Woodford Reserve: Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Review
The Kentucky Straight Malt category is one that has not been explored for some time, especially after prohibition. Malt is expensive, and can be cumbersome to allocate, but it offers such a rich product, that is worth the extra effort. Woodford Reserve dug into the archives at Brown-Forman and found that the company used to own its own malting house pre-prohibition, so we were thrilled to bring the product back to the shelves with historical roots. Woodford Reserve only released 10,000 cases, to test the waters, but the reviews have been overwhelming, and people are demanding more malt. If the liquor store runs out, fear not, it will be back on shelves soon.
Appearance: Rich weathered leather
Nose: Caramel drizzled almonds, a hint of chocolate a cocoa, with a dash of green apple
Taste: The high malt content allows those delicious nutty notes to shine with almond, toasted hazelnut, and pecan. Chocolate covered malted milk ball springs forward
Finish: The almond notes carry all the way through, but the green fruits certainly play a fun role. A long, bright, and light finish.
A great choice for someone who is new to the Malt category and may not like Scotch (although this is not a Scotch, and not being marketed as one). A nice, soft Malt Whiskey with a historical backbone to hold its own on shelves and in cocktail.
Katie Farley
Master Taster In Training For Woodford Reserve Distillery