Mary Dowling Toasted Double Oak Barrel Strength is a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 125 proof. It is aged first in a #4 char, wood-fired toasted American oak barrel, then moved into a second new American oak barrel with a #1 char and heavy toast.
The brand honours Mary Dowling, the Irish immigrant who became one of the first women to own a distillery in Kentucky and kept her whiskey business alive through Prohibition. The double oak process creates deep notes of tobacco, dark cherry and chocolate while enhancing the classic caramel and vanilla of bourbon, and the barrel-strength release delivers bolder flavours at a higher proof.
Expect heavy nutmeg, cloves and wildflower honey on the nose, with cedar. The palate brings dark cherries, milk chocolate and roasted chestnuts, delicate cinnamon and a honeyed glaze, finishing on ground coffee and a cayenne tingle.
The faceted bottle with its red label makes it a striking gift.
Add a few drops of water to open it up.
Bourbon must be made in the United States from a mash of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak containers, and straight bourbon must be aged at least two years. Those rules give bourbon its characteristic sweetness, with caramel and vanilla drawn from the charred barrels.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Nutmeg, cloves, wildflower honey and cedar.
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Palate: Dark cherry, milk chocolate, roasted chestnut and cinnamon.
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Finish: Ground coffee and a cayenne tingle.
Specifications
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Producer: Mary Dowling Whiskey Co.
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Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, wheated, barrel strength
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Expression / Batch: Toasted Double Oak
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Proof / ABV: 125 proof (62.5% ABV)
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Cask / Finish: #4 char toasted oak, then #1 char heavy-toast new oak
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Region: Kentucky
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Serve it neat with water on the side. It pairs with dark chocolate, cherry desserts or a cigar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Mary Dowling?
An Irish immigrant who became one of Kentucky's first female distillery owners.
How is it aged?
In two toasted American oak barrels in succession.
What proof is it?
It is bottled at 125 proof.
Explore more in our Bourbon collection.
