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BOTM 5/14: Woodford Reserve


fishnbowljoe
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Sorry I'm late again folks. I'd been thinking a lot on just what to pick for BOTM. It ain't gettin' any easier ya' know. :rolleyes: I'm going to go with a suggestion from one of our members. It was pointed out to me that we have lot's of new members. So, going back and revisiting some BOTM's that haven't been done in a while seemed like a good suggestion. Thanks Flyfish.

There has been some discussion about Woodford Reserve/Brown Foreman on the boards lately. It's a bit ironic that at least one of the things being talked about currently, had been brought up back when WR was the BOTM in July of 2006. :shocked:

Not much from me again. I'll only say that to me, WR is just an okay bourbon. (Price? Ehhhhhh.) But IMHO, I think it used to be much better when it was all BF distillate. I don't get the "copper penny" flavor when I taste WR, but it seems some folks do. The only thing I can figure is that maybe the combination of their yeast and copper pot distillation just aren't to my liking. Who knows? :skep:

Just for kicks, I though I'd post Jeff's comments when he chose WR as the BOTM back in 2006. His post is below.

Cheers and happy posting! Joe

The re-opening of the Labrot and Graham distillery was an exciting occasion for lovers of Kentucky bourbon. Not only because it was the first "new" distillery opened in recent memory, but also owing to the 3 beautiful copper pot-stills that would be producing more of Kentucky's finest. Initially produced from honey-barrels of Old Forester bourbon brought to Woodford County from Louisville to finish aging, Woodford Reserve was a hit from day one. Fast forward a decade and Woodford Reserve is a constantly evolving product containing both pot-still bourbon distilled on site and bourbon produced in Louisville. Will Woodford Reserve eventually contain 100% pot-still bourbon? That remains to be seen, however what they are doing now seems to be working.

Join us now in a discussion of Woodford Reserve, both current and previous conjurations.

:893drillsergeant-thSound off:893drillsergeant-th

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Nice choice Joe, and one us Aussies can participate in :) I'm off to the shop this evening to pick up a bottle!

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I think standard Woodford has arguably the best nose in bourbon. This is the bourbon that started my hobby. The butterscotch/raisin combination is heaven in a bottle on the nose. The palate...while tasty, it never quite lives up to the nose for me. There is something slightly rough on the mid-palate that just seems a bit off balance.

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I like it but not enough to pay a premium. I agree it was better when it was 100% Louisville distilled, or at least I liked that more than later versions.

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I agree with Squire, it used to be better. Price wise, it doesn't seem as expensive as it used to, given the rising cost of everything else. Saw it for 31 and change today and thought....well that's not too bad. Never used to think that.

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This is the bourbon that got me into bourbons three years ago. With the coming of age, sadly and happily the palate changes for the better. I will agree with other members that it is OK juice, though a little expensive for what it is. Not quite the JaMarcus Russell of whiskey (that razzie may have to go to the Sinatra Select), it is a letdown for me considering I can get Four Roses Single Barrel for $33 locally... decisions, decisions...:rolleyes:

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Can those of you who spoke of a differing distilling arrangement for Woodford please comment further....I thought this stuff was a mix of the Versailles pot still distillate and the Old Forester facility. Both are Brown-Forman, correct? I'm very confused.....

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Gets ignored often. You won't see it on my shelf much, I'd rather buy OF100, but it is enjoyable. I think it is one of the more syrupy bourbon's out there and for that reason, I think it does great in cocktails. It can still hold its own neat, too. I may buy a bottle since Woodford has invaded my facebook with the "Woodford Way" advertising. Hate them to spend all that money to target me and I not buy a bottle.

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It's just "meh" to me. Not bad, not great. There's several others in the same price range I prefer.

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Gets ignored often. You won't see it on my shelf much, I'd rather buy OF100, but it is enjoyable. I think it is one of the more syrupy bourbon's out there and for that reason, I think it does great in cocktails. It can still hold its own neat, too. I may buy a bottle since Woodford has invaded my facebook with the "Woodford Way" advertising. Hate them to spend all that money to target me and I not buy a bottle.

Yeah, poor Brown-Forman spending all this money on marketing for no return... :D

This pretty much says what I think. I will take OF Signature over Woodford, all day every day, for 2/3 the price at a higher proof. I've tasted them blind side by side before and I did prefer the WR, but man, not by much.

