In appreciation of Woodford Reserve

[lcpfratn]

Just out of curiosity, besides this Batch Proof, which from this series do you consider to have been hits? I have a hard time thinking of any off hand 

I’m also a fan of the Brandy Cask Finished and the recent Select American Oak.

[dad-proof]

Had standard Woodford Reserve today at a restaurant. They didn't have my go to WT101, and I so was inspired by this thread. Agree that it is a definite improvement over the last bottle I bought 4-5 years ago.

[mbroo5880i]

On 6/3/2019 at 8:36 AM, Old Hippie said:

SC just received a small allocation of WR Master's Collection Batch Proof. It is 123.2 proof and is stellar. For me, the the Master's Collections have been hit or miss and a bit pricey but this one is spot on and well worth the dollars. 

Just curious, what did this one run?  Was it a 750 ml or 375 ml?  I do like standard Woodford and Double Oak.  

[kevinbrink]

41 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

Just curious, what did this one run?  Was it a 750 ml or 375 ml?  I do like standard Woodford and Double Oak.  

It's a 750, I don't beleive there have been any 375's since the horrible Ryes they put out in the Master's Collection.  Prices seem to be between $110-$140.

[mbroo5880i]

9 minutes ago, kevinbrink said:

It's a 750, I don't beleive there have been any 375's since the horrible Ryes they put out in the Master's Collection.  Prices seem to be between $110-$140.

Thanks!  Drats, that is a little pricey given my bias based on those Master's Collections offerings.  

[Old Hippie]

18 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

Just out of curiosity, besides this Batch Proof, which from this series do you consider to have been hits? I have a hard time thinking of any off hand 

I enjoyed the Brandy Cask finish and the white corn. Some of the others have been interesting but not necessarily my cup of tea. What I do like is that Chris Morris is playing around with stuff and is some cases reaching back into history for some of what he is creating. As I understand it, at some point in the future we might see one with barrels made from staves that have been aging for years. Should be interesting. 

[Mako254]

This thread and the Dan Gardner podcast made me revisit Four Roses mellow/yellow label. Very complex for 80 proof. I have been enjoying it as a warm up pour or as the last pour of the night. 

Definitely keeping one on hand moving forward. 

[flahute]

I flew Delta for a work trip this past Tuesday and on the way home I got upgraded to first class. When it came time for drinks I asked for a Woodford neat and the flight attendant asked if I would like a double. Yes, yes I would please. Came in an actual glass as well and tasted as good as any time I can remember in recent years.  

[Gillman]

I agree with the comment that said the mingling of the Shively and Versailles components are in a "good zone".  IMO Woodford is a much better whiskey today than it was for the first dozen or so years of its life. 

 

I think it sold well from the get go due to its nice packaging, but now the product is fully up to  the image, at least that's how I see it and I'll buy it again soon.

 

I must say on average, I don't feel bourbon is as good or as price effective (P/Q ratio) as, say from 2000-2010.  Sure there are exceptions but my test of quality is when regularly-priced bourbon should taste solid and a lot of it doesn't, IMO.

 

Two exceptions (at least) stand out, or rather three. One is Woodford Reserve, where the price (at least in Canada) is not cheap but the liquid is fully worth it. Second, 4RSB, where I generally have good experience. Third, Jack Daniel Single Barrel, which improved for the better 8-10 years ago IMO and has been solid since. Even regular Jack is much better than c.2000.

 

Gary

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Gillman

[Richnimrod]

18 hours ago, Gillman said:

I agree with the comment that said the mingling of the Shively and Versailles components are in a "good zone".  IMO Woodford is a much better whiskey today than it was for the first dozen or so years of its life. 

 

I think it sold well from the get go due to its nice packaging, but now the product is fully up to  the image, at least that's how I see it and I'll buy it again soon.

 

I must say on average, I don't feel bourbon is as good or as price effective (P/Q ratio) as, say from 2000-2010.  Sure there are exceptions but my test of quality is when regularly-priced bourbon should taste solid and a lot of it doesn't. 

