45.20%
Woodford Reserve® Very Fine Rare Bourbon
In the 1830’s our Woodford County distillery was the setting for a series of discoveries and innovative practices that would define the bourbon industry for generations to come. For this 2020 Master’s Collection release Master Distiller Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall have drawn upon the rich history of that time and their own careers for inspiration.
Local newspapers from the 19th century highlighted auctions of highly aged Bourbon barrel lots as being “Very Fine” and “Rare.” The very rare barrels of Woodford Reserve featured in this Master’s Collection date back to the first year Morris became our Master Distiller. He and McCall have held them back from inclusion in their standard batching process to inaugurate this new package.
“Due to the heat-cycled warehousing at Woodford Reserve our product yield is extremely low. This makes a longer aged product at Woodford Reserve an extremely difficult accomplishment and therefore something that is quite rare.“ – Elizabeth McCall
The result is the Fall 2020 Master’s Collection release named Very Fine Rare Bourbon, a rich and darkly robust expression of Woodford Reserve Bourbon.
TASTE NOTES
- Aroma : Layers of rich oak sweet aromatic notes, caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, vanilla merge into a cured tobacco character brightened with apple fruit.
- Taste : Very old oak notes sweetened with honey balanced by a touch of citrus and apple peel and a touch of clove spice.
- Finish : Long and dry clove spice
- Proof : 90.4
Woodford Reserve® Master Collection Cherry Wood Smoked Barley
The Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection has traditionally honored the pioneering and innovative production processes established at our Woodford County distillery in the 1830s by owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow. Today that pioneering spirit is embodied in the Woodford Reserve Distillery’s Master’s Collection series and it’s latest release – Cherry Wood Smoked Barley.
Mash Bill: 70% corn, 20% cherry smoked malt, 10% distiller's malt
Distiller’s Notes
The 2017 Master’s Collection Cherry Wood Smoked Barley is the first Kentucky bourbon to use malted barley that has been exposed to wood smoke during its kilning process. This imparted a rich smoked almond note to the mash that carried over in the distillation process. With 30% malt content the Cherry Wood Smoked Barley mash bill has a greater amount of malt than traditional bourbon. The result is a rich, full-bodied bourbon.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance : Rich amber
- Nose : A complex mingling of deep caramel, brown sugar and dark chocolate top a layer of cherry jam and nutty crumbles dusted with wood spice.
- Taste : Intense smoked almond and malt character sweetened with cherry pie filling and a touch of caramel.
- Finish : Long smoked almond notes fade into a rich cherry fruit jam.
Woodford Reserve® Master Collection Chocolate Malted Rye
The 2019 Master’s Collection Chocolate Malted Rye uses a malted rye as a dynamic flavour contributor. The rye malt was roasted to a level that its natural sugars caramelized into a dark chocolate note.
Composing 15% of the recipe, it makes this Kentucky Bourbon rich in mocha, dusty cocoa and assorted chocolate notes. Mash bill: 70% corn, 15% chocolate malted rye and 15% distiller’s malt
- Color : Medium caramel.
- Aroma : Soft mocha, delicate caramel and roasted nut notes mingle with hints of cedar, soft oak and a touch of fruit.
- Taste : Roasted rye grain, dry cocoa nibs and dark chocolate spice up a soft mocha character atop a layer of cherry fruit and toasted oak.
- Finish : Long and chocolatey.
Woodford Reserve® Master Collection Brandy Cask Finish
The Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Brandy Cask Finish is the latest and 11th release in the series. As the first whiskey to be finished in an American brandy cask, this new expression is yet another product of Woodford Reserve’s continued appreciation and commitment to innovation and craftsmanship.
Brandy, a spirit distilled from wine or fruit, is often aged in oak barrels. These may be used a number of times because Brandy does not have the new, charred barrel requirement that our Kentucky Bourbon does. Finishing fully matured Woodford Reserve in these barrels does not add any new flavours to the whiskey, but instead accentuates Woodford Reserve’s rich dried fruit and nut characteristics that come from our grain recipe and long fermentation process.
