Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Four Wood Bourbon

My review is based on a two ounce sample that I was able to get my hands on, and sadly, I'm not sure that I'll ever own a bottle. It doesn't appear that Woodford has produced the four wood in quite a while, and the few bottles I found for sale were well north of $400. While I can't justify it at that price, I would have had no hesitation paying the original list of about $90. First off, I tend not to spend enough time looking at whiskeys (the importance of which I'm reminded every time I read a review by @LeeEvolved). In this case, it was impossible not to admire it visually - the whiskey is an absolutely gorgeous deep amber. The nose has a good mix of fruit and caramel, as well as a very nice dark chocolate nose. The palate is where it gets really interesting. There's just the right amount of heat and dry spice, which at times tastes like cinnamon and at other times has a taste that I can only describe as wine marinated radish (which may sound awful, but it's actually great). Vanilla and caramel are also present, as well as the dark chocolate, which is quite prominent. The finish lingers with a dusty spice. I've generally liked Woodford's core offerings, although I've never been wowed. But in this case, even if I'm never able to obtain a bottle of the four wood, I've been inspired to start exploring Woodford more seriously, particularly the specialty offerings.