Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 93
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 59.75%
Availability Limited
Price $150.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2025-01-02

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024) Review

Kentucky-based Woodford Reserve had a busy end of 2024, rolling out a new Master’s Collection special offering (Madeira-finished whiskey) in addition to a new Batch Proof expression.

Instead of using more common terms like “barrel proof” or “cask strength” for its high proof offerings, Woodford has leaned into “batch proof” to denote whiskey in its uncut form. This particular release is a textbook example. More than 100 barrels were blended together for this release and bottled at “the exact proof from the barrels,” in this case 119.5

Master distiller Elizabeth McCall and her team sourced Woodford Reserve barrels from across many different production dates, warehouses, and warehouse floors, so the whiskey herein covers a pretty broad swath of the distillery’s inventory.

Let’s see how it tastes!

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024) review.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5: Stats and Availability

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof is an annual, limited offering available in “select U.S. and global markets,” though parent company Brown-Forman doesn’t give much more info than that for this release. It’s also available in limited quantities at Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky distillery, and the brand also ships some directly to consumers in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C.

The suggested retail price for Batch Proof is about $150. I’m generally used to seeing this on retail shelves for at or not much higher than MSRP.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off heavy in both roasted nuts and black cherry. It’s richer and more tart than some other Woodford products I’ve smelled recently, with both fatty macadamia and toasted pecans staying pronounced throughout. (Once sweeter caramel notes fold in about a minute later, the combined scent reminds me of a freshly baked pecan pie.) That cherry note also stays bold here, starting close to black cherry and then evolving to Luxardo or amaro-soaked fruit.

Spice, oak, and dark caramel layer on just behind those initial notes without ever losing the nut and fruit character. Classic bourbon wood sugars aren’t a huge surprise here, especially given Woodford’s historic preference for carefully controlling its barrel toast and char levels.

Lightly bruleed banana and melted French vanilla ice cream develop even further on as the bourbon continues to change in the glass. It’s a sweet, dessert-like bookend on one of the best-nosing Woodford products I’ve tried in some time.

Taste

The palate starts a little sweeter, with caramel, cooked banana, and vanilla taking the lead from the first sip. Cherry fruit leather comes in quickly right after, and that dark fruit continues building from the tip of the tongue all the way to the midpalate (and just a touch beyond). Secondary early flavors — they’re very much present without crowding out anything else — include strawberry candy, butterscotch, and spicy cinnamon gum. That last flavor couples with the proof to add just enough kick on a 59 percent-plus ABV whiskey. For much of the sip, it’s easy to forget the actual heat, which to me sips far closer to 110 proof.

By the midpalate, darkly roasted nuts finally fold in, near burnt without quite teetering over into astringent; the bourbon never once loses its base of sweet vanilla and banana. There’s something close to a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich here, punctuated with tart fruit and baking spice.

Sipping noticeably below proof lends both pros and cons to Woodford’s latest offering. Ethanol rarely if ever muscles out specific flavors here, and McCall and her team have certainly blended a balanced offering. But one small critique is a mouth feel that comes across just slightly on the thin side. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, but I wouldn’t have minded a touch more viscosity to give extra oomph to the fattier elements.

Finish

The finish is lengthy and rich in both spiced fruit compote and sweet mint jelly. Oaky caramel lingers across the tongue, gradually becoming darker and more tannic for 30 seconds or more after each sip. It’s a fitting end to a quality pour!

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Rating

93/100

Recap

While Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 doesn’t rank among the punchiest or most complex bourbons I’ve sampled recently, it accomplishes its task well: highlighting the brand’s distillate in a high-proof blend with both balance and lingering flavor. Especially on the nose, I’m not sure infrequent Woodford drinkers would immediately identify it with the distillery; as such, it could be an especially good gateway to turn folks onto the brand and expand perceptions a bit. I appreciate that McCall and her team are prioritizing quality over simply creating a “hotter” version of Woodford Reserve’s normal offering. At the end of the day, tasty whiskey is what tends to win hearts and minds.

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93
POINTS
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024)
Kentucky-based Woodford Reserve had a busy end of 2024, rolling out a new Master’s Collection special offering (Madeira-finished whiskey) in addition to a new Batch Proof expression. Instead of using more common terms like “barrel proof” or “cask strength” for its high proof offerings, Woodford has leaned into “batch proof” to denote whiskey in its uncut form. This particular release is a textbook example. More than 100 barrels were blended together for this release and bottled at “the exact proof from the barrels,” in this case 119.5 Master distiller Elizabeth McCall and her team sourced Woodford Reserve barrels from across many different production dates, warehouses, and warehouse floors, so the whiskey herein covers a pretty broad swath of the distillery’s inventory. Let’s see how it tastes! Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024) review.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5: Stats and Availability

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof is an annual, limited offering available in “select U.S. and global markets,” though parent company Brown-Forman doesn’t give much more info than that for this release. It’s also available in limited quantities at Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky distillery, and the brand also ships some directly to consumers in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C. The suggested retail price for Batch Proof is about $150. I’m generally used to seeing this on retail shelves for at or not much higher than MSRP.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off heavy in both roasted nuts and black cherry. It’s richer and more tart than some other Woodford products I’ve smelled recently, with both fatty macadamia and toasted pecans staying pronounced throughout. (Once sweeter caramel notes fold in about a minute later, the combined scent reminds me of a freshly baked pecan pie.) That cherry note also stays bold here, starting close to black cherry and then evolving to Luxardo or amaro-soaked fruit. Spice, oak, and dark caramel layer on just behind those initial notes without ever losing the nut and fruit character. Classic bourbon wood sugars aren’t a huge surprise here, especially given Woodford’s historic preference for carefully controlling its barrel toast and char levels. Lightly bruleed banana and melted French vanilla ice cream develop even further on as the bourbon continues to change in the glass. It’s a sweet, dessert-like bookend on one of the best-nosing Woodford products I’ve tried in some time.

Taste

The palate starts a little sweeter, with caramel, cooked banana, and vanilla taking the lead from the first sip. Cherry fruit leather comes in quickly right after, and that dark fruit continues building from the tip of the tongue all the way to the midpalate (and just a touch beyond). Secondary early flavors — they’re very much present without crowding out anything else — include strawberry candy, butterscotch, and spicy cinnamon gum. That last flavor couples with the proof to add just enough kick on a 59 percent-plus ABV whiskey. For much of the sip, it’s easy to forget the actual heat, which to me sips far closer to 110 proof. By the midpalate, darkly roasted nuts finally fold in, near burnt without quite teetering over into astringent; the bourbon never once loses its base of sweet vanilla and banana. There’s something close to a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich here, punctuated with tart fruit and baking spice. Sipping noticeably below proof lends both pros and cons to Woodford’s latest offering. Ethanol rarely if ever muscles out specific flavors here, and McCall and her team have certainly blended a balanced offering. But one small critique is a mouth feel that comes across just slightly on the thin side. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, but I wouldn’t have minded a touch more viscosity to give extra oomph to the fattier elements.

Finish

The finish is lengthy and rich in both spiced fruit compote and sweet mint jelly. Oaky caramel lingers across the tongue, gradually becoming darker and more tannic for 30 seconds or more after each sip. It’s a fitting end to a quality pour!

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Rating

93/100

Recap

While Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 doesn’t rank among the punchiest or most complex bourbons I’ve sampled recently, it accomplishes its task well: highlighting the brand’s distillate in a high-proof blend with both balance and lingering flavor. Especially on the nose, I’m not sure infrequent Woodford drinkers would immediately identify it with the distillery; as such, it could be an especially good gateway to turn folks onto the brand and expand perceptions a bit. I appreciate that McCall and her team are prioritizing quality over simply creating a “hotter” version of Woodford Reserve’s normal offering. At the end of the day, tasty whiskey is what tends to win hearts and minds.

Reviewed On: 01-02-2025
93
POINTS
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024)
Kentucky-based Woodford Reserve had a busy end of 2024, rolling out a new Master’s Collection special offering (Madeira-finished whiskey) in addition to a new Batch Proof expression. Instead of using more common terms like “barrel proof” or “cask strength” for its high proof offerings, Woodford has leaned into “batch proof” to denote whiskey in its uncut form. This particular release is a textbook example. More than 100 barrels were blended together for this release and bottled at “the exact proof from the barrels,” in this case 119.5 Master distiller Elizabeth McCall and her team sourced Woodford Reserve barrels from across many different production dates, warehouses, and warehouse floors, so the whiskey herein covers a pretty broad swath of the distillery’s inventory. Let’s see how it tastes! Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 (2024) review.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5: Stats and Availability

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof is an annual, limited offering available in “select U.S. and global markets,” though parent company Brown-Forman doesn’t give much more info than that for this release. It’s also available in limited quantities at Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky distillery, and the brand also ships some directly to consumers in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C. The suggested retail price for Batch Proof is about $150. I’m generally used to seeing this on retail shelves for at or not much higher than MSRP.

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off heavy in both roasted nuts and black cherry. It’s richer and more tart than some other Woodford products I’ve smelled recently, with both fatty macadamia and toasted pecans staying pronounced throughout. (Once sweeter caramel notes fold in about a minute later, the combined scent reminds me of a freshly baked pecan pie.) That cherry note also stays bold here, starting close to black cherry and then evolving to Luxardo or amaro-soaked fruit. Spice, oak, and dark caramel layer on just behind those initial notes without ever losing the nut and fruit character. Classic bourbon wood sugars aren’t a huge surprise here, especially given Woodford’s historic preference for carefully controlling its barrel toast and char levels. Lightly bruleed banana and melted French vanilla ice cream develop even further on as the bourbon continues to change in the glass. It’s a sweet, dessert-like bookend on one of the best-nosing Woodford products I’ve tried in some time.

Taste

The palate starts a little sweeter, with caramel, cooked banana, and vanilla taking the lead from the first sip. Cherry fruit leather comes in quickly right after, and that dark fruit continues building from the tip of the tongue all the way to the midpalate (and just a touch beyond). Secondary early flavors — they’re very much present without crowding out anything else — include strawberry candy, butterscotch, and spicy cinnamon gum. That last flavor couples with the proof to add just enough kick on a 59 percent-plus ABV whiskey. For much of the sip, it’s easy to forget the actual heat, which to me sips far closer to 110 proof. By the midpalate, darkly roasted nuts finally fold in, near burnt without quite teetering over into astringent; the bourbon never once loses its base of sweet vanilla and banana. There’s something close to a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich here, punctuated with tart fruit and baking spice. Sipping noticeably below proof lends both pros and cons to Woodford’s latest offering. Ethanol rarely if ever muscles out specific flavors here, and McCall and her team have certainly blended a balanced offering. But one small critique is a mouth feel that comes across just slightly on the thin side. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, but I wouldn’t have minded a touch more viscosity to give extra oomph to the fattier elements.

Finish

The finish is lengthy and rich in both spiced fruit compote and sweet mint jelly. Oaky caramel lingers across the tongue, gradually becoming darker and more tannic for 30 seconds or more after each sip. It’s a fitting end to a quality pour!

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 Rating

93/100

Recap

While Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 119.5 doesn’t rank among the punchiest or most complex bourbons I’ve sampled recently, it accomplishes its task well: highlighting the brand’s distillate in a high-proof blend with both balance and lingering flavor. Especially on the nose, I’m not sure infrequent Woodford drinkers would immediately identify it with the distillery; as such, it could be an especially good gateway to turn folks onto the brand and expand perceptions a bit. I appreciate that McCall and her team are prioritizing quality over simply creating a “hotter” version of Woodford Reserve’s normal offering. At the end of the day, tasty whiskey is what tends to win hearts and minds.

Reviewed On: 01-02-2025