Woodford Reserve Bourbon vs Woodford Reserve Malt: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Woodford Reserve Bourbon vs Woodford Reserve Malt in this head to head comparison ande decide which whiskey is better for You!

Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Nose	Mint, honey, vanilla, citrus
Palate	Sweet oak, cinnamon, mint, ripe fruit
Finish	Oak, caramel, baking spice
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Neat
Similar to	Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark

Woodford Reserve (Substitutes) is pleasant and subtle on the nose, with hints of wood, mint, vanilla and caramel.

Palate is sweet and spicy yet entirely smooth. Some oak up front, but in moderation, along cinnamon, mint, and a sweet fruity note.

The finish brings additional sweetness, along oak, and satisfying warmth that lingers.

This bourbon is nicely balanced, body is creamy and does not have any off-putting or demanding notes reasons to make it one of the best-selling bourbons.

It makes a great sipper due to its smoothness and is yet spicy due to rich cinnamon notes.

This is a sweet and mellow bourbon with the right level of heat that drinkers of all levels will appreciate alike.

Excellent everyday bourbon, smooth and clean, good both neat and on ice.

I find it somewhat weak to make great cocktails. I’d rather use the Woodford Reserve Rye that has many tasting notes in common but with additional rye in the mash making it more spicy and punchy.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Woodford Reserve:

• Woodford’s mash bill is made from 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% barley; the rye content makes it a bit spicy.

• This bourbon ages for 7 years in one of the few warehouses that uses heat cycling. This process involves cooling and heating the air to closely control the aging.

• Earned gold and double gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Woodford Reserve Malt

Nose	Molasses, chocolate, malt
Palate	Malt, chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, dark fruit
Finish	Oak, spice
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks, cocktails
Similar to	Woodford Wheat, Woodford Rye

On the nose, Woodford Malt is smooth with sweet hints of molasses, chocolate and a subtle malty note.

On the palate, this whiskey shows a good texture as the body feels somewhat creamy. Flavor is mostly sweet, rich in malt, along notes of vanilla, chocolate, brown sugar and dark fruit.

The finish has a moderate length, leaving an aftertaste of oak, with a bit of spice. It feels somewhat warm on the way down but nothing terrible.

Woodford Malt is not a bourbon but a whiskey since its mash bill does not have a minimum of 51% corn. It’s mostly made using malted barley but does not bring flavors associated with a single malt Scotch.

It tastes more like a traditional bourbon as it still has the typical vanilla, fruity and oaky notes you get from bourbon.

Woodford Malt is nice tasting “bourbon” with a touch of malted barley. Neither too complex nor particularly interesting but a good whiskey to try out of curiosity.

There is a bit of heat on the finish. Not overpowering nor off-putting but a somewhat hot finish, nonetheless.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Woodford Reserve Malt:

• Made from a mash bill of 51% malted barley, 47% corn, and 2% rye.

• It does not have an age statement.

• Crafted at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, KY.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon vs Woodford Reserve Malt: Mash bill

This chart illustrates how the mash bills are comprised:

Whiskey	Malted Barley	Rye	Corn
Woodford Reserve Bourbon	10%	18%	72%
Woodford Reserve Malt	51%	2%	47%

Woodford Reserve Bourbon vs Woodford Reserve Malt: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Woodford Reserve Bourbon	$40
Woodford Reserve Malt	$40

Woodford Reserve Bourbon vs Woodford Reserve Malt: Which is better?

The good old Woodford Bourbon is better than Malt

• Woodford Reserve Bourbon is super reliable bourbon that ticks in all the right boxes making one of the best basic pours that you can buy today.

• Good body, sweet, nicely balanced, with the right level of oak and warmth striking a solid offering that drinks nicely either neat or rocks; somewhat weak to make flavorful cocktails.

• Malt is not bad, is just that I don’t find anything particularly interesting about. Is not something I would buy or reject if offered to me.

Learn more about this brand by reading my post Discover the Best Woodford Reserve where I rank every release.