Woodford Reserve Bottlings
Like many others, Woodford Reserve does not stick to a single bottling. Woodford's standard bottle design is beautifully simple and elegant with rounded shoulders on a lean bottle and an embossed LG under the neck, a tribute to its predecessor, Labrot & Graham. Once a year the whiskey is found in a collectible Derby bottle, commemorating the Kenutcky Derby with a new image commissioned from talented artists. These bottles are only fitting as Woodford Reserve is the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. And for those who want to see their own name on a bottle of whiskey, and if you can find VIP bottles, your dreams can come true. The VIP bottles are designed to have a custom label with your name printed affixed to them (either at the store or through mail from the company).
Master's Collection
Woodford Reserve's Master's Collection bottlings are the ones to look for. Each batch of these once-in-a-lifetime bourbons have a single, unique aspect and typically only produce 12,000 bottles, after that Chris Morris says, "They're gone." The Four Grain is the only bourbon in the world to be distilled only in copper pot stills, is made of a specially designed mixture of corn, wheat, rye and barley rye and fermented with a special yeast. This bourbon has won the title of "Whiskey of the Year." The most recent of the Master's Collection is Woodford Reserve's Sonoma-Cutrer (pronounced koo-TRAIR) Finish. This bottling sounds like the luxury bourbon sent from heaven as it is the only bourbon to be finished in California chardonnay barrels, which gives it a nice butterscotch and baked apple flavor.
Personal Selection
It seems that Woodford Reserve is all about the personal bourbon experience. For the ultimate bourbon lover or specialty commercial promotion the distillery offers the opportunity to choose your own batch of bourbon, straight from the barrels and bottled just for you. Imagine stepping into the whiskey warehouse, surrounded by barrels, taking in the intoxicating fumes and having 10 choice barrels in front of you, waiting for you to choose a batch just for you. Morris enjoys watching people take part in this fantasy and is there for guidance as the barrels are narrowed down until the batch matches the palate. The Personal Selection bourbon includes 180 one-liter bottles with a personalized label.
National Bourbon Heritage Month
Chris Morris considers the US Senate's approval of National Bourbon Heritage Month "an honor for the industry" and is obviously proud to be a part of it. The influence that bourbon whiskey has had on the social, industrial and economical growth of the country is well-founded with roots that go far back in the history books. Morris is quick to point out that the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 was the only time in American history in which an industry caused a nationwide riot. The famous Clark family of the late 1700's carried whiskey on their ventures: George Rogers Clark fueled his troops with whiskey and the Lewis and Clark expedition made a point of carrying a supply of whiskey with them. Obviously the marks are numerous and significant, point being that bourbon has made a mark, set a standard and been here since the beginning and it does not seem likely to be going anywhere but up from here.
The history has not always been rosy for the distillers though. The failed social experiment that is known simply as Prohibition put over 200 distilleries in the country out of business, not to mention the farmers, distributors and marketers that were devastated. The American liquor industry today may have had a completely different face had it not been for those 14 dry years. Very few distilleries made it through the time (there was at one time over 200 bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, most small, family operations) but Woodford Reserve's parent company, Brown-Forman, was one of them. The now liquor giant was granted one of the ten government licenses (only 6 were activated) to produce whiskey during Prohibition that would be used as medicine.
Bourbon has a long and storied past, the distillery that is now Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky has an equally interesting history and the newest bourbon produced there honors that history. The craft of distilling real Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey has found an appreciation from an increasing number of bourbon lovers, craftsman of other spirits and, finally, the United States Senate. It's a well deserved honor for Chris Morris and his colleagues in Kentucky.
Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey has won numerous distilled spirit awards, is available nationwide and retails for between $27 and $34 for a 750 ml bottle. Visit the Woodford Reserve Website.
