VAGentleman Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 (edited) Haven't seen anyone post this so figured I might as well. Got this email from WoodfordFor years we've been keeping something new and special under wraps at the Distillery, and in the spirit of the holiday season, I decided it's about time we broke our silence and let the whiskey out of the barrel, so to speak. And who better to be the first to know about it than our Reserve members? I'd like to formally introduce to you for the first time Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. This has been a labor of love I've been working on for more than nine years. It's a rye whiskey that tastes so good, it's so unlike any other rye whiskey. It has all the usual characteristics of rye whiskey - big clove and spice notes, black pepper, tobacco... but unlike other ryes, it has some sweet and fruit characters with a really pronounced honey note. It's palatable and very smooth, and I've been enjoying a tipple or two neat and on the rocks. Right now we're set for a February launch with limited availability due to such small quantities made. (Trust me when I say we're making more as quickly as possible!) Visit the Innovation section of the website for tasting notes and more information.The site says its 100% Kentucky Rye whiskey made in the Pot stills in Versailles and is as old as regular woodford (however old that is) Edited December 23, 2014 by VAGentleman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoch Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I wonder if this includes some of the Rittenhouse BF used to make for HH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restaurant man Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I wonder if this includes some of the Rittenhouse BF used to make for HH.It would be hard to believe if there wasn't a family resemblance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I wonder if this includes some of the Rittenhouse BF used to make for HH.Yeah, the rumors on this started a while back. If it is all made in the Woodford pot stills as the emails seems to imply then it probably isn't related to Rittenhouse. More likely related to the largely panned Rye Masters Collection from a couple of years ago. But without confirmation of that it is hard to know what to believe.But I do bet it won't be cheap given recent pricing structure! Or even reasonable. I would love to be wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 No how no way is it going to be economical. That being said if certain SB members happen to post that is the best thing since sliced bread I'll probably give it a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey r Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Should be interesting. Price will be the key IMO. My anecdotal experience is that rye is still very much a niche product. None of my friends drink it. Bottles seem to stick around in liquor stores, especially the pricy ryes like LS&B, Jefferson's old ryes, Whistlepig Boss Hog, etc. There are some extremely good ryes at around $30 or less, including Baby Saz, Ritt BIB, James E Pepper. Some excellent ryes a bit higher, like SAOS 7 Yr and WT 101. If this Woodford is in the $40 range and up, I do believe it will languish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 They've got to get a limited edition right sometime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 They've got to get a limited edition right sometime?Gee, I hope so. At least two of their previous LEs at the back of my top shelf (where I can't reach things out of sight, out of mind) are getting lonely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Interesting they point out it's palatable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethangsmith Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I'm going to be hunting a bottle of this stuff. I love the BF Rittenhouse. If this is anything like it, I'll probably buy it by the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luther.r Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Call me a curmudgeon, but my bet is this will be overpriced and underproofed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Call me a curmudgeon, but my bet is this will be overpriced and underproofed.You're a curmudgeon!!!! Like me...So far what few reports I have seen suggest it will be a similar age as Woodford bourbon which is of course unknown (at least to me) but presumably 6-8ish years although it could certainly be as little as four for some or all of the blend as far as I know. The TTB label suggests 90.4 proof if it can be believed so I would definitely call it underproofed. I would have preferred to see it 100 proof at a minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Not doing handsprings myself but I passed the curmudgeon mark years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycamm Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 It is probably a blend of BF Rittenhouse and Leftover Woodford Masters Collection Rye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'll bet priced same as double oaked. I'll certainly get one to compare to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 First indication of price point I have come across for the Woodford Rye. A NAS 90.4 proof rye with a mashbill of 53% rye (supposedly confirmed), approximately 35% corn and 12% Barley (not confirmed but likely). MSRP given was $37.99. Expected to start appearing in February with a limited distribution initially to about 15 states kind of scattered across the country. Georgia will be one of them it appears. Wasn't 354 Rittenhouse a 51% rye? If so it suggests a (slightly) different mashbill form the Ritt BIB. Also no indication if this all made at Woodford. Feeling kind of meh about this one but will no doubt try at least one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 First indication of price point I have come across for the Woodford Rye. A NAS 90.4 proof rye with a mashbill of 53% rye (supposedly confirmed), approximately 35% corn and 12% Barley (not confirmed but likely). MSRP given was $37.99. Expected to start appearing in February with a limited distribution initially to about 15 states kind of scattered across the country. Georgia will be one of them it appears. Wasn't 354 Rittenhouse a 51% rye? If so it suggests a (slightly) different mashbill form the Ritt BIB. Also no indication if this all made at Woodford. Feeling kind of meh about this one but will no doubt try at least one.I'm with you Bruce, but based on everyone else's current rye pricing, I'll give this a go. I'm always exited when a major brings a new rye to market! Sure, I'd like it to be at least 100 proof, but it's definitely worth a try!If nothing else, maybe it will divert enough buyers from my fav's to make them a little more easy to come by.:grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Feeling kind of meh about this one but will no doubt try at least one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 53% rye, 33% corn and 14% malt is confirmed. They're making it at both plants and will batch it just like the bourbon. They started making this about the time they stopped making Rittenhouse, but it's not the same recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 53% rye, 33% corn and 14% malt is confirmed. They're making it at both plants and will batch it just like the bourbon. They started making this about the time they stopped making Rittenhouse, but it's not the same recipe.Not unexpected to hear they are batching but a bit unfortunate as I at would have liked to at least try an all Woodford made rye. A shame they can't or don't want to bottle at least some that is all Woodford. Then again maybe an all Woodford rye is just awful!Presumably Ritt was all B-F so we all pretty much know what that is like. Maybe the change from 51% to 53% rye would make a noticeable difference but I doubt it and it seems more of a way to say they aren't just bottling the Ritt they once sold to HH. Maybe it was even a contractual requirement to be a little different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 sometimes blending is good. take two boring one-dimensionals and get something interesting. just ask the vatter or 4R or ... ahem, forgiven. well, looking at a half-full glass through rose colored glasses makes life easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 sometimes blending is good. take two boring one-dimensionals and get something interesting. just ask the vatter or 4R or ... ahem, forgiven. well, looking at a half-full glass through rose colored glasses makes life easier.Oh, I don't mind the blending so much but I wouldn't mind also having the option of a bottling of Woodford only rye to try as well. The Master's Collection Rye that was presumably a pure Woodford rye from a couple of years ago that did so poorly was a 100% rye mashbill but this one would likely be a different animal at only 53% rye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 They have a good system. This is also how they do the bourbons. They select about ten 'candidate' batches, making sure both distilleries are represented. Then the tasters, not knowing the source, determine which samples best match the standard. The highest ranked samples, again making sure both distilleries are represented, are then dumped and bottled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedonist Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 90 proof anything just doesn't interest me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor22 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 They've got to get a limited edition right sometime?You would think that they would eventually. Maybe this is that one golden moment..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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