Woodford Reserve Distillery Series Double Double Oaked 2021

Loved the 2019. The 2020 was decent, but the 2021 is here. Smell: A little light and well-balanced. Smells like toast rather than strong wood or heavy char. Typical Woodford vanilla with roasted chocolate, French vanilla, powdered sugar, and spice. Some intriguing, unidentifiable fruit notes too. Taste: Spicy vanilla and chocolate, pure Woodford. It's basically nondescript wood smoke and spice, moderately spiced and charred. Last year's had a burnt croissant vibe, but this one lacks that mid-palate breadiness. Finish/Mouthfeel: Nice lingering spice, but the mouthfeel is TERRIBLE! Way too thin. What a shame. So, it's getting a 1.75, just like the 2020. Although, tasting them together, the 2020 was richer and superior. It had more complexity. Unfortunately, I'm not keen on this one. It's okay, but not what I expect from the double aging.

The aroma is pleasant and the texture is rich. While quite enjoyable and a satisfying sip, the taste is dominated by red fruit and oak (not the burnt flavor I was concerned about). These two elements are so prominent that the drink lacks some depth. The finish evolves into a nice honey-like sweetness. It's not my top choice from the double double releases, but it's a solid contender and justifies its cost.

Nose: sweet like powdered sugar with some graham cracker and oak Palate: some heat followed by a smooth vanilla oaky Finish: lots of oak with some charred sugary caramel in there too Overall, a well-executed bourbon but a bit one-dimensional for my taste. Sweetness dominated, and I didn't perceive much else. Good bourbon.

Smells of caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, and leather, with faint berry notes. Like maple syrup pancakes. Taste is oak, leather, sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup. Also, toasted waffles. Ends with oak and honey. Absolutely fantastic

I had the opportunity to try this during my tour at Woodford. I didn't have time for a complete review, but the aroma was like candy, and it was consistently good through the palate and finish.

The aroma is the best feature of this bourbon. It's double oaked with additional sweet notes, but not excessively so. Balanced and delightful.