Woodford Reserve

Woordford Reserve Distiller’s Select is masterfully crafted on a site that has been distilling since 1780 with only 2 stoppages. The first was during that annoying event called Prohibition and the second when it was mothballed by Brown-Forman (the owner) from 1968 to 1993 who sold, repurchased and then renovated it during this time. After the renovation the distillery reopened and the first Woodford products hit the market in 1996.

Since then the team at Woodford Distillery have been hard at work crafting a smooth and supple bourbon that has become the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. The Woodford folks make several different kinds of bourbon (including limited editions), but this, the Distiller’s Select, is their flagship offering and what an offering it is.

Overall this a fantastic whiskey and among my favorite everyday bourbons. It’s decently balanced with the sweetness weighing a bit heavy on the scales but it doesn’t overpower the grain, wood and spice. It’s a complex and sippable bourbon for drinkers of all levels and makes killer cocktails should you choose that route. I typically like a little more oomph in my bourbons, but it’s tasty and easy to see why this has become a daily drinker for so many folks.