For those who want to have their dessert and drink it too – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.
Woodford Reserve first released Double Oaked in 2012 as twice-barreled bourbon. Essentially, Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select (the original, flagship bourbon) is re-barreled in a new, charred oak barrel for about a year until it emerges as Double Oaked. These days, that’s definitely nothing new. In fact, a flashy second barrel is all the rage with a sea of products like Old Forester 1910, Jim Beam Double Oaked, Bluegrass Distillers Toasted Oak, and Basil Hayden Toast. So if a twice-barrel whiskey doesn’t catch your attention today – it’s understandable. But when Double Oaked first premiered, it certainly was.
The site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery has been home to bourbon since 1780, but the Woodford title didn’t come along until much later. The original distillery was founded as the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery by Elijah Pepper and was later inherited by James E. Pepper. By 1878, Pepper decided to sell to Leopold Labrot and James Graham, who rebranded as Labrot and Graham’s Distillery. (James, meanwhile, founded a new Pepper distillery that’s recently been revived with James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon and James E. Pepper 1776 Rye). Labrot and Games held the keys until 1941 before selling to Brown-Forman, who then owned, sold, and bought the distillery again. It wasn’t until 1996 that the Woodford Reserve brand and bourbon hit the market. And that was the distillery’s only offering – until Double Oaked.
In the past few years, Woodford Reserve has been rolling out new whiskies left and right with a Malt Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, and Wheat Whiskey, as well as the Master’s Collection and Distillery Series. But to bourbon drinkers in 2012, it was downright shocking to see a new Woodford Reserve product. Although a few brand’s had already experimented with a twice-barreled bourbon even then, Woodford Reserve changed the game by using a fresh second barrel, rather than a used one. The second barrel was also deeply toasted and then charred to impart a greater flavor.
And thanks to all of that charring, toasting, barreling, and aging, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a deliciously sweet bourbon. A rich smell of toasted oak, caramel, and honey lure you into a thick flavor of dried fruits, vanilla, a light spice, and even more caramel. The finish is extremely light and subtle with a short, almost rye like spice, that’s rounded out with a final dose of oak and caramel. With such an abundance of sweet notes, this bourbon could have easily become saccharine, but it somehow manages to hit just the right balance instead.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is nothing but a treat. It’s an easy choice to pour as a nightcap, an after dinner drink, or anytime you’re in the mood for a bit of bourbon dessert.
STATS: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon
- Price for us: $55 for 750 mL
- Proof: 90.4
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, owned by Brown-Forman
- Recommendation: Neat
