The new whiskey gets its name from its double aging process. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is first aged in toasted, charred barrels created at Woodford’s cooperage. This initial maturation provides much of the color and flavor, but the second step is what makes the spirit unique. It’s moved to another custom barrel – one that’s been toasted twice as long as the initial barrel, and then very lightly charred. The heavy toast qualities impart lots of soft, sweet oak characteristics to the whiskey.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is sweet and spicy on the nose, with lots of vanilla, honey, chocolate and cinnamon. The entry brings more vanilla, plus caramel, baked apples and baking spices. Mid-palate it becomes quite creamy and hints at marzipan before finishing with lingering notes of oak and honey. Though the oak is very present throughout, the whiskey remains well-balanced and smooth from start to finish, never killing the drinker’s palate with too much oak.

Look for Woodford Reserve Double Oaked on store shelves beginning in March. It clocks in at 90.4 proof (45.2% alcohol by volume), and is expected to retail for $50 per bottle.

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Heaven Hill hopes the dueling bourbons will create a lot of buzz going into the 2012 Presidential elections. Chances are good, as political doublespeak and lofty campaign promises often drive people to drink. Whether Red State and Blue State bourbons will fuel the fire or create a more mellow atmosphere for conversation is unclear. But we’ve yet to find a political gathering that’s not improved by a bottle of whiskey.

From Heaven Hill –

“During this topsy-turvy election year, we wanted to launch a fun and unique Bourbon brand that will be the life of both parties, as the race begins for the next President of the United States. What better way to, not only show your patriotic spirit, but kick back, relax and watch the action as the success of each brand becomes an entertaining results indicator of Election 2012,” said Kate Latts, Director of Marketing at Heaven Hill Distilleries.

Red State and Blue State bourbons will be available nationally beginning in January 2012. Hopefully their presence in the market will lead to a decrease in the number of politically-charged yard signs and bumper stickers.

It’s yet to be determined if Heaven Hill will release a bottle geared toward Independents.

redbluebourbon.com

The result? A spirit-forward cocktail tempered by the sweetness of the maraschino liqueur and further balanced by the addition of bitters.

The Fancy Free is very simple to make at home, and while it’s somewhat obscure, the easy-to-make recipe makes it an accessible call at cocktail bars.

The Fancy Free Cocktail

2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Quick tip – A straightforward bourbon like Maker’s Mark works well in this one. A spicier bourbon, or even rye, makes an interesting drink, but one that tastes a bit out of whack.

Like that? Drink this:
- Boulevardier Cocktail
- Old Pal Cocktail
- The Seelbach Cocktail

Angel’s Envy Bourbon is aged for nearly five years at the highest levels of the rickhouse and then transferred into port barrels for another six months. The whiskey has a brilliant amber to copper hue and presents aromas of vanilla, toasted nuts and maple syrup. Take a sip to find standard bourbon flavors of vanilla and caramel complemented by port influences, like raisins and dark fruit. It’s incredibly smooth on the palate, with no burn. The port finish rounds out the astringency, leaving you with a bourbon that’s easy to hold on the palate. It finishes clean and dry with lingering notes of vanilla and fruit.

Well done, Lincoln.

Down the road, the base expression will be supplemented with other, limited edition expressions that may vary on everything from mashbills to finishing barrels. Talking with Lincoln gives the impression that – after four decades of work under industry giant Brown-Forman – he’s having a lot of fun with Angel’s Envy. Working with his son and grandson, they plan to put out small batches of the best whiskey they can possibly make. And when they do, we’ll be here to drink it.

Stats:
- 43.3% Alcohol by Volume
- $45

Jefferson’s Bourbon is composed of corn, rye and malted barley. It doesn’t carry an age statement.

On the nose, Jefferson’s has aromas of vanilla, toffee, spice and oak. It hints at toasted grains in the background as well as some citrus fruits. Take a sip to taste more of the same – toffee, vanilla and spice – plus some honey, peaches and berries. It finishes with more vanilla and toasty oak notes and leaves the palate warm and very dry.

At just 82.3 proof, it’s smooth and approachable. The oak notes are very present but not overly done, and the whiskey is a mostly successful marriage of sweet, spice and fruit.

Stats:
- 41.15% Alcohol by Volume
- $30

Like that? Drink this:
- Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Review
- Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Review
- Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Perhaps my favorite of the bunch is a bourbon buck. And while bourbon, ginger beer and citrus make a fine drink indeed, the buck template is a great basis for modifications. For example, San Francisco bartender Erick Castro’s well-publicized Kentucky Buck adds muddled strawberry and bitters to bourbon, lemon juice and ginger beer for good effect.

