tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post4375053353557901209..comments2024-03-13T04:04:32.568-07:00Comments on Sku's Recent Eats: Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Bourbonsskuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487419662314518931noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-49733025345756922312011-06-07T14:03:09.869-07:002011-06-07T14:03:09.869-07:00I'm with Nathan, not a fan of Old Forester pro...I'm with Nathan, not a fan of Old Forester products. Especially not the OFBBs. Most 'vintages' taste like they're aged in cedar casks atop the Four Seasons Miami.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-4604346537000224582011-05-26T11:34:55.693-07:002011-05-26T11:34:55.693-07:00Agreed on the Birthday Bourbon, and its omission i...Agreed on the Birthday Bourbon, and its omission in my last comment was unintentional. I actually love the ones I've been able to get (remember, I'm in the Pepole's Republic of Pennsylvania).<br /><br />So you're right, they ARE capable of putting out a respected annual release, but the WRMC is twice the price and half the quality.sam knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-5484710475389123032011-05-25T19:33:54.916-07:002011-05-25T19:33:54.916-07:00RC, thanks for your comments. We were pretty clos...RC, thanks for your comments. We were pretty close on our evaluations of these.<br /><br />Sam, I couldn't agree more. The whole time I was tasting these I was wondering how they could keep putting out these dogs. I wanted to ask the Top Chef question, "Did you taste this before you sent it out?" And the OF Birthday Bourbons are pretty good (though I'm not as big a fan as some others), so we know BF is capable of doing a quality yearly release, but jeez guys, get it together.skuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00487419662314518931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-23779032496883672352011-05-25T18:26:16.447-07:002011-05-25T18:26:16.447-07:00Sam,
Midway through the Sweet Mash, wondering if...Sam, <br /><br />Midway through the Sweet Mash, wondering if anything was going to be good, I started to wonder how BT generally knocks out great whiskies and the BF Master's was so completely off. The Sonoma, IMO, is unbelievably bad and not worth the bucks. Plus they're producing these in ridiculous quantities - in excess of 15,000 on most bottles that I saw. I gripe about the rarity of BT experimentals but maybe that's the saner strategy here. And cutting the run in half...<br /><br />I love the idea of the experimental lines - I think there's a lot of room to really question the "rules" and play within the framework, and there are certainly some great successes. Obviously there are bound to be some failures, but you'd think they'd come up with more than one or two. (I would personally rate the Seasoned Oak higher than regular Woodford but I'm also fond of reasonably woody whiskies)<br /><br />I think in BF's case, mash bill experiments, double-distillation experiments, etc - are more interesting than odd finishes. You only need try a handful of oddly-finished Bruichladdichs to see how easily a finish can go horribly awry (the Kosher wine finish was painful). <br /><br />Different strokes, I guess. My brother in law swears by the stuff, but I can't say I'll be back for more.Regular Chumpingtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-83692397706555246832011-05-25T16:38:06.442-07:002011-05-25T16:38:06.442-07:00Interesting comparison, men. I've heard that ...Interesting comparison, men. I've heard that the four grain is the best of the bunch, probably why there's none left standing.<br /><br />I'm also amazed that B-F continues to diminish the Master's Collection's reputation (and their own as well) by consistently releasing big buck whiskeys of questionable quality. I wouldn't buy any of the MC, past or future, on a bet.<br /><br />I find the regular Woodford expression acceptable, but it can be beaten by a bunch of less expensive pours.<br /><br />As goes the L&G unblended Woodford, I've tasted the white dog, and it was like sucking on a penny...an extreme copper component that I felt must have needed to be masked by the addition of Old Forester honey barrels. Perhaps that aspect has improved...this was some time ago.<br /><br />I've also wondered why B-F went so far with the three-still setup, when that system is not traditional in the least. I'd go so far to say it was designed and constructed as an untested experiment that eventually needed a lot of fine tuning to get it to even operate acceptably.<br /><br />In the meantime, we all look forward to anything Buffalo Trace sends our way, the annual Evan Williams Single Barrel and Parker's Heritage are well-received, and Wild Turkey's high-end offerings are highly sought out.<br /><br />Woodford Reserve Master's Collection? Hardly a blip on the whiskey enthusiast's radar screen. Time for B-F to get an experimental or quality control program in place to salvage what they can from this series, or just start over using a new concept with more experienced supervision.sam knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-76002391467541622412011-05-25T13:47:38.624-07:002011-05-25T13:47:38.624-07:00So of the five I sampled, I'd say Seasoned Oak...So of the five I sampled, I'd say Seasoned Oak is the best; an absolute toss-up on flavor between Maple Wood Finish and standard Woodford (though on price you have to go with the standard); sweet mash in fourth - the initial sips are OK but become bracingly sweet; and Sonoma-Cutrer in a very distant 5th, being one of the worst I've tasted. It's really amazingly fake-grape.