Woodford Reserve Rye
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Review by @OdysseusUnbound
- Nose20
- Taste21
- Finish20
- Balance21
- Overall82
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- Brand: Woodford Reserve
- Type: American
- ABV: 45.2%
I have been slacking with my reviews lately, so I'll post what may be the shortest review I've ever written. I bought my bottle of Woodford Reserve Rye mostly for mixing classic cocktails like the Vieux Carré and the Manhattan. I did sip it neat a few times, however, just to get some tasting notes as a stand-alone sipper. From what I can find online, Woodford Reserve Rye is made from a "pre-prohibition" style mashbill of 53% rye, 14% malted barley and 33% corn "to pay homage to history’s original rye whiskeys".
Tasting Notes
- Nose: toffee, vanilla, pepper, clove, caraway
- Palate: light bodied, sweet on arrival, more toffee, a bit of banana, some black pepper, cloves and rye bread
- Finish: short to medium length, with a touch of rye spices, a bit of mint, some brown sugar and oak lingering
The rye spice is pretty subdued in this one. Its flavour is closer to a high-rye bourbon than to what I typically associate with rye. It's a little piquant, not a spicy slap in the face. It works well in a cocktail, where it doesn't dominate any of the other ingredients but doesn't get overpowered either. As a neat sipper it leaves a little to be desired. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, but I didn't crave it as a "thoughtful sipper".
- Would I accept a glass if someone offered me one? Sure.
- Would I order this in a bar or pub? Not unless it was in a cocktail
- Would I buy another bottle? Unlikely. I like my ryes bolder and spicier than this one. It would be a good start for someone who is just getting into rye.
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@OdysseusUnbound - interesting that you describe this as more bourbon than rye. I picked up a bottle on sale for £25 a while back but am yet to open it. I like a spicy, full-on rye too but after tasting Pikesville (which has a similar lower rye content, I believe) I think there's room for both styles
And on the subject of cocktails ... I may have to open it quite soon as I recently discovered my better half has been emptying my Bulleit 10 at an alarming rate to use in her Old Fashioneds!