Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked ‘21

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Proof: 90.4

Age: NAS

Distillery: Woodford Reserve

Mashbill: 72/18/10

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Nose: Almond, black pepper, charred oak, cherry, dark chocolate, cinnamon, dried fruit, nutmeg, leather, musty tobacco, vanilla cream

Taste: Buttery/Subtle mouthfeel. Cardamom, nutmeg, cornbread, chocolate, brown butter, butterscotch, molasses, brown sugar, black tea, leather, tobacco, oak – lots of sweet chocolate oak.

Finish: Medium length. Toasted oak, dark chocolate, cherry, and tobacco hit the tongue, turning into sweet brown sugar, cinnamon, bold coffee and hint of cornbread, everything culminates together at the end for a delicious chocolate dessert of oaky goodness. Rich musty Tobacco, sweet oak, and tons of chocolate and spice make this the perfect end to a moderately length finish.

Overall: This is something I look forward to every year. The amount of chocolate and oak combined with the tobacco, leather, and brown sugar notes fight their way during every sip. The undertones of dried fruit, fresh cherry, black tea, and vanilla keep this “mess” of a finish as balanced as it could be.

Being double oaked for 2 years adds tons of complexity and sweetness to the high rye mashbill Woodford uses as their base bourbon.

The amount of decadent dessert notes but having such heavy layers of earthen wood notes, mixed with the bold sweet oak and charred oak notes on each end of the finish make this one fun ride of an oak bomb with the perfect amount of baking spice and chocolate.

The spice in this bottle sometimes comes on harsh due to the amount of time it sits inside of the secondary barrel; but this vintage offered tons of sweetness and mixed with the chocolate,  delivering an almost perfectly well balanced palate – as crazy as that sounds – I love how much depth this whiskey always has within a small range of flavor.

For $55 for a 375, you would think I would rate the price super low – but I would happily pay $100 if they made this as a 750ml bottle.

Rating: 7.7/10

Value Rating: 7/10

Total Score: 7.35/10