MM Private & WR Masters Thoughts?

[Anwalt]

A bit on the spendy side, especially the WF.  Any thoughts?  Worth it?

 

https://www.ohlq.com/liquor/whiskey/american/bourbon/woodford-reserve-masters-collection?sku=9655b

 

https://www.ohlq.com/liquor/whiskey/american/bourbon/makers-mark-private-selection?sku=6076b

[Marekv8]

53 minutes ago, Anwalt said:

A bit on the spendy side, especially the WF.  Any thoughts?  Worth it?

 

https://www.ohlq.com/liquor/whiskey/american/bourbon/woodford-reserve-masters-collection?sku=9655b

 

https://www.ohlq.com/liquor/whiskey/american/bourbon/makers-mark-private-selection?sku=6076b

 

Note that the Ohio site incorrectly IDs the Woodford Five Malt Stouted Mash as “Bourbon Whiskey.” Truly an interesting pour-- but like most previous Master's Collection releases-- it's a flavor experiment at your expense. It would be nice if they could package them as a multipack series in 100mL or 200mL bottles (somewhat like the Jefferson's Wood Experiment Collection) and make a viable comparative sampling experience out of it.

[Anwalt]

27 minutes ago, Marekv8 said:

Note that the Ohio site incorrectly IDs the Woodford Five Malt Stouted Mash as “Bourbon Whiskey.

 

They do that.  For example, the OF Rye was labeled as a bourbon.

 

Ah, gubmint.

[fishnbowljoe]

If I had to choose, I’d pick the MM PS.
 

FWIW,  I got in on the ground floor when WR first released the Masters Collection. I bought the first two in the series, the Four Grain and the Sonoma Cutrer. Both were less than stellar. 🫢 Sadly, I ended up pouring the Sonoma down the drain. Thanks to a member here, I got to taste the Four Grain, so I didn’t open mine. We had one of our SB get togethers in Bardstown, and I donated it for one of our raffles. I was 0 for 2, so I gave up on the series. I have tasted a couple others since then, and both weren’t all that great either.

 

Biba! Joe

[BottledInBond]

1 hour ago, fishnbowljoe said:

If I had to choose, I’d pick the MM PS.
 

FWIW,  I got in on the ground floor when WR first released the Masters Collection. I bought the first two in the series, the Four Grain and the Sonoma Cutrer. Both were less than stellar. 🫢 Sadly, I ended up pouring the Sonoma down the drain. Thanks to a member here, I got to taste the Four Grain, so I didn’t open mine. We had one of our SB get togethers in Bardstown, and I donated it for one of our raffles. I was 0 for 2, so I gave up on the series. I have tasted a couple others since then, and both weren’t all that great either.

 

Biba! Joe

 

There was the four grain, then I think the 1838 sweet mash was #2, then Sonoma-cutrer after that, then seasoned oak, maple wood finish, then I lose track of the order but they included new cask/aged cask rye, classic malt/straight malt, chocolate malted rye, brandy cask, four wood, cherry smoked barley, oat grain, select American oak, Very Fine Rare, batch proof. 
 

I think this is the worst LE series from any of the legacy distilleries. Most of them are missed or just average. The very fine rare and batch proof were solid but still nothing I’d go out of my way for. They are a hard pass for me unless I tried them first and liked it. Unfortunately plenty of people buy up anything LE and if stores only get 1 or 2 of a release the “try before you buy” isn’t an option unless a buddy gets one first or you see it at a bar. 

[fishnbowljoe]

2 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

 

There was the four grain, then I think the 1838 sweet mash was #2, then Sonoma-cutrer after that, then seasoned oak, maple wood finish, then I lose track of the order but they included new cask/aged cask rye, classic malt/straight malt, chocolate malted rye, brandy cask, four wood, cherry smoked barley, oat grain, select American oak, Very Fine Rare, batch proof. 
 

I think this is the worst LE series from any of the legacy distilleries. Most of them are missed or just average. The very fine rare and batch proof were solid but still nothing I’d go out of my way for. They are a hard pass for me unless I tried them first and liked it. Unfortunately plenty of people buy up anything LE and if stores only get 1 or 2 of a release the “try before you buy” isn’t an option unless a buddy gets one first or you see it at a bar. 

