The Woodford Reserve Distillery in Woodford County, Kentucky, has been making pot still Bourbon for almost three decades. They were the first distillery since Prohibition to do so. The recipe for their Bourbon is based upon the Old Forester mash bill. They chose honey barrels of Old Forester to introduce the brand in the late 20th century, while the distillery was aging their own whiskey. To prevent a radical flavor drift in the whiskey, they continued to use the Old Forester mash bill and yeast, but the yeast has mutated somewhat over the years and it is a unique strain now. Woodford Reserve Bourbon also differs from the Old Forester by using a lower barrel entry proof of 110. Like Old Forester, they heat the warehouses in the winter months. This adds cycles to the aging process. Lincoln Henderson once told me it adds about two years to a four year old Bourbon. This is their first release of a cask strength Bourbon from Woodford Reserve Distillery. They sent me a sample bottle of the Bourbon and Matt and I sat down and tasted it. Here are our tasting notes.
Woodford Reserve Cask Strength
Proof: 119.5
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, bananas, baking spices and sweet oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, strawberries, lemon, baking spices and sweet oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, bananas, cinnamon, allspice and sweet oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and white pepper comes forward. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla becomes a rich caramel toffee with a hint of chocolate.
- Matt: Caramel, lemon bars, red pepper and sweet oak wood. The dried cranberry added strawberry and ginger to the taste. The pecan added a hint of chocolate and red pepper jelly.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with sweet oak wood and cinnamon. The dried cranberry made the finish longer with oak and white pepper. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering caramel.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and tobacco. The dried cranberry made the finish longer with lingering fruit. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood and red pepper.
I would pair this fine Bourbon with a Rocky Patel Decade cigar. The rich vanilla and tobacco of the smoke would pair well with the sweetness of the Bourbon.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller