Review of Woodford Reserve Distillery Series: Tawny Port Finish

 

Woodford Reserve is a brand known for doing things its own way. Founded in Versailles, Kentucky, it may be one of the most beautiful campuses I've enjoyed visiting. Nestled in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by horse country, views abound, and the setting seems intimate and almost romantic. Woodford is owned by Brown-Forman, one of the largest beverage conglomerates in the world.

 

Woodford Reserve’s Bourbon mashbill is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley, and its Rye mashbill is 53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malted barley. It uses limestone water obtained on the grounds of the distillery. So far, nothing seems unusual, right?

 

The next part is what matters: Woodford employs a six-day fermentation process, which is longer than the industry average of three days. 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 filling new, #4 charred-oak barrels.

 

Aging at Woodford is done in heat-cycled warehouses. If you're unfamiliar with that term, they heat the inside of the warehouse in the winter. It is cooled when it reaches a pre-determined temperature by venting out all the heat. Think of it as artificial seasons meant to cause additional interaction of whiskey and wood.

 

Last month, Woodford released an American whiskey blend of Bourbon and Rye as part of its limited-edition Distillery Series. Bourbon-Rye blends are nothing new, but what’s unusual is Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall finished the blend in former Tawny Port pipes. It is called, simply enough, Tawny Port Finish.

 

“This expression highlights our ability to artfully blend rye and bourbon whiskey, as well our approach to barrel experimentation. The Tawny Port barrels impart delicate notes of wood and concentrated fruit, which combined with the charred oak barrels, allow us to create a rich, layered whiskey." – Elizabeth McCall, Master Distiller

 

What is Tawny Port? Simply stated, it is a Portuguese fortified wine. Typically, it is a blend of vintage wines that rest in barrels called pipes for between seven and forty years. The exception is Colheita, which is a single vintage aged at least seven years. Port pipes hold between 600L and 640L of wine.

 

Woodford’s Tawny Port Finish is available at the distillery, select Kentucky retailers, or via Woodford Reserve’s online store. The caveat here is that shipping is limited to only a select few states: Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Nebraska, as well as Washington, D.C.

 

The obvious question (aside from 'Why those states?') is, Is it worth the effort to try to get one? The answer is found when we #DrinkCurious, and we’ll get to that momentarily. First, I must thank Woodford Reserve for providing me with a sample of Tawny Port Finish in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

Photo courtesy of Woodford Reserve

 

• Whiskey Type: American Whiskey
• Distiller: Woodford Reserve
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: Undisclosed percentage of Bourbon/Rye mashbills
• Cooperage: Matured in new, #4 charred oak barrels; finished in Tawny Port pipes
• Alcohol Content: 45.2% ABV (90.4°)
• Price per 375mL: $64.99

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass to explore neat. The deep, topaz-colored liquid produced a medium rim and wide, crazed, quick tears.

 

Nose: Tawny Port Finish’s aroma included notes of circus peanuts, cinnamon, toffee, chocolate, and nutmeg. Drawing that air through my lips brought a sensation of dried apricots.  

 

Palate: The velvety texture was felt as it slid across my mouth and down my throat. The front of my palate discovered brown sugar, fried plantains, and black cherries. The middle featured mocha, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I tasted dark chocolate, clove, and oak on the back.

 

Finish: Dark chocolate, clove, black cherries, cinnamon spice, oak, and brown sugar combined to create a medium finish that lasted 0:58. The cinnamon and dark chocolate notes were the last to fade away.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Even though fans of this style of American whiskey use it freely, there is a trademarked name for Bourbon and Rye blends that Woodford does not own. However, it is essential to note that the genre has almost a cult following.

 

Tawny Port Finish goes a few steps beyond your standard Bourbon and Rye blends. I expected that this whiskey would have massive fruity notes that would dominate the sipping experience. The base whiskey was still shined through. McCall performed an intricate balancing act. That’s pure talent.

 

Doing the math, Tawny Port Finish runs almost $130.00 (plus shipping if you don’t find it on the shelf). Cost-wise, it is priced similarly to other Woodford Reserve Distillery Series releases. Its very limited distribution is both a curiosity and a frustration. I found my sipping experience lovely and unique, and something I wish I could repeat. Regardless, it deserves my 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 to do so responsibly.