Woodford Reserve’s Chocolate Whisper Redux Clocks In at 139.4 Proof — the Distillery’s Strongest Yet

By name alone, Woodford Reserve’s newest bourbon is enough to make dessert lovers take notice. The evocatively titled Chocolate Whisper Redux is a 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey big on cocoa and coffee flavors. 

For bourbon nerds, the new whiskey carries an even more interesting distinction. Bottled just a shade below 140 proof, the Distillery Series offering is the highest-ABV product in the brand’s history.

“I have had my eye on these barrels for a special release since I started in my role as a master taster back in 2015,” says Woodford Reserve master distiller Elizabeth McCall, speaking exclusively to Food & Wine.

The name “Chocolate Whisper” doesn’t come from any ingredients specific to this bourbon, but rather whiskey distilled right before it. A prior run of bourbon with chocolate malted rye left a subtle but pronounced impact on the whiskey that went through the stills immediately after — a true whisper of lingering chocolate flavor. “The whiskey distillate that went into these barrels had the chocolate influence from the production of chocolate malted rye bourbon we had produced prior to this bourbon run,” McCall said. “Therefore, we flagged these barrels in our system and watched them carefully over the years as they matured to see how the chocolate flavor developed.”

Chocolate Whisper Redux is the successor to the original Chocolate Malt Whisper, another Distillery Series release that debuted in 2021. At the time, the original Chocolate Malt Whisper was bottled at the Woodford-standard 90.4 proof. Four years later, whiskey from that same run of barrels — now a 12-year-old bourbon — was blended to create Chocolate Whisper Redux. 

At 69.7% ABV, Chocolate Malt Redux’s final proof is actually somewhat lower than the batch’s cask strength. McCall and her team felt 139.4 was optimal for the final sipping experience, with a noticeably different profile compared to the 2021 version. “It ‘s exciting to see how Chocolate Malt Whisper evolved since its initial release in 2021,” McCall said via a press statement. “A longer barrel age has enhanced its bold flavor notes while preserving the long finish.”

“The drinking experience is shifted by elevating the oak influence, demonstrating how a well-crafted barrel and age can make a high-proof whiskey sip as smooth as one of a much lower proof,” McCall tells Food & Wine. “The mouthfeel is also silky due to the higher proof.”

Woodford Reserve tasting notes emphasize heavy chocolate elements on the bourbon’s nose, along with toasted oak, clove, and nutmeg. According to the brand, chocolate pairs with dried cherry and cranberry on the palate, along with other tannic notes like dark roasted coffee and charred oak. Unsurprisingly for a 12-year-old bourbon, Woodford highlights a big hit of oak on the finish, along with candied pecan.

For McCall, the whiskey’s intensely woody characteristics balance well with residual sweetness — and perhaps even more than a whisper of chocolate. “I love the way the chocolate flavor lingers on my palate,” McCall says. “It reminds me of chocolate fudge frosting.”

Like most Woodford Reserve Distillery Series releases, Chocolate Whisper Redux is sold in 375-milliliter bottles and is available primarily at Woodford Reserve Distillery and woodfordreserve.com, as well as select Kentucky retailers. The suggested retail price is $100.