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Woodinville Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Washington, USA
Reviewed
June 10, 2020 (edited June 20, 2022)
Woodinville
*NOSE: Woah! FLORAL! The initial nose is the most floral I've ever encountered. However, though it returns occasionally, it quickly fades to Corn Dust, Lipton Tea, Dry Dusty Oak, and that smell you get when you pop the metal circle out of the tin of Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. It's different, but I'm concerned by the dominance of Young Corn. It is interesting how that very strong Floral note comes and goes.
*NEAT: Corn dominates the first sip, and not in a good way. The second sip brings in the Lipton Tea from the nose. Light Vanilla turns the Corn into Creamed Corn. Some Tannic Bitterness creeps in. There is a light tingle on the finish with a mild KY Hug. Oak and a mild Corny Sweetness coats the palate. So far, I'm not a fan.
*SPLASH: Adds Cinnamon to the palate, however it does not pair well with the dominant corn note. That Floral Note from the nose appears on the coating finish.
*VERDICT: Very disappointing. I knew this was a craft distillery, but the fact that they were purchased by one of the big guys and had won some awards I was hoping for something special. I thought it might have some age on it, but it tastes very young. Maybe I got a bad bottle? Maybe it will improve with some time open? If it does, I'll let you know, but I can't give this any more than 2 1/4.
35.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@WhiskeyLonghorn Sure am. Westland is definitely the one to beat. We'll have to give most of the distilleries more time to age their mash, but Copperworks has a solid single malt that's a bit pricey (all liquor is taxed at about 35% up here and I think a large part of that would apply to sales to other states as well). Outside of whiskey, Fremont Mischief has a couple of good but expensive brandies. What I've found to be the best VFM are the barrel-aged gins from Copperworks and Batch 206, along with Pacific Voyager's dry gin. Fun trivia: Batch 206 has possibly the longest-aged gin around at something like 4 years now (unless they've sold through that stock). They used to sell a younger version of it, which is what most people reviewed here and didn't like as much. Washington spirits have a way to go; the beer and wine are better bets.
@ContemplativeFox are you in the Seattle area? Aside from Westland, what Washington whiskies are worth checking out?
The Seattle has a lot of very young distilleries, which I hear is due to changes in liquor laws a few years back. Woodinville is one of the better bourbons from the area, but there isn't much that's old enough to be drinkable yet (unless you go on a tour and get a taste directly from the barrel). @WhiskeyLonghorn I don't get what all the fuss is about either. No idea how this won any non-local competition.
@BDanner Maybe toss it and get the $80 cask strength
It's getting a lot of love online with no mention of being overly "corny". I thought maybe I was having an off palate night, but revisited again and still get that overwhelming corn note. I've tried from a glencairn, a bourbon trail glass, and a rocks glass. Just not digging it.
I've been passing over this and I'm glad I did. Your review sounds like it fits into the Wathen's profile, which I wasn't a fan of.
I would generally agree. As far as $40 craft whiskeys go it's better than most, but to me it's still a bit young and underproofed.
Good review. Sorry to hear the disappointment. These guys have been milking their “Best Bourbon” award at the SF Spirits Competition. Seems there’s a disparity...