Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon Review | Whiskey Raiders
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Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon

  • Distiller:

    Woodford Reserve

  • Bottler:

    Woodford Reserve

  • ABV:

    45.2%

  • Age:

    NAS

  • Price:
    $$$$$
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Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 82
  • Publication: Breaking Bourbon
  • Excerpt: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select may not be as relevant as it once was in the marketplace, however it still serves a purpose. Its simple flavor profile offers a way to dive into bourbon without being overwhelmed by worrying about trying to pick out exotic flavor characteristics.
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  • Raided Score: 85
  • Publication: The Whiskey Jug
  • Excerpt: This is good...but not great. I think it’d be best in a mixed drink, like a bourbon ginger, which would play well with its carbonated peppery vibe.
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  • Raided Score: 89
  • Publication: Whisky Advocate
  • Excerpt: The key here is balance. One note never overtakes the other; nutmeg, mango, baked apples, cinnamon, blueberry pie, and vanilla seem to walk in perfect harmony. Then we find the gingerbread, caramel, and vanilla jumping into layers of smoke and spice.
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  • Raided Score: 85
  • Publication: Distiller
  • Excerpt: The finish is long and brings back the astringent notes on the nose.
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  • Raided Score: 86
  • Publication: WhiskyCast
  • Excerpt: The finish is light with touches of vanilla, dark chocolate, and almonds.
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  • Raided Score: 83
  • Publication: The Whiskey Jug
  • Excerpt: It’s a complex and sippable bourbon for drinkers of all levels and makes killer cocktails should you choose that route. I typically like a little more oomph in my bourbons, but it’s tasty and easy to see why this has become a daily drinker for so many folks.
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  • Raided Score: 78
  • Publication: Whiskey Consensus
  • Excerpt: It hits all of the traditional bourbon flavors without breaking the bank. It also goes great in a cocktail such as an old fashioned or a mint julep during Kentucky Derby season. This could easily turn into a dally drinker.
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  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: Drinkhacker
  • Excerpt: It remains every bit the solid whiskey that it’s always been, kicking off with one of the most wood-forward noses in Kentucky. It’s not a hoary lumberyard character, though, but rather an oily, antique furniture note — blended with barrel char — that immediately connotes seriousness and austerity.
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  • Raided Score: 85
  • Publication: Whiskey Raiders
  • Excerpt: Overall, this is just fine, but lacks the complexity of other similar bottles in the price range.
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Intro:

    Today's whiskey review is a bourbon whiskey releases by Woodford Reserve, under the Brown-Forman umbrella. Bottled at 45.2% ABV, this is their flagship product, though it comes with no word on age or filtering. Let's dive in.

  • Nose:

    Light banana nut bread, honey, slivered almond, brown sugar and light oak.

  • Taste:

    Sweet cream, honey, a bit of vanilla bean. Hint of pepper, light oak structure. Not a ton going on here, the mouth feel is thin to moderate. A tad hot for the proof, but not too bad.

  • Finish:

    Short finish with a bit of heat. Cocoa, pepper, clove and some honey on the finish.

  • Overall:

    Overall, this is just fine, but lacks the complexity of other similar bottles in the price range.

  • Score:

    4

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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