If you’re a bourbon fan, you’re likely familiar with the term “double oak,” as more and more brands have started to release expressions that are labeled as such. One of the first to do so was Woodford Reserve, which took the concept a step further by releasing its Double Double Oaked expression in 2015 as part of its limited-edition Distillery Series. A decade later, this fan favorite bourbon is finally available nationwide in full-size bottles, and we have the details.
The term “double oaked” generally refers to a bourbon that gets a secondary maturation in a batch of new oak barrels, either charred or toasted or some combination of the two. In the case of Double Double Oaked, the distillery’s Double Oaked bourbon, already given that type of cask finish, is put into another set of heavily toasted and lightly charred oak barrels for a full two years. Double Double Oaked was originally part of Woodford Reserve‘s Distillery Series, a collection of limited-edition whiskeys that comes out twice per year. One of the most recent releases was Toasted Bourbon, which can trace its lineage to Double Oaked—the brand said that this whiskey was created when a shipment of heavily toasted and lightly charred barrels, normally used for the secondary maturation of Double Oaked, was mistakenly filled with new make bourbon.
According to master distiller emeritus Chris Morris, Double Double Oaked came about when the team realized they had Double Oaked barrels that were older than the 12-month finishing period used for that release. “It’s not Double Oaked anymore, it’s out of spec,” he told a group of writers on a recent trip to the distillery. “It’s also fun to be able to hold onto something and see what happens,” added master distiller Elizabeth McCall. They’ve gone even longer than the two-year secondary maturation for Double Double Oaked, essentially what would be a Triple Double or Quadruple Double bourbon. But Morris said the wood just takes over after that long, and Double Double Oaked is really the peak of the flavor profile. Double Double Oaked is indeed very oak-forward, as you might imagine, but it goes way beyond that with big notes of butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon, spiced cider, and even Hubba Bubba bubblegum, if you’re old enough to remember that, with a finish full of cherry, orange creamsicle, toasted almond, and some menthol.
According to McCall, there could be some other Double Double Oaked expressions released in the future. There was a rye version of Double Double Oaked released a few years back as part of the Distillery Series, and she and Morris will likely revisit that. It’s possible that other styles could get that treatment as well, like the distillery’s wheat and malt whiskeys. “We want to have a nice progression of products coming out,” said Morris. “Especially if they’re gonna be permanent. We’re going to be very judicious about how we do things.”
Double Double Oaked clocks in at $200 per bottle, but it’s worth the price for longtime fans of Woodford Reserve and people who like some extra intensity to their bourbon. It’s available starting today at the distillery and can be purchased from the website for shipping to certain states. Check your local specialty retailer to see if they have a bottle, and you can find the rest of the Woodford lineup available at websites like ReserveBar now.
