Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey matured through an innovative two-barrel process: first in a standard charred new oak barrel, then finished in a second barrel that is deeply toasted before a light charring extracting additional layers of soft, sweet oak character that elevate the flagship Woodford profile into something richer, darker, and more complex.

When Double Oaked launched in 2012, finishing bourbon in a second new oak barrel was almost unheard of. The innovation proved decisive: where the standard Distiller’s Select delivers a rounded, approachable profile, Double Oaked amplifies the sweetness and oak depth dramatically. The second barrel’s heavy toast and light char produce caramelized wood sugars that feed through into the whiskey, producing a deep amber color and a palate with significantly more vanilla, dark fruit, and chocolate character than the original expression.

Starting from the same 72/18/10 mash bill as the Distiller’s Select, Double Oaked diverges entirely through its secondary maturation. The result is the most widely available expression in the Woodford lineup that consistently delivers a richness and complexity more associated with barrel-finished whiskeys at a higher price tier.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rich notes of dark fruit, caramel, sharp honey, chocolate, marzipan, and toasted oak; deep and full with the sweet oak character of the secondary barrel evident immediately
• Palate: Full-bodied vanilla, dark caramel, hazelnut, apple, dark berries, and warming spice; chocolate-covered cherries, toasted nuts, and a Werther’s caramel sweetness with hints of leather and tobacco
• Finish: Long and creamy with lingering honeyed apple and gentle oak tannin

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Double Oaked
• Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
• Maturation: Two separate charred oak barrels second barrel deeply toasted, lightly charred
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between Double Oaked and standard Woodford Reserve? Same mash bill and distillery, but Double Oaked spends time in a second heavily toasted, lightly charred new oak barrel after its initial aging. The secondary barrel dramatically amplifies the sweetness, dark fruit, chocolate, and vanilla character of the whiskey.
• Is Double Oaked the same as Double Double Oaked? No Double Oaked is the standard two-barrel expression; Double Double Oaked adds a third and fourth barrel to the process, further concentrating the oak sweetness and richness. Double Oaked is widely available; Double Double Oaked is a limited annual release.
• What cocktails work best with Double Oaked? Double Oaked is a natural neat or on-the-rocks pour given its richness. In cocktails, the deep caramel and dark fruit character works particularly well in an Old Fashioned or paired with bitters in a Louisville Sour.

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