Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey is a Kentucky straight malt whiskey made from a mash bill of 51% malted barley, aged in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV).
Announced in May 2018, Straight Malt became the fourth permanent member of Woodford Reserve's Distiller's Select family, joining the original Bourbon, Double Oaked and Rye. Woodford had experimented with malt before, in its Master's Collection and Distillery Series, but this was its first malt whiskey in the core range.
The mash bill is 51% malted barley, 47% corn and 2% rye, the minimum malt share for a malt whiskey. Unlike a typical 100% malt whiskey, it gets the same treatment as Woodford's bourbons in every other way, including aging in new, charred American oak, which makes it the malt whiskey for bourbon drinkers.
That 51% malt base makes the whiskey richly flavorful and complex and amplifies the nutty, chocolatey character already found in the original Woodford Reserve. Expect stone fruit, ripe banana and caramel-coated nuts with baking chocolate, toffee, brown sugar and baking spice, while the corn keeps a familiar buttery Woodford softness beneath the malt. The finish brings dark chocolate and caramel-coated nuts.
Sip it neat to taste how malt reshapes the Woodford profile, or try it in a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, where its nutty, subtly sweet chocolate malt notes shine.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Stone fruit, ripe banana, caramel-coated nuts.
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Palate: Baking chocolate, toffee, brown sugar, baking spice.
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Finish: Dark chocolate and caramel nuts.
Specifications
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Distillery: Woodford Reserve, Kentucky
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Style: Kentucky straight malt whiskey
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Mash bill: 51% malted barley, 47% corn, 2% rye
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Barrels: New charred American oak
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Proof / ABV: 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV)
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Sip it neat, or stir a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned to bring out the chocolate malt notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mash bill?
51% malted barley, 47% corn and 2% rye.
How is it different from Scotch malt?
It is aged in new charred oak like bourbon, not used casks.
When was it introduced?
Announced in May 2018 as part of the Distiller's Select family.
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