<br /><br />All this being said... obviously there are some experimentally-minded taste-seekers out there. If you happen to have a bottle of four grain, I think Sku and I would be pretty willing to complete your set between us for a shot at 4G. It's an interesting set of experiements but unfortunately they aren't very successful (aside from seasoned oak).Regular Chumpingtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-14849889277623274742011-05-25T13:46:47.448-07:002011-05-25T13:46:47.448-07:00I promised Sku I'd post these and this is my f...I promised Sku I'd post these and this is my first encounter with Woodford. So, it's a pretty clean slate. Notes are in the Whisky Magazine NPF Comment format and the scores are on the LAWS scale. <br /><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select</b> <i>C+</i><br />N: Very sweet. Rye is evident on the nose, as well as vanilla. There's a low hint of marzipan and vanilla as well. Becomes waxy with a few minutes exposure to air.<br> <br />P: Sweet, with wood evident and rye as well, initially syrupy and thick on the palate but then feels watery and starts to warm. The thicker marzipan style note is evident; a little vanilla, some very faint hints of toffee. There are early faint notes of black cherry but they tone down quickly. <br><br />F: Sweet again, more brown sugar/creme brulee type sweetness. Quite a big, lasting finish. It dries off strange and slightly bitter. <br><br />Comment: It's fine but I don't know that I'd go out of my way to recommend this to anyone. Kind of pushes the sweet and syrupy direction. The marzipan is fairly pronounced which gives it a weightier sweet flavor and I see how this is agreeable. However, this isn't one that I think you're worse off for not having tried. <br><br /><br><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Sonoma-Cutrer Finish</b> <i>D</i><br />N: Funky - grapey (like grape kool-aid, not actual grapes) and kind of sour. Strong alcohol prickle even though it's not particularly strong. Dusty, farmy notes. Light wood. <br><br />P: Syrupy. Fake-grape. Quite hot for the ABV. Some wood. Sweet. Hint of marzipan. Distant hint of toffee which collides horribly with the fake grape. Vaguely chocolatey note. Unacceptably sweet once you get past the weird grape note. <br> <br />F: Alcohol - tastes like cough syrup. Wood. Bitter and drying, slightly astringent. Still quite warm. Lasts longer than is welcome and manages to bring the awful grape note to the fore. <br><br />Comment: This is terrible. It's impossibly sweet and yet has a high alcohol burn - must be fairly young. There is nothing to like about this unless you are tired of mixing grape kool-aid with vodka. I would rather drink Loch Dhu and that's not hyperbole. This is the purple drank of the whiskey world.<br><br /><br><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Master's Collection 1838 Sweet Mash Bottle</b> <i>C-</i><br />N: Sweet - corn note in abundance, a slightly vegetal undertone, turbinado sugar, toffee, maple syrup sweetness, some light wood. With a little time in the glass and some air it opens to give a little more traditional vanilla note. <br><br />P: Thin-ish, surprisingly strong alcohol note, syrupy sweetness, medium heat, some slightly bitter wood. Maple syrup, almost a medicinal hint. Some very far off notes of plum. Despite the sweetness it's still kind of bland. <br><br />F: Big alcohol flush, not particularly nuanced. Toffee, raw sugar, corn. <br><br />Comment: This is one-dimensional and tastes young. There's not a lot of complexity to the whiskey. There is an odd bitterness that clashes with the strong sweetness. It just doesn't hang together coherently. Thank god for the sour mash process. The longer you drink this, the sweeter each subsequent sip tastes. <br><br /><br><br><br /><br />(1/3 - of course this comes in second)Regular Chumpingtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-89279170367258987132011-05-25T13:42:24.028-07:002011-05-25T13:42:24.028-07:00Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Seasoned ...<b>Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Seasoned Oak Finish</b> <i>B-</i><br />N: Wood evident immediately, some rye on the nose. A bit of a prickle but not out of line with the ABV. Smells older. Light molasses and maple syrup notes. <br><br />P: Syrupy mouthfeel. A bit sweet on the palate, revealing some waxy notes, a hint of apple, some toffee, brown sugar, molasses, definite wood influence but not overpowering, some rye, warming slightly. Later notes of cereal and grain. <br><br />F: Big and strong, revealing more fruit notes - apples, black cherry. There's something vaguely medicinal on the finish. Lasting. A flash of orange and cinnamon. Definite drying from the wood on the finish, where the wood notes are most prominent. <br><br />Comment: This is really not bad despite the Master's Collection reviews. It's certainly better than stock Woodford to me, favoring a darker, spicier profile than Woodford which is rather sweet to me. <br><br /><br><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Maple