According to the bottle of Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Port Finished, “This truly small-batch bourbon starts with traditionally grown corn, rye, and malted barley. All of our staple grains are grown for us on the Omlin Family Farm in Quincy, Washington. The grains are mashed & distilled in our Woodinville distillery, then trucked back over the Cascade Mountains to our private barrel houses, where Central Washington’s extreme temperature cycles promote the extractions of natural flavors from the oak. Prior to being coopered, the barrel wood is seasoned in open air, rain, wind, sun and snow for 18 months, softening the woods harsh tannins. The barrels are slowly toasted and heavily charred to further enrich the wood’s desirable flavors. After the whiskey is fully mature, we transfer it into freshly emptied Port barrels where subtle notes of berry and chocolate emerge, complimenting the tradition flavor characteristics.”
Bourbon Review:Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Port Finished
ABV: 45 ( Proof)
Age: 5 Years + 6 months in Port Barrel
Mash Bill:72% Corn, 22% Rye, 6% Malted Barley
Distillery: Woodinville Whiskey Co.
Location: Woodinville, WA (USA)
The Nose: I poured my first pour outside for the featured image of this post and the strong port aromas wafted upward from 5 feet away. The nose is reminiscent of a tawny port that is slightly soured fruit, berries and an abundance of oak.
The Taste: The initial sip has notes of synthetic grape (think drink mix), cherries and oak. Subsequent sips see some burnt caramel and orange peel added to the palate. The finish is long with oak, grape skins and is drying to the palate as well as being slightly tanic
Conclusion: Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Port Finished is not something I would buy when browsing the aisles of my liquor store. While it wasn’t as bad as I expected, I state this because I absolutely abhor the cask finished bourbons. Sadly, this is a trend that is growing. To date there has been one exception to the rule and I will feature that in the coming weeks. I’m not sure what started the trend, but I personally wonder if it is taking bad whiskey and hiding the poor characteristics behind a different finish. Regardless, it looks like the trend is here to stay and this one could have been worse. If you want to drink a bourbon that tastes like a port, drink a port instead.
Score: 80
Price: $49.99 (750 ml)