I bought the Sonoma Cutrer because it was the first one I spotted. It had probably been sitting on the shelf a while. I opened it and was really surprised, but not in a good way. Soon after I spotted the Four Grain. I figured what the heck. Oh well. At least the Four Grain went to a good cause.

 

Biba! Joe

[Anwalt]

I am detecting a pattern here.  I think the WR specials are "right out" as the Monty Python people say.

 

As always, thank you.  Much better to lean on experience than to stick Mr. Hanky in a fan.

[Mattk]

Just to dog pile on the wr thing. Here is a photo of the rye set. They were just ok. The new cask rye was exactly what you would expect from a young Woodford rye. The aged cask was... Different. But ultimately both were very close to the standard issue rye.

[smokinjoe]

40 minutes ago, Mattk said:

Just to dog pile on the wr thing. Here is a photo of the rye set. They were just ok. The new cask rye was exactly what you would expect from a young Woodford rye. The aged cask was... Different. But ultimately both were very close to the standard issue rye.

I had 2 sets.  1 purchased and one gifted.  Both ultimately drain poured.  Hated to do it, but hated more drinking bad whiskey more.  

[Anwalt]

Wow.  Glad I asked first.  Tough but consistent verdicts.

[BottledInBond]

4 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I bought the Sonoma Cutrer because it was the first one I spotted. It had probably been sitting on the shelf a while. I opened it and was really surprised, but not in a good way. Soon after I spotted the Four Grain. I figured what the heck. Oh well. At least the Four Grain went to a good cause.

 

Biba! Joe

The year the Cutrer came out I remember my mother in law telling me she had bought one and I needed to pick between that or a PVW15 for my Christmas gift bottle. Didn’t take me long to choose

[BottledInBond]

10 minutes ago, Anwalt said:

Wow.  Glad I asked first.  Tough but consistent verdicts.

Let me tell you the dirty little secret, at least in my opinion.

 

Woodford is a lovely place. Woodford Reserve is solid mid shelf bourbon. Most of the whiskey that is actually distilled at Woodford sucks. 
 

The standard Woodford Reserve product is a blend of barrels, some distilled at WR and some distilled at Old Forester. If you want to a “barrel pick” of Woodford Reserve for a store it’ll never be a single barrel. It’s still a blend. I think they know the juice off those stills isn’t that great on it’s own. Otherwise you’d think they’d try to do premium single barrel line extensions, but they don’t. 
 

Now saying all that I’m not a Brown Forman hater.  I think Old Forester has been extremely solid over the last couple years. They’ve put out great new products. But, BF products that are actually distilled at Woodford? Many seem to suck, or have to get blended with OF juice to make it work. 
 

Just my $0.02

[fishnbowljoe]

26 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

The year the Cutrer came out I remember my mother in law telling me she had bought one and I needed to pick between that or a PVW15 for my Christmas gift bottle. Didn’t take me long to choose

 

Biba! Joe

[Rhettro]

A friend bought and opened a bottle of the WR Stouted Mash. Which didn’t agree with my palate. It’d be pass for me, and one I’d recommend ticking at a bar before dropping over a benji on a bottle that’ll most likely be collecting dust in the back of your cabinet. 

[mbroo5880i]

3 hours ago, Mattk said:

Just to dog pile on the wr thing. Here is a photo of the rye set. They were just ok. The new cask rye was exactly what you would expect from a young Woodford rye. The aged cask was... Different. But ultimately both were very close to the standard issue rye.

 

I want to say these came out in 2010 or 2011?  One of the liquor stores had a set on their top shelf behind the counter for 3 or 4 years.   The price was $99.99.  Every once in a while I would offer the manager to pay 1/2 price for them.  I wanted to try WR Rye.  She was always nice about it but said the owner wouldn't sell them for that.  He wasn't a jerk or anything.  His prices were always great.  They ended up selling out to a larger chain and the bottles disappeared.

