Woodford Reserve: Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby
Written: Aug 23 '05 (Updated Aug 25 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Smooth, tasty, drinkable
Cons: Not better known
The Bottom Line: When you want to treat yourself to the best in bourbons, you have very few choices other than Woodford Reserve. One of the very best.
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| George_Chabot's Full Review: Labrot & Graham Woodford Reserve Distiller's Selec... |
Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Bourbon
Louisville, Kentucky and environs is the home of some of the finest whisky on Earth and the birthplace of Bourbon. One of my favorites is Maker’s Mark, an exceptionally smooth sipping whisky, or Bourbon, as they call it. Another brand that is neck and neck for drinkability and all around superior quality is Woodford Reserve, a product of Labrot and Graham’s Woodford Reserve Distillery of Versailles, Kentucky.
Woodford Reserve is what is known as a “straight” Bourbon whisky, meaning it is made from at least 51% corn and aged for a minimum of two years in oak barrels, per BATF regulations.
The batches produced by the Woodford distillery are small and aged in charred oak barrels. The barrels sit in a 100 year-old stone warehouse to age, exposed to the heat of summer and cold of winter. Only the finest, as judged by Woodford Reserve’s master taster is bottled and sold as Woodford Reserve. The product of this care is so good that it has won a slew of awards including the prestigious double gold medal and has become Kentucky’s number 1 selling super premium bourbon.
Like nearly all bourbons, the ingredients are corn, rye, and limestone water. But Woodford Reserve has none of the throat clenching bite associated with that old “white lightning” made famous in movies like Thunder Road., or with most other bourbons, which are better off mixed with something to cut the taste, in my opinion.
The secret must be in the aging because it is some of the smoothest, most delicious whisky I’ve ever sipped. I won’t bore you with a bunch of adjectives, like nutty, spicy, or compare the taste to musical notes, or say it’s softer than a lady’s kiss; but I will tell you that hardly anybody will turn down a straight up shot of Woodford Reserve, it tastes so good and smooth. Especially when poured into a snifter at room temperature and sipped at leisure. If you like, you can put it on the rocks but to mix such a heavenly liquor should be a crime.
Woodford Reserve comes in a clear glass bottle that is a bit old fashioned looking with its flattish shape and sloping shoulders. The label states it’s 90.4 proof or 45% alcohol but the taste is much smoother and delicious than you would expect.
At $30.00 or so a fifth (or 750 ml), Woodford Reserve isn’t cheap, but the experience is worth the ante. This is the type of drink you will save for your special friends or for that special celebration that you want to make especially memorable.
Treat yourself to a good drink today!
Recommended:
Yes
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