Woodford Reserve

Another bourbon followed me home… 

My growing fondness for the American spirit (and my annoyance at the ever-increasing price of scotch) has me going for bourbon as often as anything, lately. This time, it’s a dram I haven’t tried before: Woodford Reserve “Distiller’s Select” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I’ve been intrigued by this whiskey the last couple times I’ve visited the bottle shop, admittedly at least partly because of the unique oversized flask style bottle. The label tells me that I have chosen bottle #3309 from batch 0238. Since Woodford Reserve is a readily accessible blend, I have no clue if these numbers are at all meaningful to the actual product inside the bottle. This whiskey is bottled at 45.2% abv and cost me about $50 CDN. 

To the Eye

Look at that deep mahogany, with flashes of coppery orange… Is there a more appealing looking dram than a bourbon? The requisite twist of my glass produces quick, skinny rivulets. 

In the Nose

The typical bourbon aromas are all there and the alcohol greets my nostrils sharply, but not harshly. Vanilla, citrus and brown sugar are front and centre but I’m left wondering if custard is a reasonable description.  There is an interesting, delicious floral quality about this whisky that has me suspecting that malted rye might be in the mash bill. A bit of milk chocolate, oak wood and pepper round out the nosing experience.

On the Tongue

Smooth, yet a nice firm bite! I’m finding that this bite is one of the things I hope for in my first sip of bourbon. (Does that mean I’m officially a bourbon drinker?) A slightly oily mouthfeel makes for a creamy sensation that is full of oak, corn flakes, vanilla, and baked apples. There is plenty of sweetness, but I find it nicely balanced by a charred, toasty quality. That malted-rye floral character makes a reappearance, which I really enjoy. 

The finish is medium, with a rich, creamy quality. More oak, graphite and burnt sugar. The chocolate also returns. 

Final Thoughts

Woodford Reserve is a delicious, fruity bourbon that is well-composed and nicely balanced. I have tasted better bourbons but I find this one to be very interesting and appealing to my Canadian, rye-trained palate. (I have no idea if I’m correct about the rye-malt, but that is what I smell and taste when I drink this whiskey.) I have a feeling that this bourbon will be a  frequent resident of my liquor cabinet!

A Wee Dram… Wild Turkey 81

So, this weekend, we had a bit of a family gathering at my place and, as is the custom between my father-in-law and me, we each brought a bottle of whisky to the party. In this case it was actually whiskey on both sides as both Pops and I chose a bourbon. My contribution will get the full-review treatment later on, but I’ll do a quick “Wee Dram” for the Wild Turkey 81 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brought by my father-in-law. 

I don’t post prices for bottles that I haven’t purchased myself but I am aware that this is a very reasonably priced bourbon. The label notes state it is a blend of whiskeys aged up to 6-8 years and that it is made special through the use of an alligator char on the casks. I have no idea what makes this type of char different from other cask-toasting methods but I do suspect that the word choice, “up to” should be interpreted as meaning that most of the spirit in the bottle actually being younger than 6 years. This bourbon is, obviously, 81 proof – 40.5% abv. 

Not a lot going on with the nose, although the basic bourbon aromas seem to be there: caramel corn, vanilla, a bit of baking spice… Nothing bad but nothing special either and a bit understated, perhaps. The flavours are again pretty straightforward for bourbon, if not all that assertive. A bit of oak, punky corn and a ribbon of vanilla-infused sweetness, with a hint of cinnamon and spice hitching along. I am a bit disappointed by the thin mouth-feel of this whisky, in comparison to many of the bourbons I’ve been enjoying recently. The finish, however, is surprising long with more oak and sweet, toasty cornbread and was a highlight of the dram. 

Overall, Wild Turkey 81 seems to be a perfectly mediocre bourbon. It’s a decent value purchase, I think, and I wouldn’t turn one down in a pinch but it’s not quite interesting enough and doesn’t pack enough bite for my liking. It is probably best suited as a mixer, in my opinion.