Lux Row 12 Year Double Barrel Bourbon
Mike Rosen

Bourbon

November 28, 2023

Lux Row 12 Year Double Barrel Bourbon is a limited release to commemorate the grand opening of Lux Row Distillers in April of 2018. In a laborious process, samples are pulled from barrels that are at least 12 years old to find a pair that complements each other’s flavor profile. The paired barrels are dumped, blended, and bottled with a handwritten label specifying the barrel numbers and the date they began aging. In September 2019 Lux Row first released 6,000 bottles of the 12 year Double Barrel Bourbon to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the distillery’s grand opening. The 118.4 proof is also a nod to the date Lux Row opened its doors.

Because this bottle predates Lux Row distillers, we know that it wasn’t distilled by Lux Row. While there is no official word on which distillery created the liquid inside this bottle, it’s commonly believed to be Heaven Hill. Mainly because Luxco (formally David Sherman Corporation) has a long and successful history with Heaven Hill to produce their brands. I called the Lux Row visitors center and was told the 12 Year Double Barrel mash bill was 78/10/12, which is like saying, “I’m telling you it’s Heaven Hill without telling you it’s Heaven Hill”. The 12 Year Double Barrel Bourbon is usually a distillery-only release. I picked this one up in the Lux Row booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Let’s get started.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.

Blended and bottled by: Lux Row Distillers.

Proof: 118.4, Cask Strength.

Age: 12 years.

Barrel numbers: 5782968 & 5782985, aged since 7/26/10.

Mash bill: 78% Corn/10% Rye/12% Malted Barley.

MSRP: $189.99.

Appearance: Golden caramel.

Nose

A complex mix of crème brûlée, brown sugar, butterscotch, milk chocolate, hazelnut, maraschino cherries, red berries, apples, vanilla bean, nutmeg, black tea, cloves, cinnamon, and oak. Trust me when I say this smells as good as it sounds. The oak is like a chocolate hazelnut crème brûlée topped with butterscotch in a glass. The fruit is cherry forward mixed with red berries and a hint of apple. The accompanying mix of vanilla bean, herbal flavors, and spice tops off this well-balanced and incredible nose.

Palate

With the same complexity, the nose carries on to the palate with an emphasis on delicious oak flavors of crème brûlée, brown sugar, chocolate, and hazelnut. An assortment of cherries, apricots, and berries are mixed with vanilla and nutmeg. Herbal notes of delicate black tea and cloves offer an excellent balance to the sweeter flavors. A punch of white pepper and musty oak enter mid-sip with a good medium mouthfeel that could benefit from a bit more viscosity. The flavors and balance in this pour are exceptional.

Finish

White pepper lingers on the whole palate with maraschino cherries, red berries, and vanilla coming back around with apples, cloves, hazelnuts, and leather. Musty oak hangs on the back of the palate with subtle tobacco lasting to the very end. The finish leans on the delicate side but is still long and very enjoyable with slight dryness at the very end.

Conclusion

Getting right to the point, the Lux Row 12 Year Double Barrel has become one of my favorite bottles of the year. Besides other favorable reviews, I met some folks at the festival who helped convince me to fork over the $190 to give this bottle a new home. In case you’re like me and wondering, “How does this compare to Elijah Craig Barrel Proof”? The short answer is they are both great in their own way, but the two selections offer a different drinking experience from each other, with some significant differences in their flavor profile. The Lux Row 12 Year offers sweeter oak with more complex accompanying flavors, while ECBP typically has more emphasis on similar but darker oak flavors with a much bolder overall profile. This is especially true with ECBP Batch C923 being 133 proof. While I wouldn’t describe Lux Row 12 Year as having a very bold profile, the 118.4 proof happens to work very well to keep the enjoyability factor to near perfection while allowing this to be a very flavorful bourbon.

I typically don’t comment on aesthetics, but the decanter-style bottle and gold topper on the 12 Year Double Barrel are gorgeous. The topper is even heavier than the ones on Barrell Craft’s Grey (and Gold) Label, which is saying a lot.

Who doesn’t love a well-aged, high-proof, well-crafted batched whiskey? The same goes for a great single-barrel pick. The Lux Row 12 Year Double Barrel shows that this kind of micro-batch could be the best of both worlds. Still, creating a micro-batch like this is unlikely to become popular beyond a limited special release, considering the time and effort required. I hope that the 12 Year Double Barrel is still available the next time I’m in Bardstown.

Rating: 9.6/10.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.

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