 

I am glad I missed out.  They must have  figured it out since the standard rye isn't too bad.

[mbroo5880i]

9 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

If I had to choose, I’d pick the MM PS.
 

FWIW,  I got in on the ground floor when WR first released the Masters Collection. I bought the first two in the series, the Four Grain and the Sonoma Cutrer. Both were less than stellar. 🫢 Sadly, I ended up pouring the Sonoma down the drain. Thanks to a member here, I got to taste the Four Grain, so I didn’t open mine. We had one of our SB get togethers in Bardstown, and I donated it for one of our raffles. I was 0 for 2, so I gave up on the series. I have tasted a couple others since then, and both weren’t all that great either.

 

Biba! Joe

 

2 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I had 2 sets.  1 purchased and one gifted.  Both ultimately drain poured.  Hated to do it, but hated more drinking bad whiskey more.  

 

Say it isn't so, both Joes poured whiskey down the drain.   But, when you have been at it long enough, everyone has poured a bottle or two down the drain to cut their losses.  Pouring whiskey down the drain is like pulling your starters in the fourth quarter to prepare for the next game.  

[0895]

I honestly enjoyed the brandy finished release.   I had been eyeing one sitting for almost the last year and couldn't ever decide to pull the trigger, as it was $50 more than the first bottle I bought.  It recently disappeared, so I don't have to worry about it teasing me any longer.

 

The only other one I bought was the 1838 sweet white corn or whatever it was.  I later tried it at a bar and had regretsy for several years.... until a coworker of mine casually mentioned in conversation one day it was a favorite bottle of his that he wished he had another.  

I could barely contain my excitement   disbelief at this rare opportunity, as I had never opened mine.

He got another bottle.  I got back what I paid for it.  Everyone was happy.  

 

 

[flahute]

2 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

Let me tell you the dirty little secret, at least in my opinion.

 

Woodford is a lovely place. Woodford Reserve is solid mid shelf bourbon. Most of the whiskey that is actually distilled at Woodford sucks. 
 

The standard Woodford Reserve product is a blend of barrels, some distilled at WR and some distilled at Old Forester. If you want to a “barrel pick” of Woodford Reserve for a store it’ll never be a single barrel. It’s still a blend. I think they know the juice off those stills isn’t that great on it’s own. Otherwise you’d think they’d try to do premium single barrel line extensions, but they don’t. 
 

Now saying all that I’m not a Brown Forman hater.  I think Old Forester has been extremely solid over the last couple years. They’ve put out great new products. But, BF products that are actually distilled at Woodford? Many seem to suck, or have to get blended with OF juice to make it work. 
 

Just my $0.02

I've done the "pick" at Woodford and you start by tasting 6 single barrels, pick your top three and taste all of the blend permutations of those. We tasted the 6 single barrels blind and by far the two that were most hated were the two from the pot stills at WR.

[PaulO]

Back in the days when there was still some interesting older inventory to be found here and there, I drove all over Indianapolis hunting.  Those Woodford Masters Collection sat around behind counters or in glass cases for years after they were released.  I think some may have eventually been returned to distributors.

[Anwalt]

Paul O,

 

I had forgotten that I received an expensive gift from a well-meaning associate.  It was one of those.  Bitter & boring.  Still have some of it left.  Tried it.  Reminded me.  What a shame.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Anwalt

[PaulO]

The irony of it - the very first batch or batches of regular WR were 100% honey barrels from Old Forester Louisville (no Versailles pot still juice added at all).  Man, I would love to find some of those.   

[fishnbowljoe]

1 hour ago, PaulO said:

The irony of it - the very first batch or batches of regular WR were 100% honey barrels from Old Forester Louisville (no Versailles pot still juice added at all).  Man, I would love to find some of those.   

Many years ago I found a few bottles of the early batches of WR. I believe the earliest I had was either Batch #16 or Batch #18. I still have a Batch #38.  I believe that @PaulO is correct in that the early batches were 100% OF distillate. I had several older bottles of OF BIB. From what I can remember, the older WR’s tasted amazingly similar to the older OF BIB’s. Both were great.  

 

Biba! Joe