Woodford Reserve Straight Malt

This is a newcomer to my part of the woods so was surprised to see the bottle out of the corner of my eye. Ingredients I love in scotch but made in American style was an exciting prospect. The nose is dark with chocolate and citrus, like a Terry’s chocolate orange in the glass. Behind that comes the malted cereal with just hints of spice and peppermint. A very appropriate nose for the holidays. Palate doesn’t deviate, leading with bittersweet cocoa, then making sure you remember this is American it delivers lots of warm baking spices. Unlike in the nose, here the corn in this mash tells the barley to get lost and the back of the palate moves right into bourbon territory. Finish is thin but medium in length, so it does hang around enough to get some tannins and herbal notes. For the price this is a great bottle for the holidays. Scotchy on the nose, Bourbony in the taste, and light on the wallet. Well done WR.

Ive heard this called a hybrid of Bourbon and Scotch but it doesnt taste like scotch at all to me. Its more similar to their bourbon with some added flavors. Still get lotsa cherry but now there is sweet/sour apple too. Its like a jolly rancher explosion and I really like it. Pot still texture is present which is a big plus imo. Im a scotch hound so I love the extra malt presence here but it is not taking over. Plenty of bourbon oak and vanilla rounded with sweet/sour fruits and barley. Finish has expected barrel notes and char but lasting malt support is a twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this and at low $30's its a slam dunk repeat purchase for me. Not complex but good depth and richness....86/100.....If you are a WR fan this will most likely work for you

Noticeably and significantly different than other WR releases, this whiskey’s nose is incredibly vibrant. There’s sweet chocolate notes, some herbal qualities, and a touch of dusty old pine. On the palate, it’s just as lively. The fruit and the chocolate are there, but there’s also a really pleasant grassy quality, and even a little mint. It would almost be hard to guess that malted barley is the dominant grain, because there are some oaky grassy qualities that suggest off-the-beaten-path bourbon (probably due to the high % of corn in the mash bill) and even some slight herbal notes that hint towards rye. But the hidden fruit notes make it a really unique and fun drink, that I have to say I like even better than the classic bourbon.

nose - musty off the top, with the malted barkey shinning through. chocolate on further nosing, with a slight vanilla and spice. palette - initially creamy, pudding, with a chocolately follow through. a nice vanilla on the finish, and stays creamy the whole way through a very nice pour, with great nose-to-finish experienece. excellent bottle with plenty to enjoy!

Bought the wrong bottle as I was looking for the regular bourbon. Gotta do the best of it, thought. Smells like sweet & sour sauce with white wine and chocolate sauce. Nails polish as well. Very tobacco, leather and umamy forward. Peppery finish. Wasn't as bad I remembered it to be. Works very well in a Whiskey & Coke

Imagine the inside of a malted milk ball without the chocolate covering. Now imagine that malty treat wrapped in green peppers and crushed coffee beans then lightly dipped in vanilla extract. If you are thinking “acquired taste” at best or “not for me” at worst, we share tastes.