Does a $25 cask strength bourbon compete with a $150 bottle? We lined up Benchmark Full Proof, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125, and Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Batch Proof 2024 to find out where the value really lives in barrel proof bourbon.

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection No. 21: Sweet Oak is one of the most talked-about allocated bourbon releases of 2025 — and for good reason. Finished in Chinkapin oak barrels, this 110.4-proof limited edition pushes Woodford far beyond its traditional flavor profile. In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B break down the barrel experiment, taste it live, debate the $180 price tag, and decide whether Sweet Oak is a bold success or an oak-heavy gamble.