The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 2024
BourbonIssue 48

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 2024

Woodford Reserve · Woodford Reserve Distillery

127.8 proofNASVersailles, Kentucky, USA
This is Woodford at its most unapologetic — barrel proof without apology, yet remarkably integrated. It demonstrates how high proof, when managed with care, can amplify rather than obscure complexity. A bourbon for those who want the full picture.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

An immediate wave of dark cherry and toasted pecan gives way to a deeper register of leather and charred oak. Behind the heat, there is an almost perfumed quality — dried carnation petals and maple syrup.

Palate

Full-bodied and viscous, leading with butterscotch and dark cocoa before a mid-palate pivot toward rye spice and tobacco. The proof is present but never aggressive, carrying the flavors rather than overwhelming them.

Finish

Extraordinarily long, with charred oak and vanilla fading slowly into an earthy, almost mineral dryness. The cherry returns as a ghost note at the very end.

Specifications
Mash Bill
72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Barrel Type
New charred oak
Bottled in Bond
No
Single Barrel
No
Wheated
No
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

The Proof Positive — 2 oz Woodford Reserve Batch Proof · 0.5 oz demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, express an orange peel over the glass.

Food Pairing

Smoked brisket with a coffee-chile rub

The Story

Bottled directly from the barrel at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, each annual Batch Proof release reflects master distiller Chris Morris's belief that dilution sometimes subtracts more than water.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More from Woodford Reserve Distillery
Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin
Gin

Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin

Whitley Neill

Whitley Neill's Blood Orange expression works because it respects the gin beneath the flavoring. The blood orange is vivid without being syrupy, and the juniper-forward base keeps it honest. It's a gin that makes a spectacular spritz but doesn't embarrass itself neat — a rare feat in the flavored gin category.

86 proof
Rhum Clément Cuvée Homère Rhum Agricole Vieux
Rum

Rhum Clément Cuvée Homère Rhum Agricole Vieux

Rhum Clément

Cuvée Homère is Clément's tribute to founder Homère Clément, and it showcases what extended aging does to quality rhum agricole. The cane character remains at the foundation, but the oak and oxidative aging add layers that rival fine cognac in complexity. This is a sipping rum that demands — and rewards — your full attention.

88 proof
G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe DOCG 2019
Red Wine

G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe DOCG 2019

G.D. Vajra

Vajra's Albe bottling is the entry point to the estate's Barolo range, sourced from younger vines across multiple village plots. It delivers textbook Nebbiolo character — roses, tar, cherry — at a price that makes it one of the best introductions to Barolo available. Give it a thirty-minute decant and watch it bloom.

Domaine Weinbach Riesling Réserve Personnelle 2023
White Wine

Domaine Weinbach Riesling Réserve Personnelle 2023

Domaine Weinbach

The Réserve Personnelle is Weinbach's calling card — a wine that captures the Clos des Capucins terroir with clarity and restraint. The 2023 vintage delivers the crystalline precision that makes Alsatian Riesling one of the world's great white wine styles. Hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and vinified with minimal intervention, it's a pure expression of place and practice.

More Bourbon Reviews