screw woodford.

Woodford Reserve was at one time one of my favorite bourbons. It is slightly sweet with a hint of honey and vanilla with a smooth finish. Although Woodford reserve costs much more than my usual Jim Beam I would still spring for a bottle from time to time, that is until I learned that Woodford Reserve is essentially re-bottled Old Forester Bourbon. Thats right, anytime you buy Woodford you are essentially paying for the pretty bottle and brand.
I had heard the rumors before that Woodford Reserve is really Old Forrester in disguise but never gave it much thought -- atleast until a buddy insisted I have a side by side comparison of the two. I belive that I have a pretty keen palatte for KY bourbon and I was shocked to learn that they tasted the same. I wasn't necessarily convinced that they were the same bourbon but the fact that Old Forrester was $20 cheaper was enough to make me a fan. A few months later my curisoty finally took me to the Woodford Reserve Distillry where I finally got a satisfactory answer. When I asked our tour guide if it's true that Woodford is really rebottled old forrester she calmly pulled me aside and explained that its true that they use Old Forrester but they "blend" it from their own recipe. She then smirked and said to me, "you're right, it is a 97% blend. I love it!