Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon – Craft Cellars Barrel Selection 1L (45.2% abv)

Selecting this Woodford Personal Selection was a truly remarkable experience. It marks Craft Cellars’ inaugural Personal Selection from Woodford Distillery, a product of our very first visit to a Kentucky distillery, and the first “blend” we had the privilege of contributing to. Now, I understand you might be thinking, “Why trust a bunch of first-timers with such an important task?” Well, here’s the good news for all of us – this entire experience was guided by the illustrious Master Distiller, Chris Morris. His expertise in this field far surpasses all of our collective knowledge. He is a treasure trove of information, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the outcome of this bourbon.

After a thorough tour of the distillery led by Mr. Morris, we gathered to sample a variety of spirits straight from the cask. Upon narrowing down a selection of potential winners, we delicately “blended” two casks together and carefully adjusted the samples to a 45.2% alcohol by volume (abv) before making our final choice. The real surprise came when we married the contents of the two casks, as certain flavor profiles that had previously remained hidden emerged front and center. The intricate complexity of this bourbon simply wouldn’t be possible if we had stuck with its individual components.

As for detailed tasting notes, we were admittedly having a bit too much fun to complete them at the time. So, while we eagerly await the arrival of the bottles, here are some hastily scribbled notes I managed to jot down:

Aroma:
Dark cocktail cranberries, marzipan, wood spice, cocoa, & black pepper

Taste:
Vanilla & caramel, sharp mint & berry notes, strong oak spices fade to chocolate

Finish:
Long finish, stewed cherries, soft cinnamon, cedar wood, tobacco & clove linger