Woodford Reserve has announced Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey, an all-new addition to its permanent line.
“After Prohibition, the federal government permitted four styles of American straight whiskey, each with a different majority grain – bourbon, rye, wheat and malt,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris in a press release this morning. “Woodford Reserve now has all four whiskeys as part of its permanent family of brands – Woodford Bourbon, Woodford Rye, Woodford Malt and now Woodford Wheat.”
Just as the mash bill for a bourbon whiskey must be at least 51 percent corn and rye whiskey must be at least 51 percent rye grain, a wheat whiskey must be at least 51 percent wheat. The Woodford Reserve Kentucky has a mash bill of 52 percent wheat, 20 percent malted barley, 20 percent corn, and 8 percent rye, bottled at 90.4 proof.
Woodford tells us to look for “aromatic spices (cinnamon and cedar) and cooked fruit (apple, pear, banana)… with a delicate floral character sweetened with light vanilla bean and brown sugar notes” on the nose, with “spicy applesauce and toasted coconut notes, an earthy mint and cocoa nib mix” on the palate. The Woodford Wheat will finish with “dry, subtle cocoa nibs and lingering apple peel.”
“This proprietary expression of Woodford Reserve Wheat is designed to deliver a unique ‘fruit-forward’ flavor profile,” Morris said. “It is, like the other members of the Woodford Reserve brands, complex and approachable – and it will make great cocktails.”
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey will be available soon for around $35.
