I picked this bottle of Lux Row Double Barrel up at the distillery over 2 years ago and am finally getting around to reviewing it. I’ve gone back to it from time to time and included it in blind tasting flights but it’s never impressed me and I don’t find myself reaching for the bottle. That said I’ve never found it to be bad just underwhelming in a flight so I’m going to try it again by itself and see if I can appreciate it a little more.
Lux Row Double Barrel 2019
Age: 12 years
Proof: 118.4
Price: 150
Barrels: 5154523 and 5154524
Neat
Nose: Sweet caramel, rich oak, subtler fruit and nuts with just a hint of ethanol.
Taste: A big rush of caramel and baking spice with oak and red fruit toward the end. Decent but unremarkable mouthfeel. Hot for the proof.
Finish: Long, warm, slightly dry finish with cinnamon, baking spice, oak and vanilla notes.
Conclusion
There were some great flavors in here but I feel like this drinks hotter than I would have expected for the 118.4 proof and didn’t wow me. While there are tasting notes I typically really like (ie caramel, red fruit, nuts) they just didn’t come together the way I wanted. The most telling thing is that it’s taken ~2.5 years to drink through the bottle and I have no desire to track down a second one. I’d gladly take one of my preferred batches of ECBP over this and in the same price range Bardstown Discovery Series is a better buy. I know a lot of folks loved this one and I think I can see why but it wasn’t my favorite.
As an aside I really liked this one the rocks but again I’d just as easily enjoy an ECBP that way for ~half the price. The ice tamed the heat and seeme dot make the flavors come together better for me.
1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies
TL;DR: Enjoyable but not worth the high price and scarcity