Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey the flagship expression from one of America’s most storied distilleries, triple-distilled in copper pot stills on the site of a National Historic Landmark in Versailles, Kentucky, and built around more than 200 detectable flavor notes that span grain, wood, sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit.

The Woodford Reserve Distillery occupies land where bourbon has been made since 1812, making it one of the oldest distillery sites in the United States. The production process is unusually labor-intensive for a bourbon at this scale: fermentation in cypress wood fermenters runs for six days longer than the industry standard and distillation occurs in copper pot stills rather than the column stills used at most Kentucky distilleries. The resulting pot still distillate is blended with column still whiskey from the Brown-Forman Distillery in Louisville before aging in heat-cycled stone warehouses, where the controlled temperature environment produces consistent maturation across the barrel inventory.

The 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley mash bill and the pot still distillation give Woodford Reserve a rounder, more fruit-forward character than most high-rye bourbons at comparable proof distinctive in the category and a natural foundation for cocktails and neat sipping alike.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rich dried fruit, hints of mint and orange covered with a dusting of cocoa; faint vanilla and tobacco spice; caramel and honey with light oak and gentle baking chocolate
• Palate: Rich, chewy, and rounded complex citrus, cinnamon, cocoa, toffee, caramel, and warming spice; the rye mash bill comes through on the palate more prominently than the nose suggests
• Finish: Silky smooth with a long, warm, satisfying tail; gentle rye spice and dry oak lead to a clean, lingering close

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky (est. 1812 site)
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
• Distillation: Copper pot stills + column still blend
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How is Woodford Reserve different from other Kentucky bourbons? Triple distillation in copper pot stills, a six-day fermentation in cypress wood fermenters, and aging in stone warehouses combine to produce a rounder, more fruit-forward profile than most column-still Kentucky bourbons. The pot still distillate is then blended with column still whiskey before bottling.
• What makes Woodford Reserve the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby? Woodford Reserve has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby since 1999 a natural fit given both the brand and the race are rooted in Kentucky heritage. The Mint Julep served at Churchill Downs uses a related Brown-Forman expression, but Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the event.
• Is Woodford Reserve good for cocktails? Yes the rounded, fruit-forward profile holds up well in Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, and is particularly well suited to the Mint Julep. The 90.4 proof also provides enough presence without overpowering more delicate cocktail builds.

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