Woodford Reserve Chocolate Malt Whisper Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

 

Whiskey backstories are sometimes entertaining and something that becomes suspect as a tall tale. It seems that so many craft distillers have come into existence because their grandpappy's grandpappy's secret recipe that was tucked behind an old cupboard was discovered in the attic. Maybe not exactly, but they are usually darned close.

 

The big legacy distillers come up with their own romanticism. Woodford Reserve, despite its relatively young 25 years, falls under the legacy distillery category (mostly due to its parent company, Brown Forman). As such, when Woodford Reserve launched its Chocolate Malt Whisper limited-edition Bourbon and called it a happy accident, I was interested but not completely convinced.

 

The accident started with the distillation of the Chocolate Malt Rye, which became the 2019 Distiller’s Edition. As it is told, some of that distillate mingled with the next batch, carrying over chocolate notes.

 

“Sometimes unforeseen developments occur in the distillery that result in great flavors, this is one of those cases.” – Master Distiller Chris Morris

 

The Straight Bourbon is the typical Woodford mashbill:  72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malt. Woodford is also triple-distilled, something unusual in American whiskey. It has a lower-than-average entry proof and, while it carries no age statement, it is typically around six years. Woodford chose a 375ml package and you can expect to pay about $49.99 for it. Availability is very limited, it is a distillery-only item in conjunction with select Kentucky-only retailers.

 

I’d like to thank Woodford for providing me a sample of Chocolate Malt Whisper in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. It is time to #DrinkCurious and vett this one out.

 

Appearance: Served neat in my Glencairn glass, Chocolate Whisper was the color of brushed antique copper. It didn’t really form a rim, each time I tried, it would crash back into the pool, but it did leave sticky droplets where a rim would have been.

 

Nose: A fragrant aroma started with caramel and citrus, then introduced oak, and ended with a freshly unwrapped Heath bar. As I took the vapor through my lips, it was as if I popped a Queen Anne Cherry in my mouth.  

 

Palate:  The mouthfeel was as if a massive oil slick hit my tongue. The front of the palate was nutty with toffee and cocoa powder. As it moved to the middle, it became caramel, dark chocolate, and vanilla. The back featured roasted coffee, oak, and clove.

 

Finish:  Soft mocha initiated the experience, which then vanished. A second or so later, it came back in a tsunami of dark chocolate, black pepper, clove, and dark-roasted coffee, and that stuck around for several minutes.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  This Bourbon was unexpected. By the name, I had the preconceived notion of expecting chocolate notes over everything else. The chocolate was there, but the coffee notes competed with it. What the coffee didn’t do was take over the entire tasting, and for me, that’s a positive.

 

Is Chocolate Whisper the happy accident that Woodford claims?  Only Woodford knows for sure. Is it a unique Bourbon? Absolutely. I also appreciate 375ml bottles being offered with this limited release for two reasons:  First, because it extends the availability. Second, it brings the price down to something affordable for many.

 

I enjoyed this Bourbon tremendously. It didn’t have a ton of complexity, but that’s not a negative. For $49.99, this is something you should snag off the shelf without a second thought, and that means it earned a Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.