 

Two exceptions (at least) stand out, or rather three. One is Woodford Reserve, where the price (at least in Canada) is not cheap but the liquid is fully worth it. Second, 4RSB, where I generally have good experience. Third, Jack Daniel Single Barrel, which improved for the better 8-10 years ago IMO and has been solid since. Even regular Jack is much better than c.2000.

 

Gary

 

Have you had the opportunity to try any of the 'new' entries from the majors over the last few years, Gary?   I'm thinking of brands like Beam's Distiller's Cut, Early Times BIB from BF, and Barton's 1792 BIB, among a few others that stood out for me for their quality (if not the QPR in the case of 1792 BIB, which was very good; but, also over-priced to me).

I totally agree with you about JD, especially the Barrel Proof.

[mbroo5880i]

I posted in the "What did you purchase today" thread that I bought a couple bottles of store select Woodford Reserve today.  I had heard this bottle was really good.  Initially, I was disappointed when I saw the price was $54.99, even though the bottle was one liter.  However, I was able to try a sample in the adjacent restaurant and was blown away!  It was spectacular.  It measures up well with any Woodford I have ever had and several "premium" bourbons that I enjoy including Blanton's and Four Rose Barrel Strengths.  It also measures up well with OF 1910 which is similar in proof and price.    With a multiple bottle discount, I ended picking up two bottles for $46.75 each.  More than I typically would spend but I felt comfortable paying up for something a cut above the norm.

 

I did get the opportunity to speak with one of the selection team who works in the restaurant.  He noticed I had bellied up to the bar for a sample and inquired as to what I thought.  He indicated they went to Woodford and selected a couple of barrels for the "blend."  What I am not certain is whether the barrels were OF/WR blends or individual distillate from WR and/OF.  I didn't think to ask at the time.  Has anyone participated in a barrel selection with Woodford? Just curious how this works.  I also didn't get to ask how long the blend was allowed to marry.  They picked the barrels in December.  My impression is they received the bottles within the last month.  

[flahute]

14 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

I posted in the "What did you purchase today" thread that I bought a couple bottles of store select Woodford Reserve today.  I had heard this bottle was really good.  Initially, I was disappointed when I saw the price was $54.99, even though the bottle was one liter.  However, I was able to try a sample in the adjacent restaurant and was blown away!  It was spectacular.  It measures up well with any Woodford I have ever had and several "premium" bourbons that I enjoy including Blanton's and Four Rose Barrel Strengths.  It also measures up well with OF 1910 which is similar in proof and price.    With a multiple bottle discount, I ended picking up two bottles for $46.75 each.  More than I typically would spend but I felt comfortable paying up for something a cut above the norm.

 

I did get the opportunity to speak with one of the selection team who works in the restaurant.  He noticed I had bellied up to the bar for a sample and inquired as to what I thought.  He indicated they went to Woodford and selected a couple of barrels for the "blend."  What I am not certain is whether the barrels were OF/WR blends or individual distillate from WR and/OF.  I didn't think to ask at the time.  Has anyone participated in a barrel selection with Woodford? Just curious how this works.  I also didn't get to ask how long the blend was allowed to marry.  They picked the barrels in December.  My impression is they received the bottles within the last month.  

I've done this. You get six single barrel samples from both Versailles and Shively. Chris Morris will tell you what was what but we stopped him because we always taste blind.

You pick your top three single barrels (if I recall correctly) and they blend of all the permutations. Then you pick our favorite blend.

[Vosgar]

After having WR on my American Airlines flights this week, I have to say it's tasting pretty damn good these days. The bottles were slightly chilled in the serving carts and that seems to work well for it. There are still other whiskies at this price point I'd buy before WR, but it's nice to know that I'm not having to "settle" when making this choice.

[mbroo5880i]

1 hour ago, flahute said:

I've done this. You get six single barrel samples from both Versailles and Shively. Chris Morris will tell you what was what but we stopped him because we always taste blind.

