Woodford Reserve 5 Wood

Woodford Reserve 5 Wood is a 375ml expression of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished sequentially through four additional barrel types after its standard American oak maturation — Oloroso sherry, Amontillado sherry, ruby port, and tawny port — producing a multi-layered wine-cask-finished bourbon that is one of the most complex finishing programs Woodford has applied to the standard distillery character.

The five-wood concept takes Woodford's triple pot still Kentucky Straight Bourbon — the familiar 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley mash bill at 90.4 proof — and runs it through four successive wine barrel types, each contributing a different layer of flavor. Oloroso sherry adds dark fruit and dried nut richness. Amontillado sherry (a drier, more oxidative sherry style than Oloroso) contributes hazelnut, tobacco, and subtle saline notes. Ruby port brings berry fruit and fresh sweetness. Tawny port adds the nutty, oxidized dried fruit character of its extended barrel aging. The result is a bourbon where the successive wine influences stack on top of the pot still base rather than replacing it — the Woodford character remains the foundation, with the five wood layers adding progressive complexity.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Complex and layered — the standard Woodford caramel and vanilla base with the dried fruit, nut, and berry character of four wine barrel types contributing successively
• Palate: Multi-layered wine influence over the pot still Kentucky Straight Bourbon foundation — Oloroso richness, Amontillado nuttiness, and port berry sweetness in integrated complexity
• Finish: Long and warm with the five wood contributions persisting through a complex close

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Five-Cask Finished
• Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
• Maturation: American oak, then Oloroso sherry, Amontillado sherry, ruby port, and tawny port barrels
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Size: 375ml

Browse the full Woodford Reserve collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Oloroso and Amontillado sherry casks?

Oloroso is a full-bodied, dark sherry — aged entirely under oxidative conditions — producing rich dried fruit, walnut, and dark spice character in the cask. Amontillado starts as Fino (protected under flor yeast) and then continues under oxidative aging, producing a drier, more complex character — hazelnut, tobacco, and subtle saline notes that differ from Oloroso's richer profile. Using both in the 5 Wood program adds two distinct sherry contributions rather than one.