Woodford Reserve Batch Proof started five years ago as part of the distillery’s Master's Collection, essentially as an experimental product line from Master Distiller Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall.
Woodford does things a bit differently than many other distilleries. It starts with a mash of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. They use limestone water obtained from right at the distillery. Nothing unusual with that so far, but it is the next steps that matter: It uses a six-day fermentation process, which is longer than the industry average of three. It is triple-distilled using a blending of whiskeys from both pot and column stills. Entry-proof is also lower than average, brought down to 110° before being poured into new, #4 charred-oak barrels.
“Barrels drawn from the first floors of our heat-cycled warehouses routinely possess lower proof presentations due the more relaxed angel share process found there. This batch had more of these barrels in its composition, and therefore a lower batch proof presentation than past releases.” – Chris Moore, Master Distiller
Woodford Reserve carries no age statement but ages a minimum of four years. The price of Batch Proof is $129.99 for a 750ml bottle, which has remained the same for the last several years. The 2022 release weighs in at 118.4°.
So, how does this particular release taste? Let's #DrinkCurious and find out. But, first, I'd like to thank Woodford Reserve for sending me a sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: A deep, dark amber gave the impression of
something aged far longer than the four-year minimum. A medium-thin rim created
almost random, fat droplets that fell down the wall of my Glencairn glass.
Nose: This
Bourbon was fragrant from across the room. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow was seated about
ten feet from me and picked out notes. It was a fruit bomb with plum, dark
cherry, elderberry, and blackberry. A puff of the air in my mouth tasted of
thick, rich vanilla.
Palate: An intense, oily texture greeted my tongue. Coffee,
dark chocolate, and caramel formed the front, with flavors of dark cherry,
orange peel, and elderberry on the middle. The back was black pepper, dry oak,
and allspice.
Finish: Long
and very warming, the coffee and dark chocolate held their own against the black
pepper and allspice. Every so often, a kiss of caramel would poke through.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The nose was lovely, the palate had plenty
going on, and overall, this is a good Bourbon. I’m hung up on the price. I said
the same thing when I reviewed Batch 123.6 (2020). Batch 118.4 takes the same
rating: Bar. 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.
Pure buy it as it's easily the most balance version that didn't come in hot! Drinks old yet lots of sweet!
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