Muddled peach is another good option, if you’re into peaches. The Taylor’s Buck (pictured), from Dallas cocktail spot, Bolsa, dresses up the bourbon buck with apple and Peychaud’s Bitters. Also good.

Whichever route you go – whether classic, fruited or otherwise modified – the bourbon buck is an easy drink to make at home. Here’s a quick recipe to get you started:

Bourbon Buck

2 ounces bourbon
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 strawberries or peach slices
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer

Muddle fruit with lemon juice and simple syrup. Add bourbon and bitters, then shake with ice. Strain over ice into a collins glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with the fruit of your choice.

As noted above, ginger ale can be used in a buck, but ginger beer is preferable, as its spicy bite stands up better in the cocktail.

Like that? Drink this:
- Dark and Stormy (essentially a rum buck)
- El Diablo Cocktail Recipe

On the nose, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has some alcoholic top notes, so give it a few minutes to open up before diving in. The alcohol eventually gives way to aromas of oranges, tobacco, oak and spice. Take a sip to find sweeter flavors and a smoother spirit than the nose indicates. It shows lots of vanilla, brown sugar, and honey, plus a rye bite that keeps things in check. The bourbon finishes dry with some mild hints of licorice, nuts and cocoa toward the end.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed is a big whiskey with lots of flavor and spice. A single ice cube tempers the heat without muddling the flavors, but bourbon enthusiasts will likely enjoy the spirit neat. Throw in too much ice and the bourbon loses the rye bite, which is a great counterpart to the sweet honey and vanilla.

Fans of Wild Turkey 101 who appreciate the brand’s flavor profile but want a more complex bourbon – and don’t mind the extra $15 – should give Rare Breed a try.

Stats:
- 54.1% Alcohol by Volume
- $40

Like that? Drink this:
- Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon Review
- Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Review
- Booker’s Bourbon Review

It’s called a “young” bourbon because, well, it’s young, spending just three to six months in oak. It’s aged in small five and 10 gallon barrels, which accelerates the spirit’s maturation process.

Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey was handmade in very small batches, and only 114 cases were bottled on this first release. Some will go to Illinois and Tennessee as well as liquor stores and restaurants throughout Arkansas.

It’s bottled at 92 proof and carries a hefty suggested retail price of $24.99 for a 375ml bottle.

In addition to the bourbon, Rock Town Distillery also produces a vodka, a gin and an unaged whiskey called Arkansas Lightning.

Wild Turkey 81 was developed to be a bartender-friendly, mixable spirit that stands up in bourbon cocktails. I think the brand’s 101 proof product already exhibits these qualities quite well, but no matter – enter Wild Turkey 81.

The amber-colored bourbon has aromas of vanilla, caramel and soft fruit. Take a sip and it’s more aggressive, with a spicy rye bite and plenty of dry oak tempering the sweet notes. Though peppery on the tongue, it remains smooth on the palate and goes down easily. Wild Turkey 81 finishes with a long hit of charred oak and cinnamon spice.

Not bad. There’s more to it than the original 80 proof bourbon, and while I still prefer the 101, the 81 delivers the trademark Wild Turkey kick.

Wild Turkey 81 works fine in an old fashioned and Derby cocktail, but I imagine this bourbon will get more play with simple mixers like Coke.

Stats:
- 40.5% Alcohol by Volume
- $19.99

Like that? Drink this:
- Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Review
- Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Review
- Maker’s 46 Bourbon Review

The company doesn’t state how much of the final product is composed of bourbon that was originally trapped in wood. And it’s interesting that this liquid is added to a new six year old expression of Jim Beam, rather than a standard bottling like the Beam white or black label. Either way, the result is a smoother, softer bourbon that white label Beam, and though woodier, it’s less intense than other extra-oaked bourbons.

On the nose, Devil’s Cut has deep notes of vanilla and cinnamon. Take a sip and find that extra wood – oaky vanilla, caramel, honey and more cinnamon spice. It’s pretty tame on the palate for a woody, 90 proof whiskey, and it finishes warm and mellow.

Devil’s Cut shows less complexity than I imagined it would, but that’s not a knock against the whiskey. It remains balanced and flavorful and captures the traditional bourbon qualities that too much wood can sometimes overwhelm. Its robust yet user-friendly flavor profile and fairly modest price point make Devil’s Cut an accessible bottle for Beam enthusiasts.

Stats:
- 45% Alcohol by Volume
- $23.99

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- Jim Beam Distillery Tour
- Maker’s 46 Bourbon Review
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