Woodinville Straight Bourbon Ginja Finished (2023 Harvest Release)

More complex on the nose than expected. Spicy, woody, and has the cherry in there but way more subtle than expected. This tastes like a high end single barrel, not a cherry liqueur finish. Not overly sweet or one dimensional. Fantastic. It's just the tiniest bit too much bitter/tannin flavor on the tail, but it's almost perfect.

Nose - Tart/sour cherries, red wine tannins, crushed red grape skins, caramel, tart dried cherries, almost balsamic-like Taste - Fruity caramel, fruity honey, sweet/sour/tart cherries, caramel, clove/fennel seed bitterness, angostura bitters, plum bitters, dark chocolate, lightly acidic coffee Finish - Lingering fruity honey, caramel, tart cherries, wet oak, tart dried cherries, cacao nibs Score - 91/100 Final Thoughts - This is a good finished bourbon. The Portuguese Ginja cask finish adds this nice tart/sour cherry vibe that pairs really well with the base Woodinville Bourbon. This "standard" release version is very close to the cask strength version after re-reading my notes after this review. This is a very unique finished bourbon and really ups the game in terms of making a bourbon more interesting while preserving most of the characteristics of the original spirit. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

This is actually the Cask Strength version at 53.96% Nose - Sweet & sour tannic cherries, tannic dark grape skins, sour fruit funk, dark berries, caramel, wet oak Taste - Blackberries, caramel, fruity honey, sweet/sour cherries, almost like a sour cherry Lambic beer, hint of clove/spice bitterness/funk, cherry pits, sweet meaty vibe, like a candied salmon or pork jerky Finish - Lingering wet oaky sweet, honey, sour bright berries, bit tannic, caramel, dark chocolate, oaky vanilla Score - 92/100 Final Thoughts - Woodinville knocked this one out of the park. It's the perfect combination of weird and funky, yet still interesting and tasty. I'll state that it's definitely unique and will not be for everyone, but I really like the combination of flavors in this release. It's a bourbon, but with enough there to set it apart from all the other bourbons. The ginja cask finish adds this interesting (in a very good way) this funky sweet sour fruit vibe but still has the backbone of a good bourbon. I can see this excellent neat as well as in a well crafted cocktail that would take advantage of the fruity funk in this. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.