There’s nothing reserved about this classic bourbon.
Woodford Reserve has long been one of the top selling bourbons in the world and, next to giants like Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam White, one of the most recognizable. In fact, that recognition landed Woodford as the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, along with its own cocktail named, “The Woodford Spire.” Yet prior to 1996, Woodford Reserve was barely known to the bourbon community.
The site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery has been a distillery since 1780, when it was called the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery. Run by Elijah Pepper of the legendary Pepper Distillery (which has recently been revived), the distillery was run by the Peppers until 1878 when it was sold to Leopold Labrot and James Graham. By 1941, the renamed Labrot and Graham Distillery was sold once more and was passed around until production ultimately ceased in 1973. It took twenty long years until the site was purchased by none other than Brown-Forman. This spirits conglomerate is responsible for several popular brands like Jack Daniel’s, Old Forester, Slane Irish Whiskey, and Coopers’ Craft. With the support (and let’s be honest – funds) of a major company, the Woodford Reserve brand was launched in 1996.
For a while, the Woodford brand was carried exclusively by the original Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select. However, these days the line-up includes the famous Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, a rye whiskey, malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, and a few other high end collections. But it’s hard to forget where the old empire started – Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select.
A Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select has a mash bill of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. The nose of this bourbon is sweet and subtle with vanilla and orange citrus notes. The taste is sweet, even for a bourbon, with stronger vanilla, honey, and citrus that are tampered down by a light oak. The finish features some of the rye with pops of pepper and dried tobacco, which serve well to round out the sweetness. With an approachable proof of 90.4 and an overall sweet flavor, Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select is an easy pour to have.
We love this bourbon for neat pours and especially recommend it to bourbon newcomers or anyone trying to venture into drinking bourbon neat. Although this price has slightly increased in the last few years, it’s remained as a middle-priced bourbon that’s also reliably easy to find. It’s not hard to understand how Woodford Reserve became one of the most loved bourbons around.
STATS: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
- Price for us: $39 for 750 mL
- Proof: 90.4
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, owned by Brown-Forman
- Recommendation: Neat
