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Woodford Reserve vs Rowan's Creek
Woodford Reserve and Rowan's Creek sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Woodford Reserve | Rowan's Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV) | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$35 – $42 ~$7 less | ~$40 – $50 |
- Rowan's Creek does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Woodford Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Woodford Reserve Rowan's Creek
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 6/4 oak: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Woodford Reserve 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/2 nuttiness: Woodford Reserve 3 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Woodford Reserve: The most widely poured premium bourbon in America, and a genuinely well-made one. Dried fruit and cocoa over a balanced 18% rye mash, finished smooth enough to please almost anyone.
- Rowan's Creek: A small-batch Willett bottling that tastes rye-forward and herbal. Honey and caramel sit under mint, hay and warm spice, with a peppermint lift on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Woodford Reserve if you want a polished, widely available crowd-pleaser that never puts a foot wrong at a slightly lower price point.
- Go with Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Woodford Reserve); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Rowan's Creek).