheated mashbill produces a smoother bourbon with caramel and citrus notes and velvety oak finish, while the ryed mashbill produces a spicier bourbon with hints of caramel and vanilla and smooth, mellow finish. Together, the bourbon’s four grains (corn, wheat, rye and malted barley) come together in a balanced, flavorful mix of both mashbills.

So, two single barrels from two different mashbills, one ryed, one wheated. Hence “Double Single Barrel.” Our sample (all Kentucky distillate) includes wheated barrel #8119674 and ryed barrel #8086566. I presume you will find the two barrels paired in each bottle you find — in other words, wheated barrel #8119674 won’t also appear with a different ryed whiskey, but who knows? Both of our whiskey barrels carry 2018 fill dates (also noted on the label).

Keeping in mind that single barrel mileage will always vary, let’s give this bottle a spin.

The nose is quite peppery and bold, showing the essence of BBQ brisket bark and layers of woody lumberyard. Tobacco notes become extremely prominent with just a little time in glass, and they sit with the whiskey for the long haul.

On the palate, things shift dramatically. I found the whiskey to be extremely soft, especially considering its 57.5% abv. Notes of fresh grains pair against a mild baking spice and a slightly grassy quality on first sip. With time to develop, the whiskey begins to show layers of dark chocolate and cinnamon, barrel char notes rumbling along and pressing up against a bit of brown banana and more of that tobacco smoke quality. Clean, crisp finish: This isn’t one of those whiskeys that sticks with you for days but rather suggests it might be best in a cocktail.

While simple, the experience was compelling enough to keep me going back to it, a frontier-lite experience that comes across as a perfectly pleasant Sunday sipper rather than something .

115 proof.

B+ / $80 / luxrowdistillers.com 

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