brown-forman

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection - Maple Wood Finish

Filed under: Spirits

Woodford Reserve has announced the release of Maple Wood Finish, the latest entry in its exclusive Masters Collection put together by Master Distiller Chris Morris. The new expression (as previewed on Luxist) is one of the most unique Master's Collection offerings to date as it is the industry's first bourbon to be finish aged in barrels made from sugar maple wood.

Though it was thought that whiskey barrels could not be crafted from sugar maple wood, the Brown-Forman Cooperage accomplished the feat, creating a toasted instead of charred barrel. The result is a smooth, elegant whiskey enhanced with hints of maple, honey and cinnamon.

Maple Wood Finish is the fifth in the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection series following the Four Grain, Sonoma-Cutrer Finish, Sweet Mash and Seasoned Oak offerings. Released periodically at the master distiller's discretion, the Master's Collection whiskeys are extremely limited in quantity and bottled only once in a proprietary package inspired by the copper pot stills of The Woodford Reserve Distillery.

The inspiration for the Master's Collection is rooted in the distillery's rich history and tradition. In the mid-1800s distillery owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow studied and recommended use of key processes like sour mashing and charred barrel maturation at Kentucky's historic Woodford County distillery.

These practices are still maintained in the bourbon industry and, today, the distillery receives more than 100,000 visitors annually and is the only one in America to triple-distill bourbon in copper pot stills. The Maple Wood Finish will go on sale throughout the United States on Nov. 1 in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Tags: bourbon, Brown-Forman, distillery, Kentucky, whiskey, whisky, Woodford Reserve

Old Forester Releases Its Latest Birthday Bourbon

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There may be many bourbons on the market, but only one can claim to have to have been produced continuously before, during and after Prohibition by the same distiller. That whisky is called Old Forester, and in addition to the standard version, the distillery releases a new Birthday Bourbon every year.

It's an event eagerly anticipated by bourbon enthusiasts. We've reported on these unique small-batch vintages twice before, and now the 2010 version is ready to hit shelves with a $49.99 MSRP.

Because the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is hand-selected by Brown-Forman's master distiller from specifically dated barrels, no two years' editions are exactly alike, although the accolades won by previous bottlings bode well for the latest.

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Tags: birthday bourbon, bourbon, brown-forman, Old Forester, old forester birthday bourbon, whiskey