Sip It or Skip It: Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 2023

[@TheHeadman]

Just picked it up at total wine in the Tampa area for $135. I’ll be cracking it this coming weekend 👍 Thanks for the video

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I just did a blind tasting of all the Woodford Reserve last Friday. It did not fair so well. I liked it better the first time I tried it. Keep in mind it could have the day, but it hit my palate wrong during the blind. Check back in and let me know what you think of it.

[@vikes7384]

In answer to your question, I find that most of the things I really like and purchase seem to hang around the $50 - $80 range. May max is about $150 though it will rarely happen. it would have to be something that I’ve really wanted for a long time. Woodford would not be one of them.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I'm right there with you. I just did my First Friday Flight Fight with 5 Woodford Reserve offerings. It's coming out September 1st. Let's just say Batch 124.7 did not fare so well. Definitely not with it.

[@markpanter3109]

Great review, thanks. Most of my collection is in the $50 - $100 range. Plenty of great tasting (to my palate) bottles to pick from in that range. Max I pay is $150, but it would need to be something special.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Thanks for sharing! I think a lot of people are in that range so far.

[@graveshotx]

Great review! I picked this up last week for 160 also and that price really had me second guessing. Luckily I have a local whiskey group that would be more than happy to split that bottle cost. As for whiskey prices, I'm usually in the 70 to 90 range as I don't drink alot, so what I do drink I like to have a lot of flavor. That also happens to be the range good store picks have landed. Plus a lot of craft whiskey sits in that range. As for maximum, 300 is the point of no return. On top of that, anything 200-300 I have to try at a bar before I buy, except for Old Carter, but those are rare enough at that price that I don't worry. I'm lucky that anything allocated I can easily bottle split with my local group.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I like your perks of the whiskey group splitting the cost of a bottle. I made an effort this year to pick up store picks and so far I have not been disappointed. My best store pick this year has been the Fiddler Georgia Heartwood Singe Barrel. Thanks for sharing your price ranges. I appreciate it. Cheers!

[@graveshotx]

@@whiskeyisajourney Fiddler still hasn't made its way to Maryland as far as I can tell. Will have to look out for it on my travels.

[@arthurjenkins3668]

The most I paid was $150, but found out a lot from $50-$100 is just as good for my palate. Thanks for the review

[@whiskeyisajourney]

There is a lot of good bottles out there under $100. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

[@titus450]

What is that APP you used to randomly pick?

[@whiskeyisajourney]

It's called Spin The Wheel Random Picker.

[@serverous85]

Most i ever spent on a bottle was 800 on hibiki 21 my price range for optimal whiskey is usually 60-150. That batch proof is one of my favorites its so good.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I am living around that 60-150 mark these days. Cheers!

[@grantmordecai331]

My limit on anything other that BTAC is ~$200. I try to stay under $100 for the most part but there are things like Four Gate that I'll splurge for.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Thanks for sharing. I recently picked up 2 bottles of Four Gate. Good suff.

[@umami0247]

My price cap is 150. Only paid that once and it was for a Macallan 15 still haven't opened it yet. Looking at getting a calumet 15-16 here in my area they run 135 so I'm okay with that for what you get. I can drink Woodford daily I'm a huge fan but the cost on this doesn't justify buying it. Nice review keep doing what you do. Enjoy!!

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Thanks. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Cheers.

[@kevinnordby4808]

Great review as always Peter! As for price ceiling…..I’ve been looking at the Old Pulteney 15 which is about $140 after tax in my market which feels like too much to spend on a bottle I may, or may not like that much…..however I did just take a risk on the Bladnoch Vinaya at about $84 and didn’t feel bad about that (it’s a nice light summer sipper by the way). I’d say I try to keep it under $120 unless it’s something I really know I like.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I feel like I can spend $80 on a bottle and not blink an eye. Over $100 I start to blink. At $150 or more I close my eyes and pray it does not suck. I feel like I'm in a tough spot having a KZbin channel and when I see a label releasing a bottle that is coveted and at a higher price I feel justified or obligated to get it because of the channel. Every month I struggle with this. In the past 3 or 4 months I have seriously cut back on buying bottles. Cheers!

[@kevinnordby4808]

@@whiskeyisajourney you are doing the work and taking the risks for the rest of us and I, for one, really appreciate it.

[@nickp5511]

Nice review! I’m about 11 months into my journey! I like $40.00-$120.00 as always depends on the bottle. Most I’ve spent on a bottle so far is $228.00 My most expensive bottle Redbreast 21 was a gift from my son!

[@whiskeyisajourney]

That's a very nice gift! You must be a fantastic father 😜 enjoy the journey. Cheers!

