It’s a pretty common sight to see a straight bourbon whiskey. A little less common, but still popular, to see a straight rye whiskey. But something I don’t think I’ve ever seen is a straight malt whiskey. Woodford has been putting this out for nearly a decade now, but their malt whiskey seems to be regularly overshadowed by the other towering giants in their product lineup — and today I was curious enough to pick up a bottle and give it a try.

History

Introduced in 1996, Woodford Reserve is a brand of whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman company, a family owned private business that is one of the largest producers of whiskey in the United States. Other products by the Brown-Forman company include Old Forester, Jack Daniels, and (until 2016) Southern Comfort.

The Woodford Reserve distillery first started production in 1812 under the ownership of Elijah Pepper. He passed down the facility to his son Oscar Pepper, for whom the distillery was originally named. This distillery was where Dr. James Crow of Old Crow bourbon fame helped create the sour mash fermentation process (where yeast from the previous batch is re-used in the following batch) while under the employment of Oscar Pepper.

In continuous use (with the exception of during prohibition), the Brown-Forman company purchased the distillery in 1941 but decided to sell it to a farmer in the late 1960’s who stopped production and farmed the land instead. Brown-Forman re-purchased the land in 1993, refurbished it, and used it to launch their Woodford Reserve brand in 1996.

There’s an interesting history specifically about the rye whiskey. Brown-Foreman isn’t really known for their rye whiskey, but they did produce another rye in the past — for their competitor Heaven Hill. When the Heaven Hill distillery burned down in 1996, they worked with Brown-Foreman to keep producing their Rittenhouse rye while they got back on their feet. It’s believed that the knowledge learned from that cooperation led to Brown-Foreman starting production on their own rye whiskey line.

Product

• Learn More: What's the Difference Between Whiskey, Bourbon, Scotch, and Rye?

“Malted” whiskey typically uses malted barley as one of the prime ingredients. The differentiator here is that malted barley has been allowed to partially sprout (or “malt”), which produces some chemical changes in the grain itself. This process not only releases enzymes that help break down the starchy components into sugar, but also adds some uniquely soft flavors to the profile.

The source grain bill for this spirit is said to be 51% malted barley, 47% corn, and 2% rye. Malted barley is a normal component in Woodford’s spirits, but usually only at a single-digit level. This version makes the malted barley the star of the show, but still backs that up with a heavy pour of corn.

Those grains are then cooked, fermented, and distilled to create the newly minted malt whiskey. It is then placed into new charred oak barrels for a period of at least two years before being proofed down and bottled for sale.

Packaging

Woodford Reserve uses a distinctive bottle that is easily identified and stands out on shelves. Wide in the front and narrow on the sides, it takes up a significant amount of visual space while still only being the usual expected volume.

One thing I really appreciate about the packaging is that they take a minimalist approach to the labeling. The brand name is painted directly onto the glass in a traditional white font without really embellishment at all, and there’s a small label at the bottom with some additional information. It lets you really see the whiskey inside and shows off that beautiful dark brown color.

Interesting to note is that while the bourbon labeling is a dark brown or black color, the label on this malt whiskey is blue. It’s a nifty differentiation that helps this bottle stand apart from the bourbon Woodford offerings. The bottle is topped with an actual wood stopper and cork, which is a nice touch.

Neat

The spirit has a beautiful dark rusty amber color, just like the other spirits in their product line. Coming off that liquid are some softer and more complex aromas than we usually see from other bottles of Woodford Reserve (specifically: vanilla, brown sugar, walnut, cedar, caramel, raisins, figs, dark chocolate, baking spices, and a bit of orange citrus). What’s really different here isn’t necessarily the specific components but instead how they are presented — instead of a sharp and powerful aroma, these feel like a warm blanket, with rounded edges and a smooth execution.

Surprisingly, the rich and varied aromas don’t necessarily translate into the flavor profile. Instead, it’s a bit flat and muted with caramel, vanilla, charred brown sugar, and some dark chocolate comprising the majority of the experience. On the finish there are some baking spices present, but not much development in terms of new or changing flavors.

This performs very similarly to a Scottish blended malt whisky, with one distinction: there’s some good saturation to the flavors here. It doesn’t come across as watered down as you’d expect from a Scottish blended malt whisky; here, the flavors may be simple but they are definitely present.

On Ice

This tastes like caramelized bananas. (Insert requisite B-A-N-A-N-A-S joke here.)

Let me back up a second here — adding ice has a tendency to change the flavor profile, usually killing lighter flavors and toning down the darker elements. On balance, I feel like it’s usually a good thing for a bourbon or a rye, but with a malt whiskey the effect can often be detrimental to the experience. That’s usually because the malt whiskies tend to be lighter in the flavor profile… which is a problem this whiskey does not share.

In this case, there are some interesting changes going on. I’m still getting some dark chocolate, but the biggest components that I taste are the vanilla, the charred brown sugar, and now some ripe fruit that decodes in my brain as ‘banana’. Add a splash of dark chocolate on the finish, and that’s an accurate representation of what I’m tasting.

I’ll admit, this is actually pretty delicious. It’s a surprising flavor that I wasn’t expecting, but one that I am frankly enjoying way more than I thought I would.

Old Fashioned

Interesting fruit and rich dark chocolate flavors on ice bode seemed promising for this cocktail… but unfortunately I think the flavors in the whiskey just aren’t up to the task of balancing out the bitters.

After adding some standard angostura bitters to the glass, the bitters are really all I taste. There’s a hint of banana and some dark chocolate mixed in, but the herbal notes from the bitters and the eponymous bitterness are really what drive that flavor profile. It isn’t balanced, and doesn’t really make me want to go back for a second glass.

Mule

This might be one of the more unique Kentucky Mules I’ve made, and I’m not mad about it.

What I’m looking for here is that the flavors in the whiskey make an appreciable difference in the cocktail, and don’t get lost in the sauce. And that’s exactly what get with this drink. That banana, charred brown sugar, and dark chocolate vibe balances nicely with the ginger beer and lime juice, and the result is something that is oddly fruity, sweet, and rich all at the same time.

I feel like all it needs is a little bit of cinnamon or clove and this could be a perfect fall cocktail.

Overall Rating

I love that Woodford Reserve does different variations on a theme of their whiskies, and takes some big swings with their products. Putting out a straight malt whiskey isn’t something that a lot of distilleries do, and for them to take a chance on this as a core product in their lineup is a bold choice that I think pays off.

I’m not as big a fan of this either neat or in an old fashioned as I had expected, but when tried on the rocks or in a mule, this spirit seems to really shine. The flavor profile is interesting and mellow, and not something you see every day. I suspect the smooth richness from the malted barley is responsible for a large portion of that experience, and I’m not mad about it.

That said, I feel like for the price this could have been a bit better. I want to see the notes from the aroma translate more fully into the actual flavor of the whiskey, and I wish this was a more interesting experience when taken neat.

All reviews are evaluated within the context of their specific spirit classification as specified above. Click here to check out similar spirits we have reviewed.

Overall Rating: 3/5
A little bland when taken neat, but something deliciously warm and rich either on the rocks or in a mule.