Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
At Labrot & Graham the barrels experience the hot summers and cold winters that are important contributors to the maturation of fine whiskey. When the whiskey in these special barrels reaches its peak, it becomes Woodford Reserve.
Only from a facility as unique as Labrot & Graham could a whiskey as special as Woodford Reserve originate. Quickly becoming the gold standard against which all other Bourbons are measured, Woodford Reserve is a lasting testimony to the best of the distiller's craft.
What is Bourbon?
In 1964, during Bourbon-fancier Lyndon Johnson's administration, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution declaring Bourbon "…a distinct product of the United States."
No whiskey can call itself Bourbon unless it meets the following criteria:
- Must be made in the United States
- Distilled at less than 160 proof from fermented grain mash
- The grain recipe must be at least 51% corn
- The product must be stored in new, charred, white oak barrels at no more than 125 proof
- Nothing can be added to the final product except pure water
Tasting guide Woodford reserve by Dave Broom
Nose: Hauntingly perfumed. Complex, honeyed and soft: orange blossom, tangerine peel, poached peach, mint, smoky oak.
Palate: Ripe and soft, like orange honey dribbled on top of Greek yoghurt. Caramelised fruits, it gets creamier as it opens.
Finish: Dry and elegant with a little grippy wood.
Comment: Sophisticated stuff with a subtle southern charm.
Classic Manhattan material (8.5 points - Whisky Magazine)
Tasting guide by Michael Jackson
Nose: Minty. Oily. Parma violets.
Palate:
Hard bitter chocolate. A praline filled with almond cream. Faintly smoky, suggesting coffee being roasted for espresso.
Finish: Rich black coffee, a quick splash of rum and crisp, stem-ginger, petit-fours.
Comment: I found myself using such post-prandial language. Will she respect me in the morning? (8.5 points - Whisky Magazine)