[@durzagon88]

Honestly 150 is my cap. Paid 150 for a Stagg 23B as I couldnt find one under 250 and said why not. Liked it so much I went back and got the other one. I really prefer 60 to 80 for higher proof aingle barrel store picks those are so good and have the best value.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I picked up a Trevor's Liquor store pick of a Russell's Reserve single barrel private barrel selection 10 year from Camp Nelson E. It's one of the best bourbons I've tasted from them. I need to find a way to work it into the channel this year. Cheers!

[@davevogelsang6791]

Nice review Peter. I picked up a bottle a few weeks ago for $159.99 and thoroughly enjoy it. Glad I got it, but would not get another. 🥃

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I'm right there with you. I'm happy I got one, but wont get another one.

[@pillcozby431]

My price point has gone from saying 100 bucks is way too much to saying 300 for that bottle is reasonable. Lmao. The more you get into whiskey the more tolerable you become on price. But only for bottles I've done extensive research on. Can I suggest you start doing some independent bottlings. Especially the Gordon McPhail bottles. Love those. Great video as always my friend. Cheers.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

You are spot on with the price point tolerance. Good suggestion on the independent bottlings. I need to look into getting some. I think I only have 2 independent bottlings in my collection right now.

[@dbroadus1]

Spot on review. I was able to score this for MSRP($130) here in Louisville, KY. Slight buyers remorse as I’ve had better pours and a better price point. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice pour that gives off heavy “Double Oaked” vibes with a few drops of water. My gripe with this is that I don’t think it’s a good value at north of $100. If you can, try it if available at a tasting bar and decide if this will be a good value to you. Cheers!

[@whiskeyisajourney]

There is a restaurant in my area Bourbon and Bones that has an overwhelming list of bourbons on the menu. I have not been there yet, but will be going very soon. Looking forward to tasting things I don't have and hopefully it will help me make purchases in the future.

[@CGsYTChannel]

the most I've ever paid for a single bottle was $1100.. Just this week I bought a Hardin's Creek, Knob Creek 18yr, and Russell's 13.. all were over $150 each.. I really enjoy the Woodford Reserve special releases.. but I agree that WR DO SPs are such a great value, one of my favorite pours

[@whiskeyisajourney]

So tell me...did the $1100 bottle live up to the price/expectations? Or does it remain unopened?

[@CGsYTChannel]

@@whiskeyisajourney it was a Pappy 15yr. I won a bottle previously for $20, so I knew I loved it already. I have about 3ish pours left in that bottle before I open up this new one. I know the 1100 is a ridiculously over MSRP but I kind of look at it like I got two for that price (which is still expensive). However, it's a bottle I have shared with a lot of my friends, and just the ability to do that is priceless to me.

[@nick_pappagiorgio]

This was $108 at Costco today. I tend to buy most whiskies at Costco that only have 5 bottles on the shelf and say "limit 1 per member."

[@whiskeyisajourney]

$108 is great for this bottle.

[@lesliepless2939]

For whiskey, my ceiling hovers at $100 per 750mL bottle for a 10+ age statement. Normal range for the same liquor quantity is $40-70 for a 4+ age statement. I do not buy from a secondary market, and rarely an allocated item. Life is short. Income is precious. Good thing there is a diversity of excellent alcoholic beverages in the world to keep my taste buds dancing.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Well said and 100% stay away from secondary. Cheers!

[@bb4726-h5e]

The most I’ve ever paid for a bottle is about $150, and that was an exception. I honestly can’t imagine that ANY 750ml of liquid would be worth much more than that. For about $100 bucks or less, in my area, you get Springbank 10, Gold Spot, Aberlour A’bunadh, GS Victoriana, Kilkerran sherry cask, Tamdhu batch strength, and more. Does it really get that much better:)?

[@whiskeyisajourney]

The further I get along in my journey the more I understand the phrase diminishing return.

[@jkhristov]

I'll pretty much will buy a bottle up to about $80 bucks without tasting it, just going off other people/youtube recommendation, but if I pay more than that I will want to have at least tried it before I commit to a full bottle. And, I'll pay up to about $150 for a bottle, anything more than that and I've only regretted it. Seems to me the more I pay, the more I expect but I usually don't find anything that meets my expectations above $150.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I am right around that same price range. I also feel like the more a bottle costs the better it should be and my expectations go way up as the price goes up. More often then not I am let down, but not disappointed because they are still good.

[@uwrossl]

Picked it up at Costco for $108 yesterday. Fanstastic bottle IMO. Probably wouldn't feel as good about it at $165.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

$108 is great! If I got it for that it would be wonderful.

