It's a weird time to love bourbon. All the stuff we used to love seems incredibly difficult to get, while somethings we could never get are finally available. Case in point, the new release of Woodford Batch Proof. Previous releases were coveted by the distributor like some mystical treasure. We thought we were pretty hot when we received 20 bottles of last year’s release! But for whatever reason they didn't block the sale of this product so we've swooped in and grabbed as much as we could. Now lots of people seem skeptical of this product, not understanding exactly what's the bottle, but this ticks every nerd bourbon box save for a high age statement. That doesn't mean there isn't some dang old bourbon in here. Woodford has done an amazing job of getting the name out there, but most people still don't realize that most the whisky in these bottles is actually distilled at Old Forester near Louisville. For me that's a HUGE selling point, as cask strength old forester is next to impossible to get and finding anything with more than 4-5 years on it or at cask strength is pretty much impossible (Old Forester Birthday Bourbon or King of Kentucky). This is simply the closest you'll ever get to either of those super sought-after products without shelling out multiples over retail. Yet here we are selling this ultra rare whisky for $50 less than the average price. Ultimately, all that doesn't matter in the slightest. All that matters is how it tastes. LET'S GO! The color is DARK - Burnt Umber (1.7). The nose starts with deep roasted caramels, sweet vanilla bean, dried cherries, and dense baking spices. It's very robust and feels quite mature and Old Forester-y - even with a hint of the banana note we've come to love. With air the spice comes forward as does a savory character, roasted oak, and old leather. It's extremely BOURBON-Y bourbon. On the palate, its rich and chewy, offering further evidence that there might be some old bourbon in here. Dark cherry, big spice, sweet oak, sweet on the entry and balancing clove-y finish. I don't usually add water to cask strength bourbon, but a tiny drop really opens this up, pulling the spice and oak back and offering more sweet fruit and tropical character. The key that keeps this all together is the richness on the palate. It's not at all something unusual or distinctive beyond being just really good cask strength bourbon that may include some older and very hard to get components. Either way, it's extremely satisfying and delicious if you take all the pretense out of it. I think those who skip it for whatever reason will regret the opportunity to access these rare bourbons in this format without the hunt.