Wood Finish</b> <i>C+</i><br />N: Close to the regular Woodford - definite banana and marzipan notes, some maple syrup. A lightly vegetal, corn and raw sugar note. <br><br />P: Light mouthfeel - very sweet, bringing up turbinado sugar and corn, settling down with some toffee notes. Fairly warm, some grain and earth notes, light wood but slight bitterness and astringency. Moderately drying, with a medicinal note (Robitussin to Laphroaig's Chloraseptic). <br><br />F: Reasonably light, alcohol, butterscotch, slight earthiness, and a low-grade medicinal note. Some maraschino cherry early. Turbinado sugar throughout. <br><br />Comment: Of all the Master's Collection, this one shows the least influence on taste. It's fine, slightly sweeter, but not overtly objectionable in that direction. Since I don't have a strong preference on taste vs the standard Woodford, it comes to price, and that's pretty clear-cut - just go with the regular Woodford. <br /><br><br> <br /><br />(2/3)Regular Chumpingtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-23421070335197432872011-05-25T13:41:35.537-07:002011-05-25T13:41:35.537-07:00I promised I'd leave my take on this, so I'...I promised I'd leave my take on this, so I'm just going to drop my tasting notes. <br /><br />I will note that I'd actually never gotten around to Woodford on the bourbon front, so I approached this more or less with a clean slate. For whatever it's worth I tend to be more of a wheater guy but I love a good rye. <br /><br />My notes are presented in the Whisky Mag style and the scores are on the <a href="http://www.lawhiskeysociety.com" rel="nofollow">LAWS</a> scale (which feels more quantifiable and less arbitrary than a 100pt scale). <br /><br /><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select</b> <i>C+</i><br><br />N: Very sweet. Rye is evident on the nose, as well as vanilla. There's a low hint of marzipan and vanilla as well. Becomes waxy with a few minutes exposure to air. <br><br />P: Sweet, with wood evident and rye as well, initially syrupy and thick on the palate but then feels watery and starts to warm. The thicker marzipan style note is evident; a little vanilla, some very faint hints of toffee. There are early faint notes of black cherry but they tone down quickly. <br><br />F: Sweet again, more brown sugar/creme brulee type sweetness. Quite a big, lasting finish. It dries off strange and slightly bitter. <br><br />Comment: It's fine but I don't know that I'd go out of my way to recommend this to anyone. Kind of pushes the sweet and syrupy direction. The marzipan is fairly pronounced which gives it a weightier sweet flavor and I see how this could be agreeable. However, this isn't one that I think you're worse off for not having tried. <br><br /><br><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Sonoma-Cutrer Finish</b> <i>D</i><br />N: Funky - grapey (like grape kool-aid, not actual grapes) and kind of sour. Strong alcohol prickle even though it's not particularly strong. Dusty, farmy notes. Light wood.<br><br />P: Syrupy. Fake-grape. Quite hot for the ABV. Some wood. Sweet. Hint of marzipan. Distant hint of toffee which collides horribly with the fake grape. Vaguely chocolatey note. Unacceptably sweet once you get past the weird grape note. <br><br />F: Alcohol - tastes like cough syrup. Wood. Bitter and drying, slightly astringent. Still quite warm. Lasts longer than is welcome and manages to bring the awful grape note to the fore. <br><br />Comment: This is terrible. It's impossibly sweet and yet has a high alcohol burn - must be fairly young. There is nothing to like about this unless you are tired of mixing grape kool-aid with vodka. I would rather drink Loch Dhu and that's not hyperbole. The purple drank of whiskey. <br> <br /><br><br><br /><b>Woodford Reserve Master's Collection 1838 Sweet Mash</b> <i>C-</i><br />N: Sweet - corn note in abundance, a slightly vegetal undertone, turbinado sugar, toffee, maple syrup sweetness, some light wood. With a little time in the glass and some air it opens to give a little more traditional vanilla note. <br><br />P: Thin-ish, surprisingly strong alcohol note, syrupy sweetness, medium heat, some slightly bitter wood. Maple syrup, almost a medicinal hint. Some very far off notes of plum. Despite the sweetness it's still kind of bland. <br><br />F: Big alcohol flush, not particularly nuanced. Toffee, raw sugar, corn. <br><br />Comment: This is one-dimensional and tastes young. There's not a lot of complexity to the whiskey. There is an odd bitterness that clashes with the strong sweetness. It just doesn't hang together coherently. Thank god for the sour mash process. The longer you drink this, the sweeter each subsequent sip tastes. <br><br /><br><br><br /><br />(1/3)Regular Chumpingtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082156144028140004.post-13511144958894778932011-05-24T18:18:50.592-07:002011-05-24T18:18:50.592-07:00I wish Brown-Forman wouldn't mix Old Forester ...I wish Brown-Forman wouldn't mix Old Forester into the L&G whiskey before bottling. I'm not a fan of Old Forester in the least, and those distinctive flavors come through loud and clear in Woodford. I've heard from people who have tried it at the distillery that the L&G whiskey on its own is superb, so it's a shame they have to ruin it by blending it with low-end junk.Nathannoreply@blogger.com