Woodford Reserve
Crafted in the Heart of Horse Country
The site has been producing whisky since 1812, when Elijah Pepper built a stone distillery on Glenn's Creek. His son Oscar Pepper hired the legendary Dr. James Crow — the man who introduced the sour mash process to bourbon — making this one of the most historically significant distillery sites in America.
After decades of decline, Brown-Forman restored the distillery in 1996 as Woodford Reserve. They installed triple copper pot stills (custom-built in Scotland), restored the limestone warehouses, and created a bourbon that bridges the gap between Kentucky tradition and global sophistication.
The Story
Founded 1812
Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby — a partnership that perfectly captures the brand's identity: refined, southern, steeped in tradition, but always celebratory.
The Woodford Reserve Style
Woodford Reserve is unique among bourbons: triple-distilled in copper pot stills (most bourbon uses column stills), which creates a richer, more complex new-make spirit. The grain recipe uses a higher proportion of rye than many bourbons, adding spice and depth.
Maturation happens in custom-built warehouses with temperature controls and the barrels are stored on their sides in a rack system — unusual for bourbon. This gives Woodford a more controlled, elegant maturation that produces a refined, layered bourbon quite different from its Kentucky neighbours.
Signature Notes
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Matured first in standard new charred barrels, then finished in a second heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel. The double wood treatment amplifies the vanilla, honey, and dark fruit notes into something almost dessert-like — without losing the backbone.
Whiskies from Woodford Reserve
4 expressions in our collection · Average rating: 4.3
Visiting Woodford Reserve
The most photogenic distillery in America. Stone buildings, creek-side paths, and rolling horse country make this feel more like a European estate than a bourbon factory.
Explore More Distilleries
Discover the stories, whiskies, and character of distilleries from Scotland, America, Japan, and Ireland.