Kentucky Peerless Toasted Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky Peerless Toasted Bourbon Whiskey is a barrel proof, 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon from Louisville — made by the strictly sweet mash process, aged 5 years in a charred oak barrel, then finished in a second, toasted barrel, and bottled with no water added and never chill-filtered. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: Barrel proof — varies by batch (no water added)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 5 years in a char level 3 barrel, plus a toasted-barrel finish
- Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, small batch
- Production: Strictly sweet mash, grain-to-bottle, never chill-filtered
- Finish: Second barrel, medium toast (Kelvin Cooperage)
- Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., Louisville, Kentucky
- Origin: Kentucky, USA
A Revived Louisville Distillery, Doubled in Oak
Kentucky Peerless was founded in Henderson, Kentucky in 1889 by Henry Kraver, closed under Prohibition, and revived in 2015 in downtown Louisville by Kraver's descendants Corky and Carson Taylor. Peerless makes every whiskey grain-to-bottle from a strictly sweet mash — fresh mash for every fermentation — and bottles at barrel proof. For the Toasted Bourbon, the whiskey first rests 5 years in a standard char level 3 barrel, developing caramel, brown sugar and toffee, before a second maturation in a hand-selected medium-toast barrel that layers in honey, vanilla, toasted spices and chocolate. The release earned 98 points and Outstanding Gold at the 2024 IWSC North American judging. Browse the Peerless collection, more bourbon whiskey, and the wider whisky shelves at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The distillery's own descriptors follow the two barrels: caramel, brown sugar and toffee from the charred first barrel, then honey, vanilla, toasted spices and chocolate from the toasted finish. For Batch 2 the distillery listed toasted vanilla bean, creme brulee and buttered toast on the nose, with cola, burnt caramel, candied orange and salted caramel on the palate — expect the profile to shift slightly from batch to batch, as barrel proof bottlings do.
How to Enjoy
Start neat in a Glencairn to meet it at full barrel proof, then add a few drops of water and watch the honey and toasted vanilla open up. That caramelized wood depth also makes a richer-than-usual Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is toasted bourbon? Bourbon first aged in a charred new oak barrel, then finished in a second barrel that has been toasted — heated more gently than charring, which caramelizes the wood sugars. Peerless ages 5 years in a char level 3 barrel, then finishes in a medium-toast barrel.
What proof is Kentucky Peerless Toasted Bourbon? It is bottled at barrel proof with no water added, so the proof varies by batch — documented batches range from about 108.6 to 111 proof. Check the batch noted on your bottle.
Is Peerless Toasted Bourbon chill-filtered? No. Peerless never chill-filters, and uses a strictly sweet mash for all its whiskeys.
What is sweet mash? A fermentation started fresh with new mash each time, rather than reusing backset from a previous distillation as sour mash does — the process Peerless uses for a bolder, grain-forward whiskey.
Barrel proof, twice-barreled, unmistakably Louisville — order Kentucky Peerless Toasted Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.