Woodford Reserve Toasted Oak Four Grain Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

 

In the heart of horse country lies one of the most beautiful distillery campuses you’ll come across. Founded in 1812 as the Oscar Pepper Distillery, then the Labrot & Graham Distillery, Woodford Reserve is one of the flagship properties owned by Brown-Forman starting in 1941, then sold off in the 1960s, only to be repurchased in 1993. The Woodford Reserve brand was launched in 1996.

 

Since 2015, Woodford Reserve has been tinkering with unusual whiskeys. Some, like Double Double Oaked, have been released mostly annually. Others are one-and-done whiskeys.

 

Today, I’m exploring Woodford Reserve’s Toasted Oak Four Grain. This isn’t the typical way to do a four-grain. Instead, it is derived from blending its Bourbon, Rye, Malt, and Wheat whiskeys. Toasted Oak Four Grain was then aged in new, charred oak barrels before being transferred to new, heavily toasted oak barrels.

  

“I am thrilled for Toasted Oak Four Grain to be the first Woodford Reserve release with my name on it as Master Distiller. Experimenting and creating new products is one of the most exciting parts of my job, allowing us to explore new flavors. This is the first of many special releases we have planned in the coming years.” – Elizabeth McCall, Master Distiller

 

McCall took over as Master Distiller this past January when Chris Morris was named Woodford’s Master Distiller Emeritus.

 

Toasted Oak Four Grain is classified as an American whiskey and is part of its annual Distillery Series. The 45.2% ABV (90.4°) 375ml bottles are available to the distillery and a limited number of Kentucky retailers for $59.99.

 

I must thank Woodford Reserve for supplying me with a sample of this limited-release whiskey in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and taste what this is all about.

 

Appearance: I sipped this whiskey neat from my Glencairn glass. Inside, it was a dark mahogany color. A thick rim formed, only to discharge long, slow, straight tears.

 

Nose: Wow, is this one fragrant whiskey! As I set up the photo, I could smell the oak and malted barley despite the wind blowing away from me. Later, when I intentionally sniffed it, I encountered caramel, honey-roasted nuts, coffee, and butterscotch. Drawing the air through my lips presented grilled pineapple.

 

Palate: The almost airy texture rolled across my tongue and throat. I tasted roasted almonds, hazelnuts, and toasted oak on the front. The middle consisted of coffee, rye spice, and tobacco leaf, while the back featured honey, caramel, and cocoa powder.  

 

Finish: Maple syrup dominated but didn’t wash out the flavors of caramel, honey, coffee, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, rye spice, and tobacco leaf. It stuck around for nearly a minute, and my hard palate tingled slightly.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: There are four-grain whiskeys, then there are four-grain whiskeys. What McCall has accomplished is absolutely unique. There was so much going on that it took nearly all of my 100ml sample to nail everything down. The more I tasted it, the more I enjoyed it. It was sweet, spicy, and savory. There was the weightless mouthfeel. Despite the proof, I had that tingly thing going. Is it expensive? Probably, yeah. But would you walk away with buyer’s remorse? If you stumble on Woodford’s Toasted Oak Four Grain, grab a Bottle. I believe you’ll be pleased. 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 to do so responsibly.