Whiskey Review: Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey

The Woodford Reserve rye whiskey is a good effort at a first mass bottling rye for this distillery. Read our review to see why.

OVERALL RATING

Like Conversation
Woodford Reserve Rye

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Nose:
Vanilla, oak dresser drawer, wet paint, and a very juicy kind of green apple – almost orange-like.
Palate:
Initially on the candy shop side with a kind of toasted marshmallow, Milk Dud-like quality and creamy mouth feel, the rye starts to come through more clearly in the mid-palate with black pepper, cherry pits, and a bit of tobacco/leather segueing to a surprisingly sweet (there’s that corn) finish accompanied by ginger and cinnamon heat as well as a bit of dry sawdust bite. Overall, this is a tasty whiskey. It’s not going to win awards for its sophistication or complexity, nor is it what I would call a contemplative sipper for late night fireside musings, but at $38 for a 750 ml bottle it’s a nice easygoing dram and I bet it would make a great higher-end cocktail whiskey. Excuse me while I go fix myself a Manhattan. 87 points.
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash