Woodford Reserve and Kentucky Bourbon Tradition
Woodford Reserve is produced at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, on a site where distilling dates back to 1812. Set in the heart of Kentucky’s thoroughbred country, the distillery is recognised as a National Historic Landmark and brings together traditional methods with a modern approach to bourbon production.
The signature Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon is known for its broad spectrum of fruit, spice, grain, wood and sweet aromatic characteristics. Rather than aiming for a narrowly defined flavour profile, Woodford Reserve places complexity and balance at the centre of its identity.
The Woodford Reserve Bourbon Style
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon is made from a mash bill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. The relatively high proportion of rye contributes spice and structure alongside the sweetness of corn and the nuttier character of malted barley.
The resulting bourbon is layered and rounded, with notes that can move through dried fruit, orange, cocoa, vanilla, caramel, toasted oak and baking spice. This balance of sweetness, spice and oak provides the foundation for many of the distillery’s other expressions.
Double Oaked and the Influence of the Barrel
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked takes the distillery’s mature bourbon and gives it additional maturation in a second, specially prepared barrel. This second barrel is deeply toasted and lightly charred, increasing the influence of oak and developing a richer, darker expression of the Woodford Reserve style.
The additional maturation brings greater concentration to flavours such as caramel, chocolate, honey, maple, vanilla, toasted nuts and dark fruit while retaining the structure of the original bourbon.
Double Oaked has become one of the defining expressions within the Woodford Reserve collection and offers a useful comparison with the brighter, more balanced profile of the signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
The Master’s Collection
The Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection explores the techniques, grains, maturation decisions and historical practices that have shaped American whiskey. Each limited release focuses on a particular aspect of production, allowing the distillery to examine how individual variables can change the finished whiskey.
Past releases have included Brandy Cask Finish, Cherry Wood Smoked Barley, Select American Oak, Very Fine Rare Bourbon, Five-Malt Stouted Mash and Historic Barrel Entry.
More recent expressions such as Sonoma Triple Finish and Madeira Cask Finish have explored additional cask influences. Sonoma Triple Finish brings together bourbon finished in Pinot Noir, brandy and former bourbon barrels that had subsequently held red wine, while Madeira Cask Finish uses Madeira-seasoned casks to introduce additional dried fruit, spice and nutty characteristics.
Woodford Reserve Rye and Baccarat Edition
The collection extends beyond bourbon with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, produced from a mash bill containing 53% rye. The higher rye content brings a more pronounced spicy and savoury character, with tobacco, pepper, fruit and sweet aromatics contributing to the finished whiskey.
At the other end of the range sits Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition. The bourbon is finished in selected XO Cognac barrels, bringing together American oak, French oak, fruit, spice and confectionary richness before being presented in a bespoke Baccarat crystal decanter.
The Kent Street Cellars range spans these core and limited expressions alongside gift packs, commemorative Kentucky Derby releases and large-format or special-edition bottles.