[@uwrossl]

Local whiskey club alerted people it was at Costco. I've heard of Costco getting good bottles randomly but this is the first time I've witnessed it!@@whiskeyisajourney

[@Joe-ub5rs]

Thanks for this review, I had the chance to try this recently. It's really good but at $160.00 it's not good enough. I appreciate the confirmation. - Great review, appreciate the incite as always.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

You're welcome. This was a high price tag and I think I reached my limit on this one. I have been going out at least 3 times a week over the past year looking to add whisk(e)y to my collection for the channel and I've seen prices of bottles go up $5.00 overnight. It's time to pull back on buying bottles over $80.

[@Joe-ub5rs]

I had to come back and watch this again, I can pick up a bottle in a couple of weeks for $150 but I am going to stick to what I know and say no, Thanks again!

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Happy to help. It is good, but way too much money.

[@christinecamley]

Delicious but pricey!

[@paul_romero_]

A very, very safe, similar and MUCH cheaper experience is Wild Turkey Rare Breed. I loved this bottle but I also love Rare Breed and I think that I'd have a hard time distinguishing between the two, if I ever did a blind side-by-side tasting.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

WTRB can hold its own against many bottles. It's fantastic. I agree with you.

[@BrianVaughn]

So anything over $100 for me is a hard sell. I have only topped that price point a couple of times but those were excellent bottles. I think my prefered price range would be around $50 but have several bottles in that $70-$80 range. I think crossing $100 has to be for something rare and exceptional. There are just too many good pours out there under $50.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Thanks for sharing Brian. I agree with you. Give it another few months and I'll agree even more when I see prices go up again. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@robertjennings9105]

I have to start writing what I paid for things on the bottle. Ideal price $50 to $100. Definitely have spent more than triple that at times depending on how much I want something. Have this bottle, want to say I paid about the same price. My absolute ceiling I haven’t hit yet, probably around 500.00 depending on funds. Would have to be a unicorn for sure.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

$500.00 is my most expensive bottle in my collection and I don't like it at all. Redbreast 27. Never say never, but I highly doubt if I will ever pay that much for another bottle again. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

[@robertjennings9105]

@@whiskeyisajourney yeah, it’s hard to imagine but I can’t take it off the table. I definitely have that concern that you mention, it’s not what you expected. . It would have to be mind blowing and if not… 😱

[@Abby_Normal_1969]

Interesting questions. My ideal price point is $60-$70 for bourbons and ryes, $85 for malts. My limit for bourbons is $100. I find there is a decreasing marginal return after $70. A $30 bourbon is often twice as good as a $15 bottle. A $70 dollar bottle is often twice as good as a $30 bottle. Is a $150 bottle twice as good as a $70 bottle? Almost never. Is it incrementally better? Perhaps, but I find no value in that minimal increase. And there are some stellar whiskeys in that moderate $70 price point.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Great explanation. Thanks for sharing. I think we have the same thought process here, but my limit is slightly higher. Cheers!

[@austinpeterjohn569]

The most I've paid was $150 for Blood Oath Pact 9, which I was fairly disappointed with. It's a $90-100 bourbon in my opinion. I usually aim for $40-60 when I'm shopping.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I had the opportunity to buy the Pact 9, but skipped buying it based off of the experience I had with the Pact 8. I understand that each batch is different, but I did not want to risk it for that amount of money.

[@duffyaltermatt4811]

The most I’ve ever paid was for a George t Stagg bottle $399. Here in MN we never see this high end whiskey so we have to pay up

[@whiskeyisajourney]

It's tough when you finally see a bottle that you don't normally see and it's expensive. Do you pass or buy? This happened to me with Stagg Jr. I bit the bullet and bought it. I'm happy I did, but don't think I'd do it again for that bottle.

[@curtboxley7678]

$148.00 at my local Costo. SRP is $130.00. So...thinking about picking a bottle up.....

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Tough call, but if you've never had one before then it might be worth it.

[@grndhog66]

Picked up a bottle of this one last week, paid $121.50.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I like that price much better! Good pickup.

[@Setking23]

What part of the country ??

[@Big-ly6eh]

I’m a younger man so I try to stay under 100 I’m usually spending somewhere between 30-60 bucks on average

[@whiskeyisajourney]

That's a great price range to be in. There are a lot of good bottles to be had. Cheers!

[@johnk7093]

My price is up to 80… no questions asked…. The most I have paid for a bottle, 150. Had to ponder it… the wife on the other hand, she will spend 170 and put it in the cart. Her max at this point was 325. But was a special bottle….. and she doesn’t even drink whiskey.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

That sounds like an opportunity. Sneak a bottle into her cart! 🤣

[@johnk7093]

@@whiskeyisajourney she shops with out me… just shows up… here ya go!!