I think the distillery, the bottle, everything about WR is kind of gimmicky. I would really like to see an 8 or 10 year OF at 100+ proof instead.

Also, that Woodford Way commercial during the Derby sucked.

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Didn't know if my sarcasm was coming off or not so I hope you picked up on it. :cool:

I would really like to see an 8 or 10 year OF at 100+ proof instead.

I know it ain't the same but the BB fills that role nicely. I am sure some well picked 8 year old barrels would be perfect though.

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Didn't know if my sarcasm was coming off or not so I hope you picked up on it. :cool:

I know it ain't the same but the BB fills that role nicely. I am sure some well picked 8 year old barrels would be perfect though.

Yep, it was loud and clear.

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I used to think WR got an undeservedly bad rep on this board. Then I tasted it blind after not having had it for quite awhile. It really hit me badly in the blind tasting session, with a nose of juicy fruit and urine, a thinly sweet palate and a finish with notes of formaldehyde. There was a sickly sweetness to it. It was just one tasting session, and I couldn't say whether I would have the same revulsion drinking it non-blind on another day, but I certainly have no reason to seek it out. If I ever see it sitting on an open bar, I'd probably pour a little just to satisfy curiosity.

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with a nose of juicy fruit and urine

Well, I'm out. It's been a long time since I had WR and I had thought about revisiting it, but now I'm afraid that, whether there or not, I would think I'd be smelling urine. Maybe I'll just wait for an opportunity to smell someone else's! :lol:

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Well, I'm out. It's been a long time since I had WR and I had thought about revisiting it, but now I'm afraid that, whether there or not, I would think I'd be smelling urine. Maybe I'll just wait for an opportunity to smell someone else's! :lol:

Horn, I hope you meant "smell someone else's - Woodford"...:slappin:

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Well, I'm out. It's been a long time since I had WR and I had thought about revisiting it, but now I'm afraid that, whether there or not, I would think I'd be smelling urine. Maybe I'll just wait for an opportunity to smell someone else's! :lol:

I've never had bourbon that tasted like urine. But, as with asparagus, I have had urine that smelled like bourbon. But only on really good days.

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Horn, I hope you meant "smell someone else's - Woodford"...:slappin:

Ha! Should have read closer. That is what I meant. Today. :bigeyes:

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I've never had bourbon that tasted like urine. But, as with asparagus, I have had urine that smelled like bourbon. But only on really good days.

It's not that the bourbon tasted like urine, it's really more of a note like a stick of juicy fruit gum that has been soaked in a glass of urine.

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Can those of you who spoke of a differing distilling arrangement for Woodford please comment further....I thought this stuff was a mix of the Versailles pot still distillate and the Old Forester facility. Both are Brown-Forman, correct? I'm very confused.....
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Wow. I've never tried a WR product and after reading this thread...I want to buy a 50mL to see what all the bad fuss is about.

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Off topic, I know... I have no information other than my own palate, but I would bet OF Sig is closer to 8 than 4. I'm not convinced that an 8 year age statement would improve it that much.

On topic, WR was like the second or third bourbon I bought when I was getting back into it. I remember how light it was compared to EC12. I ended up using it up in mint juleps; it really mingled well with the syrup.

I should get another bottle for sours.

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It's been a long time since I've had WR. It was early on in my bourbon exploration and I recall not liking it at the time. This about when I was trying (and enjoying) Bernheim Wheat and Gentleman Jack. Probably should revisit WR again, but alas my whiskey fund has been cut for the time being....plus I have 7 bottles of bourbon open anyway (amongst other things...).

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I would cut back on the other things to free up funds for Bourbon.

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All this talk is going to force me to go out and buy another bottle. I buy about 1 bottle of WR a year around Derby time for mint juleps, nostalgia I guess. It gets polished off rather quickly in juleps and I haven't had it any other way in years. To the liquor store!

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I find Woodford Reserve to be pretty decent, if maybe a bit boring. The Double Oak expression, on the other hand, I like a lot. That finishing gives it the extra character that's been missing. Lots of caramel on the nose and palate. I don't know if I'd pay $50 for it regularly, but I do enjoy it.

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