WoodfordReserve

Woodford Reserve Ltd. Edition Seasoned Oak Finish

Filed under: Spirits

Woodford Reserve has announced the latest limited edition release of its acclaimed Master's Collection bourbons. Called Seasoned Oak Finish, it is finish-aged in unique barrels crafted with wood that has been seasoned longer than any previously used in the industry, producing an extremely robust spirit.

The staves for most bourbon barrels are seasoned for three to five months; however, Seasoned Oak Finish combines fully-matured Woodford Reserve with barrels crafted from wood that has been exposed to the outdoors for three to five years, making for a much richer and more complex flavor profile.

"Of all the distillers in our industry, we are the only bourbon company that crafts its own barrels, giving us unique knowledge and control of the process," said Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. "As the rough oak staves are exposed to seasonal weather changes and subsequently dried, this natural cycle develops a new range of flavors in the wood."

Seasoned Oak Finish is the fourth in the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection series following the Four Grain, Sonoma-Cutrer Finish and Sweet Mash bottlings. Released periodically at the master distiller's discretion, the Master's Collection whiskeys are are bottled only once in a proprietary package inspired by the copper pot stills of the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky.

Tags: bourbon, distillery, Kentucky, whiskey, Woodford Reserve, WoodfordReserve

Woodford to Serve Up $1,000 Mint Juleps on Derby Day

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity, Sports

The other day we told you about Woodford Reserve's limited edition bottle for the Kentucky Derby. Now Woodford, the official bourbon of the famed race, which takes place on May 2, is offering the world's most exclusive mint julep for $1,000. It's made with sugar cane cut and crushed by hand from Sainte Marie in the Reunion Island of France; Turkish mint grown near the Euphrates River; ice made of water from an aquifer in the wilderness of Central Norway; and a small batch of the Master Distiller's personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon. Of course for $1,000 you get to the keep the cup. Made of sterling silver plated in 24-karat gold, it's adorned with jockey silks representing the Woodford Reserve Stables. The cups are made by New England Sterling, the official trophy maker of the Kentucky Derby.

Each comes with a sterling silver straw and an oak box crafted from the same wood as Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels, lined in black satin. There are 96 of the cups available for purchase from April 13 - 29 via their website; you have to pick them up (along with the julep) in person at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. Additionally, there are three extra-special Legends Cups which also feature three diamonds – one for each leg of the Triple Crown – and each one is in honor of a different living Triple Crown-winning jockey. You can bid on your favorite jockey from those offered in the Legends Cups, and the cup has his signature engraved on it. Bidding for the Legends Cups starts at $1,000. Proceeds from the cups will benefit The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The Robby Albarado Foundation.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: bourbon, cocktails, diamonds, gold, horseracing, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, mint julep, MintJulep, Triple Crown, TripleCrown, Woodford Reserve, WoodfordReserve

Woodford Reserve Ltd. Ed. 2009 Kentucky Derby Bottle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Art, Sports

Woodford Reserve, the "Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby", crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky in the heart of thoroughbred country, has released its limited edition 2009 Kentucky Derby liter-sized bottle (right) featuring artwork by retired jockey Tom Chapman.

Chapman's eye-catching image captures the excitement and intensity of the Kentucky Derby as two jockeys in brightly-colored silks concentrate on the race with the historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs in the background. The artist's signature adorns the neck band of the bottle, and an attached tag bears information about the artist and product.

Woodford Reserve, an award-winning small-batch bourbon, has served as the Derby's official bourbon for the past 11 years. It also sponsors a Grade I race, the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, which is run on Derby Day, May 2, 2009, and has become one of thoroughbred racing's premier events.

"Much as we try, it's impossible to express in words the intensity of racing from a jockey's perspective," Chapman says. "My goal is to capture it with a paint brush and canvas, often using unique angles and vibrant colors to set the tone. But no painting can truly capture the vibrancy and intensity of the Kentucky Derby."

