Toasted Bourbon Review – Elijah Craig, Penelope, and Daviess County Face Off

Aug 8

🔥 Toasted Bourbon Showdown – Elijah Craig vs. Penelope vs. Daviess County

What happens when three bourbons walk into a rickhouse… and each one has been finished in a toasted barrel?

On this unscripted episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B sit down with three wildly different expressions of toasted bourbon, each representing a different corner of the flavor universe. No blind tasting, no script, just pure whiskey chaos and a mission to decide: which distillery does toasted right?

🎥 Watch the full episode here:

👉 Toasted Bourbon Showdown – Tortured Bourbon on YouTube

🥃 What Is a Toasted Barrel Bourbon?

Before we dive into the bottles, let’s talk about what “toasted” really means in the world of bourbon.

Unlike the traditional charred barrel—which gets set ablaze to a deep black interior—a toasted barrel is gently heated at lower temperatures for longer periods of time. This pulls out more of the wood sugars and caramelizes them without burning off as much of the delicate flavor compounds.

The result?

A smoother, sweeter, and more dessert-like flavor profile. Think:

Roasted marshmallow
Graham cracker
Toffee
Baking spice
Sweet vanilla

But not all toasted bourbons are created equal—and that’s exactly what we wanted to explore.

🥇 The Contenders

We picked three bourbons that represent different philosophies on toasted finishing: a bold pioneer, a refined modernist, and a quiet wildcard.

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel

Distillery: Heaven Hill

Proof: 94

Mash Bill: 78% corn, 12% malted barley, 10% rye

MSRP: ~$55

Tasting Notes: Chocolate-covered marshmallow, cinnamon toast, caramel drizzle

Why We Chose It:

This is the bottle that kicked off the modern toasted craze. Heaven Hill took their fan-favorite Elijah Craig Small Batch and gave it the toasted treatment—re-barreling it into custom toasted oak barrels for a rich, smoky, confectionary twist.

Verdict:

Cozy, warm, and balanced. Elijah Craig Toasted feels like the bourbon equivalent of flannel pajamas and a fireplace.

Penelope Toasted Barrel (Bourbon)

Distillery: MGP (distilled), Penelope (finished & bottled)

Proof: ~100–115

Mash Bill: 4-grain (corn, wheat, rye, malted barley)

MSRP: ~$65

Tasting Notes: Vanilla bean, light toffee, toasted bread, honey roasted nuts

Why We Chose It:

Penelope doesn’t distill their own juice—yet—but they’re masters of finishing. This bottle takes MGP bourbon and finishes it in toasted barrels with carefully chosen char and toast levels.

Verdict:

Smooth, refined, and downright elegant. The most modern and “polished” of the three, but does it sacrifice personality?

Daviess County Lightly Toasted Barrel Finish

Distillery: Lux Row (Bardstown, KY)

Proof: 96

Mash Bill: Blend of wheated and ryed bourbon

MSRP: ~$55

Tasting Notes: Graham cracker, vanilla, cinnamon sugar, soft oak

Why We Chose It:

The underdog. Daviess County’s lightly toasted finish doesn’t shout—it whispers. It’s not chasing trends, it’s just doing its thing.

Verdict:

Surprisingly balanced and subtle. Not a showstopper, but a solid daily sipper for those who don’t want their bourbon yelling at them.

🎙️ The Tasting – Bourbon Chaos, Unfiltered

Heather and B went into this tasting with zero prep. That means no cue cards, no cutaways—just real-time reactions, playful banter, and a lot of surprises.

What we debated:

Which pour brought the best balance of oak and sweet
Whether Elijah Craig is still king of the toasted finish
If Penelope is the next “It Girl” of the whiskey world
Whether Daviess County is underrated—or just underwhelming
What the heck a “toasted nutmeg graham bomb” is (B made it up, probably)

🏆 Final Rankings – Who Won?

We won’t spoil the full breakdown, but here’s what we’ll say:

One bottle surprised us.
One bottle tried a little too hard.
One bottle proved it’s still top-tier toasted.

🎥 To see who came out on top, watch the full episode!

🧠 Bourbon Nerd Corner

Heaven Hill is one of the largest family-owned distilleries in the U.S., known for consistency, affordability, and killer Bottled-in-Bond releases. Their toasted program leans into deep flavor while keeping price tags sane.

Penelope sources all its whiskey from MGP of Indiana, blending and finishing it in New Jersey. The brand has exploded in popularity due to transparency, great marketing, and clever barrel finishing.

Lux Row Distillers, home to Rebel, Ezra Brooks, and Daviess County, plays the long game—making accessible, classic profiles while keeping innovation in the background.

💬 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re Team Marshmallow Toast Bomb or Prefer Subtle & Sweet, this episode shows that the toasted barrel trend isn’t slowing down. And there’s a bottle for every type of bourbon fan—from the sweet-toothed to the oak-obsessed.

If you’re curious about toasted finishes, this is the perfect entry point.