Woodford Reserve Marks 30th Anniversary With Two Releases
Most Woodford Reserve bourbon is not made the way this new bottle is. The everyday expression blends spirit from the brand's copper pot stills with spirit from a column still at a separate Brown-Forman distillery. The new Distillery Series Triple Pot Still Bottled-in-Bond uses whiskey from the Woodford Reserve Distillery's three copper pot stills only. It is one of two distillery-exclusive releases marking the brand's 30th anniversary, from Brown-Forman. The other is a Personal Selection of Double Oaked Single Barrel Bourbon paired with a ceramic decanter.
Did You Know?
Woodford Reserve launched in October 1996, so the anniversary lands right on schedule.
The distillery draws more than 200,000 visitors a year, and Woodford Reserve is a founding member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Only 150 units of the decanter bundle exist, and the only place to buy one is the distillery gift shop.
The Release
The first bottle is Distillery Series Triple Pot Still Bottled-in-Bond, made solely from whiskey distilled in the distillery's three copper pot stills. A pot still is a traditional, batch-style still that tends to carry more flavor from the grain than a column still. Bottled-in-Bond is an American designation with strict rules. Typically that means one distillery, one distilling season, at least four years of aging and bottling at 100 proof. This one comes in at 50% ABV, which is exactly 100 proof. The sources do not give an age statement, mash bill or batch size.
It is a small 375ml bottle priced at US$64.99. According to the press release, the whiskey shows aromas of mulled apple, warm baking spices, toasted coconut and hazelnut. The palate brings cooked apple and pear, candied pecan and a lingering baking-spice finish. The brand says it showcases the traditional, robust flavor profile of the historic distillery site. It went on sale at the distillery gift shop in Versailles, Kentucky, on 7 October.
The second release is the Limited Edition Personal Selection. It contains Woodford's Double Oaked Single Barrel Bourbon, picked by master distiller Elizabeth McCall. Double Oaked means the bourbon gets a second spell in a freshly charred barrel. It comes with a ceramic decanter made by Louisville Stoneware, and only 150 units were made. It costs US$225 and goes on sale from 16 October, only at the distillery gift shop in Woodford County. Note that some outlets label this release "Louisville Stoneware Double Oaked Single Barrel," so you may see both names.
The Story of Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve is made at a distillery in Woodford County, Kentucky, near Versailles, and is owned by Brown-Forman. Distilling began on the site in 1812. The distillery was once known as Old Oscar Pepper and later as Labrot & Graham. The brand itself arrived in October 1996 and is notable among American whiskeys for being triple distilled in copper pot stills, instead of the more common column stills.
The standard bottle carries a batch and bottle number and is bottled at 45.2% ABV. It blends pot still spirit made on site with column still spirit from Brown-Forman's Shively, Kentucky distillery. Domestic sales passed one million cases in 2021. McCall calls it "now the top-selling super-premium American whiskey in the world." Last month the brand also showed an experimental bourbon aged in barrels made from staves that spent five to seven years exposed to the elements.
Why It Stands Out
Woodford's anniversary releases are tied to the place itself. Both are sold only at the gift shop, so the way to get them is to visit. A pot-still-only bottle also gives drinkers a rare look at one half of the Woodford Reserve blend. Ceramic decanters are showing up elsewhere in bourbon this year too, as Chicken Cock Whiskey has also released a rooster-themed one.
The Details
Style: Bourbon, Bottled-in-Bond (Distillery Series Triple Pot Still)
ABV/Proof: 50% ABV (100 proof)
Size: 375ml
Price (SRP): US$64.99 (Triple Pot Still); US$225 (Personal Selection with decanter)
Release Size: 150 units (Personal Selection with decanter)
Availability: Distillery gift shop only (Versailles, Kentucky for Triple Pot Still; Woodford County for Personal Selection)
Release Date: 7 October (Triple Pot Still); 16 October (Personal Selection)
Tonights Poison Take
The Triple Pot Still is the more interesting bottle for drinkers. It lets you taste what the pot stills bring on their own, and the price is gentle for a Bottled-in-Bond. The decanter set is more of a collector's piece, with only 150 made and a single place to buy it. If you plan a Kentucky trip this fall, the gift shop just became a stop worth making.
Bar Talk: Woodford Reserve's usual bourbon blends pot and column still whiskey, but this 30th anniversary bottle is pot still only.
Send this to the Kentucky road-trip planner who always leaves room in the suitcase.
Please enjoy responsibly.
Comments