Review #75 Woodford Reserve Chocolate Malted Rye: Bourbon

Score: 8.5 / 10

Distillery: Woodford Reserve / Brown Foreman

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Before y'all get at me. The product label is misleading in that it states "chocolate malted rye". This is a bourbon and the label is actually referring to the the secondary grain (rye) that has been roasted to a certain point to bring out the sugars to the point that they're caramelized to have a chocolate note. Woodford definitely should have labeled in a different way. I've seen it on whiskey bar menus under the Rye category, so it's confusing to everyone

Last December I walked into on of my favorite liquor stores and saw this bottle sitting behind the glass for $64. It looks like a great deal based on the MSRP and the other prices that I was seeing, so I picked it up and shared it with my girlfriend's family over the holidays. Always nice to find sort of a festive sounding whiskey around the holidays.

This is actually part of the Master's Collection that Woodford releases two times a year with a new twist each time. Sometimes changing the finish, grain, fermentation or other. So you're probably not going to see this one again unless it's bad and doesn't sell.

45.2% Alc/Vol - 90.4 proof - served neat in a Glencairn glass.

Whiskey Review:

Nose: Inviting rye spice and rye bread couple with rich lemon cake. Vanilla and toasted wood lie in the background.

Palate: Cool and sweet on the palate. A luge of vanilla forms along with creamy strawberry and lemon citrus before building into a nice simmering spice of cinnamon bubblegum, oak and dark chocolate.

Finish: Seared wood, chocolate and rye bread linger for a bit while mild tannins dry out the mouth.

Score: 8.5

Scale:

S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)

A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)

B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)

C - competent (7-7.9)

D - disappointing (6-6.9)

F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)

Notes: Availability? Limited Edition. It is unlikely that this will be released again anytime soon. However you can find it at some places. Why? Well a lot of people don't seem to like it as much as me to put it bluntly. That doesn't matter though instead of judging off review we Po up' or shut up!

How about this photo though? Makes me feel like Christmas might not get cancelled in 2020. Thanks Covid.