Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Batch Proof 2021 Release 128.3 Proof (64.15%) Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)

"...this year's Batch Proof finally hits the mark... the year that it makes a case for its price...and a spot on your shelf if it's not too late to find a bottle." - breakingbourbon.com

The annual 'Batch Proof' releases are sometimes considered a series within a series as they fall under the Master's Collection umbrella. Highlighting the brand's proprietary batch process, they're bottled at actual proof, straight from the barrel. Australia is late in the queue with the 2021 edition launched in the US in March 2021 but only just landed here. This, the fourth batch is bottled at 128.3 proof, the highest to date, and far from the 90.4 proof which is typical for the standard Woodford Reserve. If you've been hanging out for a big, beefy Bourbon experience, this is your ticket to ride. From its impressive, deep auburn colour through to its robust mid palate and fiery, lip numbing finish, Batch Proof 2021 delivers in a huge, bittersweet attack of corn, cocoa and wood spices combined with brittle toffee and grippy oak. Let it breath for twenty minutes and it turns more curvaceous, sweeter and is more accessible uncut yielding flavours of pecan pie, light caramel, cherry chocolate, vanilla bean and a touch of dried peach. If the sugars pull up a little too soon, they make a slight recovery in the aftertaste. Given its manner of delivery, this is probably not a Bourbon you'd recommend for beginners. Even seasoned drinkers might need to water it down, but then you’ve basically got yourself a glass of Woodford Reserve - which is precisely what this is not meant to be. 64.15% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... With the company in love with the 90.4 proof point, any chance to taste Woodford’s bourbon at a higher proof is always a tantalizing prospect. Despite being only a few proof points higher than some prior Batch Proof releases, 2021’s release of 128.3 proof is impactful. From its delightful s’mores focused palate, to its robust and thick sweet oak running throughout, this year's Batch Proof finally hits the mark. If you’ve shied away from this US$130 barrel proof bourbon that never quite felt like a limited release, this is finally the year that it makes a case for its price...and a spot on your shelf if it's not too late to find a bottle. - breakingbourbon.com

"My one hot take of this review is that if the they can continue to improve along this path then I’m willing to bet that this will rival Buffalo Trace’s George T. Stagg in the years to come." 88 points - Mike & Mike, The Bourbon Culture