Woodford Reserve just announced the details of its latest Distillery Series release, and this one is not a bourbon or a rye whiskey—it’s both. The new Tawny Port Finish expression is a blend of those two types of whiskeys that includes some bourbon finished in tawny port barrels, but this is a very limited release so grab a bottle if you see one before supplies run out.
The Distillery Series launched a decade ago in 2015 with the release of Double Double Oaked, an excellent bourbon that is now available nationwide in full-size bottles. The point of this collection, according to the Woodford website, is to “push the creative boundaries of whiskeys to the extreme.” That might be a bit of hyperbole, but there have been some interesting releases over the years, including 5 Malt Whiskey, Brandy Cask Finish, Toasted Oak Oat Grain, and Chocolate Malt Whisper. According to master distiller Elizabeth McCall, the latest edition is an exercise in both blending and maturation. “This expression highlights our ability to artfully blend rye and bourbon whiskey, as well our approach to barrel experimentation,” she said in a statement. “The tawny port barrels impart delicate notes of wood and concentrated fruit, which combined with the charred oak barrels, allow us to create a rich, layered whiskey.”
The exact breakdown of the new whiskey was not revealed, just that it’s a blend of rye, bourbon, and bourbon that was finished in tawny port barrels. In other words, just one component of the whiskey was given that secondary maturation, not the entire blend. It was bottled at 90.4 proof, the same as regular Woodford Reserve bourbon, and we got an early taste. The nose reads classic Woodford but with a bit of black pepper spice. The palate is quite different, however, as you might expect, with notes of cinnamon, cherry, caramel, baked pecan, salted dark chocolate, and rum-soaked raisins. Overall, this is a very tasty whiskey.
This is not the first time Woodford has blended different styles of whiskey together for a special release. The 2024 Master’s Collection, for example, combined bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskeys and finished them in Madeira casks. And other distilleries and brands have combined bourbon and rye whiskeys—High West has its annual Bourye expression, TX Whiskey released Lonestar Traditions as part of its Experimental Series, and Jim Beam Small Batch Collection mainstay Knob Creek dropped the Bourbon x Rye Blended last year. The new Woodford Reserve Distillery Series joins these whiskeys but stands out because of the port finish element, but as mentioned before this is a limited release. It’s available starting today in smaller 375-ml bottles (SRP $65) at the distillery and select Kentucky retailers. You’ll likely find a bottle or two on the secondary market in the coming weeks, and you can always peruse the core lineup at websites like ReserveBar now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker