Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 92
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 45.2%
Availability Limited
Price $200.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2025-01-15

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon (2025) Review

Woodford Reserve’s Double Oaked bourbon is already a well-known staple on shelves nationwide. That expression takes mature Woodford Reserve bourbon and ages it for around a year in a second barrel made to exacting specifications: namely, heavily toasted and lightly charred.

Since 2015, Woodford fans have been able to try something that takes the brand’s secondary barrel aging to another level: Woodford Double Double Oaked. The annual, distillery-only release takes Woodford’s Double Oaked Bourbon and allows it to mature for even longer — around two years — in the second heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel.

(To clarify, that process involves putting whiskey into two barrels, not three, a common misconception in some bourbon circles.)

“Resting five-to-seven years in the first barrel, then up to two years in a second barrel, this liquid features extraordinary flavor,” says Woodford master distiller Elizabeth McCall, quoted in a brand press release.

Now, Double Double Oaked is going nationwide, hitting retailers across the U.S. in early 2025. (As of this writing, some bottles have already hit shelves in select markets.) And while it was previously sold at the distillery in 375-milliliter format, the nationwide release bottles measure 700 milliliters.

Let’s see how it tastes!

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Internal.

Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon: Stats and Availability

The new, 700 milliliter Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of around $200. It will be available at select retailers nationwide and for direct shipping to locations in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., though expect online supplies to sell out quickly.

Previous distillery-only versions were $79.99 for a 375-milliliter bottle, so this more widely distributed version is definitely a bit pricier per ounce. That said, it’s also much more accessible to most consumers, so time will tell whether retail prices stick around MSRP or rise above.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon 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 with a medley of syrupy, sweet notes: dark pan caramel, black treacle, vanilla nougat, and wood smoked maple syrup. (That smoked maple syrup aroma is especially noticeable and builds with additional minutes in the glass.) Almond extract meets sugar, but they’re not quite in step enough to evoke marzipan, at least not exactly. Double Double Oaked’s nose is both more tannic and sweeter than the typical Woodford profile, as if two ends of an aroma spectrum had been dialed up a point or two.

The tannic, moderately astringent elements grow with additional returns to the glass. Eventually, they evolve to both oak-forward sourness, which smells like equal parts sour mash, apple peels, and cracked espresso bean. Burnt peanut brittle bookends the nose, the whiskey’s deep oak influence layering over an underpinning of sweetness that never quite dissipates no matter how much barrel char and sour mash character gets tossed on top.

Taste

Dark cocktail cherry is an early and persistent flavor that melds sweet and sour characters from the very first sip. Unripe orchard fruit is up next, a bit tangy without veering into overly sour. Smoked maple syrup comes next, lighter than on the nose but still pronounced enough to carry a similar pairing of sweetness and wood smoke.

This batch of Double Double Oaked isn’t the most viscous pour, but to its credit, the mouth feel is enough to get the job done; in other words, individual flavors linger across the tongue long enough to be perceptible. At just over 90 proof, it feels appropriate.

Cinnamon and cocoa hit just before the midpalate, along with white chocolate peppermint bark. I wasn’t fully expecting this much mint, but it generally couples well with both the cinnamon and continuing cherry. That cherry gets a little brighter with time, from dark to bright red. Perhaps I’m biased because of their common use as a topping, but those bright red cherries signify a back-of-the-palate transition to pineapple upside down cake and baked clove, both removed from the oven just seconds before turning burnt.

Finish

This is a fruitier, juicier, and lengthier finish than almost any other Woodford product I’ve tasted in recent memory. The smoked maple character takes a full step back while fruit, table sugar, and cinnamon linger. On the one hand, it lacks the same complexity as on the palate. On the other, it’s still a satiating finish, though some smokey and richly oaked components fade quicker than I might have hoped.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon Rating

92/100

Recap

Woodford Double Double Oaked’s elevation to broad(er) distribution is something for fans to celebrate. That said, I’m sure opinions will be somewhat varied regarding the balance of greater availability with the increased price per ounce.

Ultimately, drinkers are getting a darker, older, and more complex take on Woodford’s distillate. That double-double finishing time has been kind to this whiskey, resulting in a rich dram that in some ways punches above its 90.4 proof. Happy hunting — which just got a whole lot easier!

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92
POINTS
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon (2025)
Woodford Reserve’s Double Oaked bourbon is already a well-known staple on shelves nationwide. That expression takes mature Woodford Reserve bourbon and ages it for around a year in a second barrel made to exacting specifications: namely, heavily toasted and lightly charred. Since 2015, Woodford fans have been able to try something that takes the brand’s secondary barrel aging to another level: Woodford Double Double Oaked. The annual, distillery-only release takes Woodford’s Double Oaked Bourbon and allows it to mature for even longer — around two years — in the second heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel. (To clarify, that process involves putting whiskey into two barrels, not three, a common misconception in some bourbon circles.) “Resting five-to-seven years in the first barrel, then up to two years in a second barrel, this liquid features extraordinary flavor,” says Woodford master distiller Elizabeth McCall, quoted in a brand press release. Now, Double Double Oaked is going nationwide, hitting retailers across the U.S. in early 2025. (As of this writing, some bottles have already hit shelves in select markets.) And while it was previously sold at the distillery in 375-milliliter format, the nationwide release bottles measure 700 milliliters. Let’s see how it tastes! Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Internal.

Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon: Stats and Availability

The new, 700 milliliter Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of around $200. It will be available at select retailers nationwide and for direct shipping to locations in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., though expect online supplies to sell out quickly. Previous distillery-only versions were $79.99 for a 375-milliliter bottle, so this more widely distributed version is definitely a bit pricier per ounce. That said, it’s also much more accessible to most consumers, so time will tell whether retail prices stick around MSRP or rise above.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon 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 with a medley of syrupy, sweet notes: dark pan caramel, black treacle, vanilla nougat, and wood smoked maple syrup. (That smoked maple syrup aroma is especially noticeable and builds with additional minutes in the glass.) Almond extract meets sugar, but they’re not quite in step enough to evoke marzipan, at least not exactly. Double Double Oaked’s nose is both more tannic and sweeter than the typical Woodford profile, as if two ends of an aroma spectrum had been dialed up a point or two. The tannic, moderately astringent elements grow with additional returns to the glass. Eventually, they evolve to both oak-forward sourness, which smells like equal parts sour mash, apple peels, and cracked espresso bean. Burnt peanut brittle bookends the nose, the whiskey’s deep oak influence layering over an underpinning of sweetness that never quite dissipates no matter how much barrel char and sour mash character gets tossed on top.

Taste

Dark cocktail cherry is an early and persistent flavor that melds sweet and sour characters from the very first sip. Unripe orchard fruit is up next, a bit tangy without veering into overly sour. Smoked maple syrup comes next, lighter than on the nose but still pronounced enough to carry a similar pairing of sweetness and wood smoke. This batch of Double Double Oaked isn’t the most viscous pour, but to its credit, the mouth feel is enough to get the job done; in other words, individual flavors linger across the tongue long enough to be perceptible. At just over 90 proof, it feels appropriate. Cinnamon and cocoa hit just before the midpalate, along with white chocolate peppermint bark. I wasn’t fully expecting this much mint, but it generally couples well with both the cinnamon and continuing cherry. That cherry gets a little brighter with time, from dark to bright red. Perhaps I’m biased because of their common use as a topping, but those bright red cherries signify a back-of-the-palate transition to pineapple upside down cake and baked clove, both removed from the oven just seconds before turning burnt.

Finish

This is a fruitier, juicier, and lengthier finish than almost any other Woodford product I’ve tasted in recent memory. The smoked maple character takes a full step back while fruit, table sugar, and cinnamon linger. On the one hand, it lacks the same complexity as on the palate. On the other, it’s still a satiating finish, though some smokey and richly oaked components fade quicker than I might have hoped.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon Rating

92/100

Recap

Woodford Double Double Oaked’s elevation to broad(er) distribution is something for fans to celebrate. That said, I’m sure opinions will be somewhat varied regarding the balance of greater availability with the increased price per ounce. Ultimately, drinkers are getting a darker, older, and more complex take on Woodford’s distillate. That double-double finishing time has been kind to this whiskey, resulting in a rich dram that in some ways punches above its 90.4 proof. Happy hunting — which just got a whole lot easier!

Reviewed On: 01-15-2025
92
POINTS
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon (2025)
Woodford Reserve’s Double Oaked bourbon is already a well-known staple on shelves nationwide. That expression takes mature Woodford Reserve bourbon and ages it for around a year in a second barrel made to exacting specifications: namely, heavily toasted and lightly charred. Since 2015, Woodford fans have been able to try something that takes the brand’s secondary barrel aging to another level: Woodford Double Double Oaked. The annual, distillery-only release takes Woodford’s Double Oaked Bourbon and allows it to mature for even longer — around two years — in the second heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel. (To clarify, that process involves putting whiskey into two barrels, not three, a common misconception in some bourbon circles.) “Resting five-to-seven years in the first barrel, then up to two years in a second barrel, this liquid features extraordinary flavor,” says Woodford master distiller Elizabeth McCall, quoted in a brand press release. Now, Double Double Oaked is going nationwide, hitting retailers across the U.S. in early 2025. (As of this writing, some bottles have already hit shelves in select markets.) And while it was previously sold at the distillery in 375-milliliter format, the nationwide release bottles measure 700 milliliters. Let’s see how it tastes! Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Internal.

Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon: Stats and Availability

The new, 700 milliliter Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of around $200. It will be available at select retailers nationwide and for direct shipping to locations in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., though expect online supplies to sell out quickly. Previous distillery-only versions were $79.99 for a 375-milliliter bottle, so this more widely distributed version is definitely a bit pricier per ounce. That said, it’s also much more accessible to most consumers, so time will tell whether retail prices stick around MSRP or rise above.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon 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 with a medley of syrupy, sweet notes: dark pan caramel, black treacle, vanilla nougat, and wood smoked maple syrup. (That smoked maple syrup aroma is especially noticeable and builds with additional minutes in the glass.) Almond extract meets sugar, but they’re not quite in step enough to evoke marzipan, at least not exactly. Double Double Oaked’s nose is both more tannic and sweeter than the typical Woodford profile, as if two ends of an aroma spectrum had been dialed up a point or two. The tannic, moderately astringent elements grow with additional returns to the glass. Eventually, they evolve to both oak-forward sourness, which smells like equal parts sour mash, apple peels, and cracked espresso bean. Burnt peanut brittle bookends the nose, the whiskey’s deep oak influence layering over an underpinning of sweetness that never quite dissipates no matter how much barrel char and sour mash character gets tossed on top.

Taste

Dark cocktail cherry is an early and persistent flavor that melds sweet and sour characters from the very first sip. Unripe orchard fruit is up next, a bit tangy without veering into overly sour. Smoked maple syrup comes next, lighter than on the nose but still pronounced enough to carry a similar pairing of sweetness and wood smoke. This batch of Double Double Oaked isn’t the most viscous pour, but to its credit, the mouth feel is enough to get the job done; in other words, individual flavors linger across the tongue long enough to be perceptible. At just over 90 proof, it feels appropriate. Cinnamon and cocoa hit just before the midpalate, along with white chocolate peppermint bark. I wasn’t fully expecting this much mint, but it generally couples well with both the cinnamon and continuing cherry. That cherry gets a little brighter with time, from dark to bright red. Perhaps I’m biased because of their common use as a topping, but those bright red cherries signify a back-of-the-palate transition to pineapple upside down cake and baked clove, both removed from the oven just seconds before turning burnt.

Finish

This is a fruitier, juicier, and lengthier finish than almost any other Woodford product I’ve tasted in recent memory. The smoked maple character takes a full step back while fruit, table sugar, and cinnamon linger. On the one hand, it lacks the same complexity as on the palate. On the other, it’s still a satiating finish, though some smokey and richly oaked components fade quicker than I might have hoped.

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon Rating

92/100

Recap

Woodford Double Double Oaked’s elevation to broad(er) distribution is something for fans to celebrate. That said, I’m sure opinions will be somewhat varied regarding the balance of greater availability with the increased price per ounce. Ultimately, drinkers are getting a darker, older, and more complex take on Woodford’s distillate. That double-double finishing time has been kind to this whiskey, resulting in a rich dram that in some ways punches above its 90.4 proof. Happy hunting — which just got a whole lot easier!

Reviewed On: 01-15-2025