Woodford Reserve whiskey: bottles and how to choose

Woodford Reserve is a Kentucky straight bourbon, made at the Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, and sold as a range of bottlings rather than a single bottle. CBC Liquors in Westford carries several of them, all collected on the Woodford Reserve brand page, from the standard Straight Bourbon to Double Oaked, Madeira Cask and a barrel-strength Batch Proof.

Is Woodford Reserve a whiskey or a bourbon?

Both. Bourbon is a style of American whiskey, so every bourbon is a whiskey, but not every whiskey is a bourbon. Woodford Reserve is bourbon, and the label on the standard bottle reads Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

That wording means something specific. Bourbon must be made in the United States from a grain mix that is at least 51 percent corn, and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. The word straight means it has been aged at least two years and has no colouring or flavouring added.

So when someone searches for Woodford Reserve whiskey, they are almost always after the bourbon. If you want to see the wider shelf it sits on, the bourbon category at CBC Liquors shows the rest, and the whiskey category adds Scotch, rye and Irish.

What does Woodford Reserve taste like?

Woodford Reserve is generally described as a rounded, balanced bourbon rather than a hot or sharp one. The grain recipe is corn-led with a good share of rye and a little malted barley. The rye gives a touch of spice, the corn gives sweetness, and the barrels give vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.

It is distilled in copper pot stills, which is less common than the column stills used for much of American whiskey. Pot distillation tends to leave more flavour in the spirit, and that is part of why the bourbon reads as full without being heavy.

If you are new to bourbon, that balance makes it an easy place to start. If you already drink bourbon, it is a dependable reference point against which to compare other bottles.

Which Woodford Reserve bottles does CBC Liquors carry?

The shop carries these Woodford Reserve bottlings, each on its own product page:

Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon is the core bottle and the one most people mean when they say Woodford Reserve.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is the same bourbon given a second spell in a freshly charred barrel.

Woodford Reserve Madeira Cask is finished in casks that held Madeira, a fortified wine.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 121.2 is bottled at high strength, as the name says.

Woodford Reserve Holiday Edition is the seasonal release, and Woodford Reserve MA CHOICE DOUBLE OAKED is a Double Oaked bottle listed under its own Massachusetts name.

Stock changes, so the product pages are the place to check what is on the shelf today.

How is Double Oaked different from the standard bottle?

Double Oaked starts as ordinary Woodford Reserve bourbon. After its first aging it is moved into a second new barrel that has been heavily toasted and then lightly charred, and it rests there for a further period.

The second barrel adds more of the wood-derived flavours: deeper caramel, toasted nut, a darker sweetness and a longer, drier finish. The base bourbon is still recognisable, but it tastes richer and more oak-forward.

A simple way to choose: if you like the standard bottle and want something with more depth for sipping, Double Oaked is the natural step. If you mostly mix drinks, the standard Straight Bourbon does the job and the extra barrel character is easier to appreciate neat or with one large ice cube.

What is the Madeira Cask bottle?

Madeira Cask is a finishing expression. The bourbon is first aged in the usual way and then spends additional time in barrels that previously held Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name.

Finishing in wine casks usually brings dried fruit, nuttiness and a gentle sweetness on top of the bourbon base. It is a different experience from the oak-driven Double Oaked, more about fruit and wine character than about toast and char.

It suits the person who already knows the standard bottle and wants to see how the same distillery handles a different cask. It is also a considered gift for a bourbon drinker, and CBC Liquors offers gift cards if you would rather they pick.

What is Batch Proof, and how do you drink it?

Batch Proof 121.2 is bottled at 121.2 proof, which is 60.6 percent alcohol by volume. The standard Woodford Reserve is bottled well below that. Batch Proof is not cut down with water to a set strength, which is why the proof is printed as an exact number and can vary from batch to batch.

Strength like that carries a lot of flavour: concentrated vanilla, spice and oak, with real warmth. It is meant to be sipped in a small pour. Many people add a few drops of water or a single ice cube to open it up, and some prefer it that way from the first sip.

It is also a good choice for cocktails where you want the bourbon to stay present against sweet or bitter ingredients, because it holds its character when diluted by ice.

How do you serve Woodford Reserve?

Neat or over a large ice cube is the simplest way, and it lets you taste the barrel work in Double Oaked or Madeira Cask. A small splash of water can soften the alcohol and bring out sweetness.

For cocktails, the standard Straight Bourbon is a good fit for an Old Fashioned: bourbon, a little sugar, a few dashes of bitters and an orange peel. It also makes a Manhattan if you pair it with sweet vermouth, and a mint julep, the drink Woodford Reserve is tied to as the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.

For longer drinks, bourbon with ginger beer or soda is easy to make at home. The mixers category covers ginger beer, tonic, soda and similar. If you like a spicier Manhattan, rye is the other American whiskey to look at.

Can you pick up or get Woodford Reserve delivered from Westford?

CBC Liquors is at 142 Littleton Rd in Westford, and offers pickup, delivery and shipping as well as walking in. Store and pickup hours are Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Delivery hours run slightly shorter: Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. You can see the towns served on the delivery areas page, including delivery in Chelmsford, delivery in Acton and delivery in Littleton.

If you are planning a gathering, the party planner is the place to start, and the shipping policy explains what applies to shipped orders. Delivery and shipping are for adults of legal drinking age, and ID is checked.