You pick your top three single barrels (if I recall correctly) and they blend of all the permutations. Then you pick our favorite blend.

Thanks Steve!  This sounds exactly how he described it other than he didn't specify origination of the barrels.  

 

So when you say you pick your favorite blend.  Do they blend the top three barrels in different proportions?  Any idea what happens to the blends you don't pick?

[mbroo5880i]

1 hour ago, Vosgar said:

After having WR on my American Airlines flights this week, I have to say it's tasting pretty damn good these days. The bottles were slightly chilled in the serving carts and that seems to work well for it. There are still other whiskies at this price point I'd buy before WR, but it's nice to know that I'm not having to "settle" when making this choice.

I know the shelf price for standard WR is around $36.99 in Indy.  However, you can find it anywhere from $29.99 to $42.99 depending where you look, sales, and multiple bottle discounts.  

[flahute]

1 hour ago, mbroo5880i said:

Thanks Steve!  This sounds exactly how he described it other than he didn't specify origination of the barrels.  

 

So when you say you pick your favorite blend.  Do they blend the top three barrels in different proportions?  Any idea what happens to the blends you don't pick?

As I recall, they blended them 50/50.

The barrels you don't pick I assume stay in the program. The test blends are very small. As for your two barrels that get blended, you get half and the rest gets dumped into the standard product.

[Gillman]

On 6/16/2019 at 8:19 AM, Richnimrod said:

Have you had the opportunity to try any of the 'new' entries from the majors over the last few years, Gary?   I'm thinking of brands like Beam's Distiller's Cut, Early Times BIB from BF, and Barton's 1792 BIB, among a few others that stood out for me for their quality (if not the QPR in the case of 1792 BIB, which was very good; but, also over-priced to me).

I totally agree with you about JD, especially the Barrel Proof.

I have not and will look for them, I know the 1792 Small Batch profile pretty well, ditto many expressions of Beam, which never hit my preferred spot although many like it I know. Early Times when it became a straight whiskey again was decent, so I'd give the BIB a try.  In general, bourbon quality is certainly good, and has been for years, but prices are simply not as good as 10-20 years ago and while they will never return to those levels likely, I hope distillers will ever increase quality while steadying price. Also, my experience with NDP brands is caution must be exercised, and it is good to consult online and media opinion before buying. I've had disappointment with some brands including inconsistency for one I particularly liked when first released. It kind of comes with the territory for NDP I guess, but still...

Edited June 27, 2019 by Gillman

[Gillman]

15 minutes ago, Gillman said:

I have not and will look for them, I know the 1792 Small Batch profile pretty well, ditto many expressions of Beam, which never hit my preferred spot although many like it I know. Early Times when it became a straight whiskey again was decent, so I'd give the BIB a try.  In general, bourbon quality is certainly good, and has been for years, but prices are simply not as good as 10-20 years ago and while they will never return to those levels likely, I hope distillers will ever increase quality while steading price. Also, my experience with NDP brands is caution must be exercised, and it is good to consult online and media opinion before buying. I've had disappointment with some brands including inconsistency for one I particularly liked when first released. It kind of comes with the territory for NDP I guess, but still...

Just one other thing to add, of course as with any luxury product, size of pocketbook affects the decisions of many, but not all. Today, there is a luxury of choice among the main distillers, NDP, and vibrant craft sector and for those who can buy without regard to an extra $10 -$40 or whatever, it's fine. But I think the bulk of the bourbon market wants an optimum mix of price and quality. The more distillers achieve that the better off the long-term future of the industry, IMO. Just as an example, Four Roses Yellow Label is still a good buy for a good product, but recent buys seem less rich to me than the first releases when it re-introduced the straight bourbon to the U.S. It can go the other way, as I said for WR and JD SB, and I hope the industry in general will follow those examples (and its earlier history) to keep the industry vibrant and evergreen.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Gillman