Tastes

I guess for the price, this is a pretty good deal, but I found it to be pretty thin on body, a bit bitter, and I didn't taste anywhere near the range of flavors the experts mention. I tend to be pretty liberal adding water to barrel proof whiskey, and this one's flavor didn't bloom with the burn dialed down to optimum in the same way that Four Roses Single, Russell's Reserve, or Booker's do. Maybe I didn't get a great barrel...

If you want to educate your palate on charred oak flavor, look no further--this one's got it in droves. Easily the darkest bourbon I've experienced, and the added barreling adds both smoothness and a sort of s'mores quality I haven't experienced elsewhere. A little bit goes a long way, as the flavor's really intense, and I'm not sure if I'll replenish my supply when I finish it, but it's a nice curio to have available in the cabinet. Like I said, being beaten over the head with this bourbon's charred oak flavor makes it easier (for me, at least) to identify the note (or lack thereof) in other whiskies and appreciate how it interacts with other characteristics (like mouth feel) in older whiskies (there's an astringency in this relatively young whiskey that isn't present in the more aged ones I've gotten to try). Also gave me an appreciation for just how oaky regular Woodford is in comparison to bourbons in the same price range.