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Classification: Straight Rye
Company: Brown-Forman
Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery / Brown-Forman Distillery
Release Date: September 2025
Proof: 125.1
Age: NAS (Aged at least 4 years per TTB regulations)
Mashbill: 53% Rye, 33% Corn, 14% Malted Barley
Color: Dark Bronze
SRP: $130 / 700mL (2025)
Rye bread | Grain | Oak | Light baking spices | Dried corn kernel | Dried oats
Rye spice | Breakfast syrup | Baking spices | leaf | Black peppercorn | Chewy vanilla | Silky mouthfeel
Rye spice | Oak | Brown butter | Green peppercorn | Light lingering spice
The first-ever Woodford Reserve Barrel Strength Rye results in a pleasing sip, though consumers will expect more for the price.
In the spring of 2018, Brown-Forman finally answered fans' calls to release a high proof Woodford Reserve Batch Proof Bourbon. Now, more than 7 years later, the company has decided to release a high proof version of their standard Woodford Rye. This release seems unexpected, as the standard Woodford Rye is often overshadowed by its more well known bourbon counterparts and various limited edition bourbon offerings that the company delivers. This new limited edition release is presumably intended to be an ongoing series and will most likely see future releases carrying various proof points, much like Batch Proof Bourbon does.
Cranking up the proof by over 30 proof points helps tease out flavors in Woodford’s first-ever barrel strength rye; however, not as much as one might expect. The aroma is surprisingly on the lighter side, producing pleasing, gentle scents that are grain-focused overall. The midpoint pulls in a mixture of sweet and spice notes along with a grounding tobacco leaf influence, resulting in a silky mouthfeel. The finish highlights rye spice, but like the palate, not to the extent you may expect for a whiskey of this proof, resulting in a light lingering spice.
Without a doubt, Woodford rye fans will be interested in seeing what this tastes like, but rye fans in general will be rightfully hesitant in paying the price of entry here. Overall, the sip is gentler than expected for the proof, which isn’t necessarily a negative when it comes to high proof whiskeys. That said, considering both its price and the fact that this is the first-ever barrel strength rye that Woodford has released, consumers will expect more. Assuming this is an ongoing series, I expect Woodford to dial in this series more, and I look forward to revisiting it again if they do.