[@N.M.T.K]

I am willing to spend $100 tax If it is a favorite and if I know it hard to find. If I can get something worth the $56 to $60 that I know is great but not hype but knowing it's High proof with Great Tasting notes.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Thanks for sharing. A lot of people are in that same price range. Cheers!

[@peterpete5848]

A price is an interesting point of discussion. All good things are costly. Quality is costly. But where is a line between price of a quality product and greed? I think this line is very subjective. I, for example, won't pay $1100 for a bottle (not a criticism, just my opinion), not because i can't afford(I can), but because i think its a greed. At the same time, if there is rare bottle, I might think about it. The most I've paid is 350 GBP for Chieftain's Cigar Malt.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

The one question that I keep asking myself is...when are prices going to stop going up? My answer is no time soon. I have seen the price of a bottle go up $5 overnight. That's unfortunate. Yellow Spot was $90 when I bought my first bottle 1 1/2 years ago. It's now $135.00. Do I stick to a price range or do I need to adjust my range based on price increases. That's what I'm struggling with right running this channel.

[@peterpete5848]

@whiskeyisajourney I bought Yellow Spot for $90 as well. Now it's $120 in my market. I like Yellow Spot, though $90 was a bit high. I won't buy another bottle for above $90. On the bright side, the bottle that I have will last for at least a year, after that....Green Spot is good too.

[@0529mpb]

Ceiling is $150. The Woodford Batch Proof is a decent $100 bottle. No way I'm paying $165.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I'm right there with you on the bottle being decent for 100. Cheers.

[@maxhunter7847]

I decided years ago that I wouldn't spend more than $100 for any bottle, that is my self imposed cut off.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I think that is a good limit to be at. There are a lot of good bottles at or under $100. Thanks for sharing.

[@baconator1550]

My max is $150/bottle…. And I do it too much

[@baconator1550]

And yes… I have the WR124.7

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Too funny! 🤣🤣🤣

[@sheliaallen2061]

I paid 133$ in Kentucky get every one

[@whiskeyisajourney]

This was good, but I think I will wait for this bottle be empty before I get another. Cheers!

[@tomchipego]

I have paid 140.00 for Bardstown's discovery series, not going higher than that. That being said, there is no way I'm paying for this without an age statement , no way. Also, why would you pay that much when you can get Elijah Craig barrel proof for half that and even cheaper Old Forester 1920??!!! I saw this in a couple of store, its a hard pass

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Elijah Craig, Old Forester 1920 and I'd even throw in a Knob Creek 9 Single Barrel and the Knob Creek 12. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

[@geno816]

My cutoff is 650$ msrp. Anything over that.. im Declining.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Did you mean $650 or did you accidentally at zero?

[@geno816]

@whiskeyisajourney I meant 650. I buy boss hog every year (I have the entire collection). That's my highest spend on a bottle. I get 1 to drink, 1 to store.

[@mhdkam2288]

A 100$ for an amazing bottle...

[@whiskeyisajourney]

It's a good one, but just like the ECBP"s I can't keep up with the releases. I need to wait until I am finished with my current bottles before I get another one. cheers!

[@dbealby]

Unlimited buget for retail bourbons. As long as it worth it. This aint worth it.

[@whiskeyisajourney]

Sounds good. I would love to be in that category. Cheers!

[@dane5896]

I won't buy a 700ml. 🐂💩

[@whiskeyisajourney]

If I remember correctly I thought I heard that the 700ml bottle is going to be an acceptable bottling size going forward in the US. It will be interesting to see who does and does not bottle at 700 ml going forward.

[@thewhiskeycloset]

If I'm paying around $50 I'm feeling like I'm getting good value. Up to $100, I'm still in it for the experience and I won't be too upset if I don't love it. Over that, I need to be really excited about it. But, like you, I have a KZbin bourbon channel , so the calculus definitely varies from that in practice sometimes lol 😁😄😆 Good to know this is a skip for you. This is on my wishlist because I really like Woodford stuff, even though I agree with you it's likely not really worth the 💰

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I just did my First Friday Flight Fight for September and lets just say this one did not fair so well in the blind.

[@billcaffrey2672]

Not only is this overpriced but the bottle has been Down Sized to 700ml. I think they feel like most consumers won’t notice. Similar to the shrinking sizes in the grocery store (Cereal, ice cream pints that are no longer pints). Hard pass!

[@whiskeyisajourney]

I agree. The price of this bottle is too high.