In this post I talked about it a little bit, about finally getting my hands on a few bottles that had been sitting in the UK for about a year and a half. One of these two bottled was that Jack Daniel’s, and the other one was this Woodford Reserve.

Interestingly, things like this have become less rare since I initially ordered them and while this 2018 release is sold out virtually everywhere by now, the Master’s Collection releases tend to pop up in Europe now too. Of course at a slightly inflated rate, but what do you expect…

Since this was a bottle-share I only kept 10cl of the whisky, and the rest was handed out to friends, who also had been waiting for about 18 months to get their hands on their part. Luckily, they’re an understanding bunch.

The whisky itself, then!

Sniff:
The alcohol really keeps the sweetness at bay. Lots of dry notes of black pepper and popcorn. Oak and unlit cigars with milk chocolate in the background.

Sip:
The palate is hot and bone dry with the absolutely mental ABV. Black pepper, chilis, popcorn. A second sip is a bit less of an assault. More like a skirmish instead. Cherry pie, with pecans. More typically bourbon-like.

Swallow:
The finosh goes down very hot, with burning embers, some wet casks and a meaty, barbecue-y note. Popcorn and not too much sweetness.

Insane stuff. Very good, but also very hot. The 62.9% is very noticeable, more so than I expected. Of course it’s a lot of alcohol but as George T. Stagg releases, or Stagg Juniors for that matter, as well as other things from Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection have shown, a high ABV doesn’t necessarily come with an insanely hot palate. This one does.

Having said that, there still a lot going on and loads of flavors to be discovered. Even though it’s a bit of a flamethrower, it’s a layered and complex flamethrower that showcases how good well made bourbon at high strength can be.

Recommended stuff!

88/100