*New batch does not comes with box
Woodford Reserve® Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey showcases the five sources of flavor with an emphasis on the nuttiness of grain and toasted oak of the barrel delivering a more buttery expression than our bourbon. Using Malt grain allows the wood to play a big role in the flavor. Coming out of Prohibition the Federal Government approved four straight whiskey standards: Bourbon, Rye, Wheat, and Malt. These reflected the types of whiskies produced in the United States prior to Prohibition. While most people associate Malt Whiskey with Scotland, Kentucky has a history of Malt Whiskey production pre-Prohibition. Woodford Reserve Malt draws upon this pre-Prohibition heritage for inspiration.
- Colour : Warm Umber
- Nose : Soft nutty notes drizzled with light caramel and milk chocolate coat a light layer of tropical fruit character. Delicate hints of brown spice, mint, brown sugar and soft oak float beneath.
- Taste : Dark chocolate and caramel covered nuts are dried out with a sprinkle of cocoa and brown spice. Faint ripe tropical fruit brighten a trace of toasted coconut and oak.
- Finish : Nutty and subtly sweet chocolate malt notes linger on.
Woodford Reserve® Master Collection Select American Oak
The 2018 Master’s Collection Select American Oak Kentucky Bourbon has been matured in one specific terroir sourced oak - Ozark. This Ozark Oak was selected for its terroir’s fast-growing characteristics. Having barrels that share a common wood structure gives this special batching of Woodford Reserve a distinct nutty and sweet aromatic character that will remind you of warm baked goods.
Tasting Notes
- Color : Peruvian Brown
- Aroma : Crisp yeasty and bready notes mingle with soft oak, vanilla, milk chocolate and marzipan. Walnut, pecans and Fall leaves bring the oak tannins forward.
- Taste : Soft nutty character and a sip of sweet tea bring a deep hint of peach and cocoa powder to life.
- Finish : Long and warm with a hint of wood spice.
- Mash Bill : 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malt
- Proof : 90.4
Woodford Reserve® Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
The perfectly balanced taste of our Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is distilled, matured, and bottled in Kentucky and delivers bold and spicy character. Made with a lower amount of rye in the mash bill than most contemporary rye whiskies, Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey is representative to a more traditional Kentucky Rye. It’s bold character and emphasis on spice delivers a long and sweetly spiced finish.
Awards & Accolades
2020 - GOLD MEDAL at San Francisco World Spirits Competition
2018 - 1st Place at International Whisky Competition | EXCELLENT, HIGHLY RECOMMEND at Ultimate Spirits Challenge | Gold Medal at Class Bartender Awards
Cocktail Ideas - Rye Old Fashioned
- 2 oz Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
- 1/2 oz Ginger Honey Syrup
- 3 dashes Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters
Woodford Reserve Derby 147 2021 Edition
March 2, 2021 – Louisville, KY – Woodford Reserve®, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby®️, is honoring “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” with the release of its 2021 commemorative Derby bottle.
It features the artwork of Louisville resident Richard Sullivan, a former professional baseball player. Sullivan’s stunning watercolor is of thoroughbreds as they thunder down the stretch. It was designed as a complement to last year’s Derby bottle artwork, which Sullivan also created.
- Colour : Clean, brilliant honey amber.
- Nose : Heavy with rich dried fruit, hints of mint and oranges covered with a dusting of cocoa. Faint vanilla and tobacco spice.
- Palate: Rich, chewy, rounded and smooth, with complex citrus, cinnamon and cocoa. Toffee, caramel, chocolate and spice notes abound.
- Finish : Silky smooth, almost creamy at first with a long, warm satisfying tail.
Woodford Reserve® Baccarat
THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE BEST AMERICAN WHISKEY & FINEST FRENCH COGNAC
Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition is crafted by uniquely finishing the most complex and balanced Kentucky Bourbon in select XO Cognac barrels.
Sourced by our Master Distiller Chris Morris, each barrel has seen three seasons of cognac before being filled with Woodford Reserve.The result is the best of both spirits – a balance of crisp American and French oak notes, complex fruit character, subtle spiciness and a creamy confectionary finish.
- Process : Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in the finest XO Cognac barrels, bottled in handmade decanters from the artists at Baccarat – the only American whiskey currently available in the precious crystal.
- Proof : 90.4
- Color : Deep Brown
- Aroma : Rich toasted oak dusted with chocolate and cocoa notes, creamy vanilla bean, and hints of clove and cinnamon spice cover a deep layer of dried fruit and citrus peel.
- Taste : Elegant vanilla, dark chocolate, dried fruit and creamy caramel top layers of rich malt and oak.
- Finish : Velvety with a long delicately spiced caramel mocha note.