Woodinville Straight Bourbon

Given to me as a gift from a good friend, let’s see what this has to offer: Bright aroma features black cherry, cedar, Red Hots candy, vanilla custard, orange zest, and a hint of ethanol. Robust nose given the proof, I’ll say that. Palate opens with standard vanilla/caramel notes, baking spices (nutmeg and cinnamon), and generic stone fruit. Not very complex and suffers from a lack of any sort of a mid-palate, but the flavors that are there are pleasantly rich and I’d say this punches above its weight class flavor wise. Short finish brings in the black cherry from the nose followed by a significant amount of oak. There’s a leafy herb note (thyme?) in there as well. Mouthfeel is full and slick, and probably the best part of this bourbon. This one surprised me a bit; for only a 5 year product, it has smoothed over any rough edges and comes together nicely. And therein lies the rub; this bourbon is…nice. But with nothing truly unique or memorable about it, at $40 it kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Neither cheap enough to replace my bargain daily drinkers nor special enough to compete with other available options at or just above the price point. Would I buy it? Uhhh…maybe? Definitely dependent on lack of other options available.

I've been following and tasting a range of Woodinville whiskies for 10+ years, but never had their Straight 90 proof bourbon until now. Tasting neat. Golden brown copper and strong coating legs in the glass. Nose is vanilla oak, fruity bubblegum, and a little spice in the background. On the palate, burnt sugar, vanilla, and a whole lot of tannic oak. Mouthfeel is thin but grows as it enters the finish which grows more fruity, spicy, grassy, and tingling mint that lasts a good long time. Balanced sweet, sour, spice, and that dominant oak tannin note. Clean finish. I can see--but don't agree with--the assessment of too much oak. It's barreled with weathered wood and reflects some of that character. But not too much. The port barreled version of this whiskey might make them happier as it calms that tannic note, and it is very good--try it! I'm a fan of Woodinville's production and process, even if they craft whiskey that poses some challenge. Good for them, good for those looking for another road.

6oz bottle provided by Cory Nose Something off, funky, like a cheesy smell. Oatmeal, Vanilla, Caramel, Mild fruit - green apples Palate Cheerios, Oak, Caramel, Kettle corn Finish Medium spice, Caramel, Oak, Leaves a cereal taste in my mouth, like plain cheerios Conclusion Better as i adjusted to the taste, but overall wasnt a huge fan. Suspect it's very young. Has some flavors going on, but nothing is particularly positive and the overall profile doesnt seem very cohesive. Would not buy a bottle. Edit: I had this following the Rittenhouse Rye, and the contrast between the two could have contributed to the negative review. Will revisit this again at some point and update my review if the experience is any different.

Amber color. On the nose I get a strong fruity character with baked apples, strawberries and cream, dark cherries, and a hint of chocolate covered orange peel, along with standard notes of caramel, cinnamon and vanilla. Medium-bodied mouthfeel. I get a lot of woodiness on the palate, with upfront notes of young oak and cinnamon toothpicks, followed by fainter notes of vanilla ice cream and creme brulee. The finish is medium-long and dry, driven by tannic oak and ground cinnamon, with a hint of black pepper. I enjoy the nose but the palate and finish make this more of a mixer for me.

Has the breadth of a pot still bourbon. The sweetness and proof were balanced. Had hay and farmyard notes juxtaposed with candied cherries (that turned to straight dark cherry on the finish) and mint… flavors that don’t often play nice together and take turns fighting for attention, but I wasn’t horribly offended by it and the finish was quite long. Despite it being affordably priced I don’t know if I would buy a bottle to keep on hand, but it was intellectually intriguing and I would gladly have it again. Interested to try some other expressions from their line.

NEAT NOSE - Honey and Cedar, Vanilla, and Tropical Fruits 🍍 PALATE - Unfortunately, the fruit doesn’t come across on the palate. Mainly, there’s honey, cedar, vanilla, and strong herbal notes, borderline minty. FINISH - Strong cedar finish with a touch of sweetness and spice. BUY? - It’s a decent bourbon at an affordable price and respectful age for craft whiskey. I probably wouldn’t replace this one, but I look forward to trying more of their offerings.