Woodford Reserve Double Oaked was released in February 2012, more than 15 years after the release of standard Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select. Woodford Double Oaked is produced by re-barreling Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select in a second virgin charred oak barrel for a little under a year. The second barrel used is deeply toasted before being lightly charred.
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Additionally, they let it sit in this barrel for several months. While others including Jim Beam have since released double oaked products, Brown-Forman was one of the first to experiment in this area with an on-the-shelf product. This simple, yet effective barrel finish imparts a large dose of much needed flavor to the just-average standard Woodford Reserve. Sure it doesn’t transform it into a super memorable bourbon. It makes enough of an impact to question why given the option, you’d reach for a pour of Distiller’s Select over Double Oaked.
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It’s hard not to constantly compare Double Oaked to standard Woodford Reserve. They both share the same mashbill and initial origins. Throughout this review I kept having to remind myself that while they may have started the same, they ended very differently.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked ends up delivering the flavor profile that is missing from their standard expression. While it’s not breaking any new boundaries in the bourbon world. It also doesn’t deliver a drastically different flavor profile like so many other barrel finished whiskeys tend to do. However unlike Distillers Select. It is quite enjoyable and complex enough for me to actively reach for a glass to appreciate the flavors it contains. If Distiller’s Select is what you grab to make a cocktail. There is no doubt this is what you’ll want to grab to enjoy a glass of bourbon neat.
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