Dustin Gandoff
Nose
Floral up front | Honeysuckle | Raw honey | Light leather | Earthy
Palate
Earthy | Honey | Clove | Baking spices | Toasted graham cracker | Funky undertone | Chewy mouthfeel
Finish
Baking spices | Clove | Graham cracker | Brown sugar | Earthy funk lingers
Overall
Woodford Reserve’s Honey Barrel Finish takes the standard Woodford Reserve Bourbon and adds equal parts honey sweetness and earthy funk to create a unique tasting finished bourbon. This particular release is built off Woodford Reserve’s standard Distiller’s Select Bourbon. According to the press release, Woodford loaned some of their freshly-dumped bourbon barrels to a local honey bee farmer located in Woodford County, Kentucky. The farmer aged his honey in those barrels, then returned them to the distillery where they were refilled with bourbon for an undisclosed amount of time.
Finishing bourbon in barrels that previously held honey typically draws an interested crowd, as the two ingredients generally go well together and pique consumers’ interest. With that being said, the releases are typically one-offs, as aging honey in barrels is not performed on a large scale. While you might expect to taste something that resembles bourbon with a few drops of honey poured into it, the flavor profile of Woodford Reserve Distillery Series: Honey Barrel Finish is not that at all. It takes on some honey and corresponding sweetness, but it’s contrasted by an unexpected funky, earthy undertone. Like many finished bourbons, the end result is polarizing, offering a unique flavor profile that will likely find more extreme likes and dislikes relative to individual taste. It took a few sittings with it to grow on me, and while I find it intriguing, I couldn’t see this becoming a regular pour.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in Barrels that Stored Honey
Company: Brown-Forman
Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery/Brown-Forman Distillery
Release Date: September 2022
Proof: 90.4
Age: NAS
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Color: Honey
MSRP: $60 (375mL) (2022)
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“I really enjoyed the unique blend of floral and earthy notes in this Woodford Reserve Honey Barrel Finish. The addition of honey adds a nice sweet element, while the funky undertones add a depth of flavor. Overall, a delicious and well-balanced finished bourbon.”
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Standard Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
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“This review does a great job of breaking down the different aromas and flavors found in Woodford Reserve’s Honey Barrel Finish bourbon. The author also provides a helpful comparison to the standard Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, making it easier for readers to understand the unique qualities of this particular release.”
.html”>Distiller’s Select Bourbon, which is an average of 7 years old.
The honey barrel finish adds a delicious sweetness and earthy complexity to the standard Woodford Reserve Bourbon. This creates a unique and enjoyable sipping experience, making it a great choice for any bourbon lover.
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with the finished kicked in. So while is is bottled at 90.4pf, there is no NAS involved.
This review gives a detailed description of the nose, palate, and finish of the Woodford Reserve Honey Barrel Finish Bourbon. The addition of honey sweetness and earthy funk makes it a unique and enjoyable bourbon, especially when compared to their Distiller’s Select release. Overall, a great addition to the Woodford Reserve lineup.