{"product_id":"woodford-reserve-2021-chocolate-malt-whisper-90-4-proof-375ml","title":"Woodford Reserve 2021 Chocolate Malt Whisper 90.4 Proof 375ml","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWoodford Reserve Chocolate Malt Whisper 2021 — the original Distillery Series chapter of the Chocolate Whisper lineage: an 8-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 90.4 proof carrying an unexpected chocolate character born from a 2019 distillation accident that Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall discovered in sensory evaluation and chose to bottle rather than discard.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2019, Woodford Reserve completed the distillation of its Masters Collection Chocolate Malted Rye — a bourbon where roughly 15% of the grain bill was chocolate-malted rye, the barley kilned to near-roasting to produce concentrated cocoa flavors. After that run finished, the receiving tanks of the copper pot stills weren't fully drained before the next standard bourbon distillate was collected. A small amount of the chocolate malted rye distillate mingled into the incoming standard bourbon run — an amount the distillery considered insignificant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt wasn't until those barrels were evaluated in sensory that the whisper was discovered: a faint but unmistakable chocolate character threading through an otherwise standard bourbon profile. Woodford chose to set those barrels aside and bottle the result as a distinct Distillery Series expression. The 2021 Chocolate Malt Whisper — at 8 years, bottled at the standard 90.4 proof — is the first chapter. The 2025 Chocolate Whisper Redux, aged four more years to 12 years and carrying the same barrels' natural proof of 139.4, is the second.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eNose:\u003c\/strong\u003e Subtle chocolate character woven through the standard Woodford profile of caramel, vanilla, and dried fruit — the chocolate presence is the whisper the name promises, present but not overwhelming\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Classic Woodford bourbon character — caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and dried fruit — with a distinctive cocoa and chocolate malt note that threads through mid-palate, softer and more integrated than the 2025 Redux's concentrated intensity\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e Warm and medium-length with caramel, chocolate, and gentle oak tapering into a clean close\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistillery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Distillery Series\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8 Years (2019 distillation, 2021 release)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistillation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Triple copper pot stills\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eABV:\u003c\/strong\u003e 45.2% (90.4 Proof)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 375ml\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse the full \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/woodencork.com\/collections\/woodford-reserve\"\u003eWoodford Reserve collection at Wooden Cork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the Chocolate Malt Whisper?\u003c\/strong\u003e The result of a 2019 production accident: residual chocolate malted rye distillate mingled with a subsequent standard bourbon run after the Masters Collection Chocolate Malted Rye distillation. The faint chocolate character discovered in sensory evaluation led Woodford to set those barrels aside and release them as a distinct expression rather than blending them away.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHow does this compare to the 2025 Chocolate Whisper Redux?\u003c\/strong\u003e The 2021 Whisper is the original chapter — 8 years old, 90.4 proof, the chocolate character subtle and integrated. The 2025 Redux is the same barrels four years later, now 12 years old and 139.4 proof, with the chocolate and coffee notes dramatically more concentrated and intense.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIs this still available?\u003c\/strong\u003e Very limited quantities remain from the 2021 release. This bottle is primarily of interest to collectors who want the complete Chocolate Whisper lineage alongside the 2025 Redux.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Chocolate Malt Whisper?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The result of a 2019 production accident: residual chocolate malted rye distillate mingled with a subsequent standard bourbon run. The faint chocolate character discovered in sensory evaluation led Woodford to set those barrels aside and release them as a distinct expression.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How does this compare to the 2025 Chocolate Whisper Redux?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The 2021 Whisper is the original chapter — 8 years old, 90.4 proof, with subtle integrated chocolate character. The 2025 Redux is the same barrels four years later at 12 years old and 139.4 proof, with the chocolate and coffee notes dramatically more concentrated.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is the 2021 Whisper significant?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It is the first chapter of the Chocolate Whisper lineage — the original bottling of the accident run that eventually became the 2025 Redux. Collectors who want the complete lineage need this bottle alongside the 2025 release.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Woodford Reserve","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42900757676103,"sku":"Scott","price":399.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/0640\/2375\/files\/ld9OVJxQ-696x696-1_grande_25fbdeb0-d344-45d4-85c9-2ed704288e97.jpg?v=1782400932","url":"https:\/\/bourbonnest.com\/products\/woodford-reserve-2021-chocolate-malt-whisper-90-4-proof-375ml","provider":"Bourbon Nest","version":"1.0","type":"link"}