Tags: bourbon, equestrian, horseracing, horses, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, Tom Chapman, TomChapman, Woodford Reserve, WoodfordReserve

Woodford Reserve 1838 Sweet Mash

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Louisville, Kentucky's Woodford Reserve has struck off in a new, and yet old direction with the third whiskey in their Master's Collection series. The 1838 Sweet Mash revives a historic technique using fresh grains yeast and water, the sweet mash, instead of a sour mash process in which ingredients from a prior distillation are introduced into a new mash mixture. The sweet mash is fermented for several days and then distilled resulting in a higher pH level and a milder, and as the name might reveal, sweeter flavor with notes of fruit and maple syrup. The 1838 Sweet Mash is believed to be the first sweet mash bourbon to be made since Prohibition. It will be sold in 25 U.S. markets and in Canada and each bottle is numbered (1.045 cases available). It sells for $90 a bottle.

[via Kentucky.com]

Source

Tags: bourbon, sweet mash, SweetMash, woodford reserve, WoodfordReserve

Woodford Reserve's Big Brown Triple Crown Tribute

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Sports

In celebration of Big Brown's seemingly inevitable Triple Crown victory at tomorrow's Belmont Stakes, our favorite small batch bourbon Woodford Reserve has created a special cocktail. The "Big Brown Triple Crown" recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 ounces Woodford Reserve
3 ounces Sweet and Sour Mix
3 dashes Chambord (1/4 ounce)

Shake vigorously and strain into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with 3 blackberries (one for each crown, natch).

The Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, founded in 1812, is a National Historic Landmark with strong ties to horseracing. It was selected as the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, and as we can personally attest, it also makes a mean mint julep. Check out the BBTC cocktail and more in the gallery.

Gallery: Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Tags: Belmont Stakes, BelmontStakes, Big Brown, BigBrown, Bourbon, Horseracing, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, Mint Julep, MintJulep, Racehorses, Thoroughbreds, Triple Crown, TripleCrown, Woodford Reserve, WoodfordReserve

Woodford Reserve Gets Winey

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

One of the ways some bourbon makers are attracting new drinkers is by tapping into the booming wine market. Brown-Forman Corp. has released a new limited edition of Woodford Reserve bourbon that spends a few months aging in Sonoma-Cutrer wine barrels. The Sonoma-Cutrer Finish whiskey will be available in stores this summer for $89.99 per bottle, compared to about $30 for the regular Woodford Reserve. There will be 900 cases will be available.

Source

Tags: alcohol, booze, bourbon, liquor, spirits, whiskey, wine chardonnay, woodford reserve, WoodfordReserve

$1,000 Mint Juleps Return to the Kentucky Derby

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events

Last year Woodford Reserve gave 50 traditional mint juleps a $1000 upgrade at the Kentucky Derby by using exotic ingredients and serving them in gold cups with silver straws. With the drinks providing such a unique keepsake and proceeds benefiting retired horses and jockeys through Thoroughbred Charities of America, the $1000 juleps were huge a success. So this year they'll be coming around again -- only with even more flair than before.

This year there will be a julep cup representing each of the Derby winners all the way from the first, Aristides, to the most recent, Barbaro. Those two, plus the 11 triple crown winners in between, will be auctioned off online between April 17th and May 1st -- and of course somewhat of a bidding war is expected over Barbaro's cup (it will be interesting to see who wins out on that one). Altogether this year there will be a grand total of 133 special edition mint juleps made, with only 10 being held back for sale at the actual race. In addition to those 10, and the 13 up for online auction, 109 are available to purchase online for $1000 each (first come first buy), and one will be reserved and sent to this year's Derby winner, free of charge.

As before, the juleps will leave nothing wanting in the way of exotic ingredients from around the world, featuring mint from Ireland, organic sugar from Australia, ice from the Bavarian Alps, and of course bourbon from Woodford Reserve.

Source

Tags: barbaro, bourbon, derby, equine, horse, horses, julep, juleps, kentucky, mint, race, racehorse, racing, woodford reserve, WoodfordReserve