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.
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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.
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