Woodford Reserve

History

The Woodford Reserve Distillery, formerly known as the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery and later the Labrot & Graham Distillery, is approximately eight miles from the town of Versailles in north-central Kentucky, off U.S. Route 60 between Interstate 64 and Versailles.

Distilling began on the site of the current day distillery in 1812. Although the site has not been continuously operational as a distillery since, the main structure, built in 1838, stands as one of the oldest distilleries in Kentucky. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is designated as a National Historic Landmark for its well-preserved distillery architecture and its role in the development of the bourbon industry.

Originally established by Elijah Pepper, the distillery was passed on to his son and known as the Oscar Pepper Distillery when James C. Crow worked there in the mid-19th century. During this time Crow undertook a series of activities that improved and codified the understanding and quality of key bourbon-making processes such as sour mash fermentation, pot still distillation and barrel maturation.

The distillery produces: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Woodford Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey, Woodford Reserve Straight Malt Whiskey, and Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey. It also distills some limited edition releases, including Woodford Reserve Master's Collection, Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Batch Proof, a Kentucky-only Distillery Series, and a special commemorative bottle it releases annually in conjunction with its official sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby.

In 2025, Woodford Reserve released Chocolate Whisper Redux Bourbon, marking the brand's highest-proof bourbon to date at 139.4 proof (69.7% ABV), as a limited-time release.

Master Distiller

Up until 2023, the Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve was Chris Morris (a position he held from 2003) and the Assistant Master Distiller was Elizabeth McCall.

In 2023, Elizabeth McCall was named Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve with Chris Morris to serve as Master Distiller Emeritus. McCall had been with Brown-Forman since 2009, and was previously the Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller.

Reviews and accolades

International Spirit ratings organizations and liquor review bodies have generally given Woodford Reserve solid scores. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Woodford Reserve's best performances have been in 2005 and 2013, winning a double gold medal each time. It has also won gold (2006–2007, 2011–2012) and silver (2008, 2010) medals at this annual event. The Beverage Testing Institute has given the Reserve scores of between 90 and 91 and Wine Enthusiast awarded it a 90–95 point rating. Spirits ratings aggregator proof66.com, which averages scores from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Wine Enthusiast, the Beverage Testing Institute, and others, had Woodford Reserve ranked in its highest ("Tier 1") scoring category until 2016, and subsequently had it ranked as "Tier 2."

Union busting

In April 2024, a judge with the National Labor Relations Board found that Woodford Reserve had engaged in unfair labor practices in violation of the National Labor Relations Act by timing changes in merit pay and vacation policies, as well as handing out bottles of whiskey to workers, in order to influence the outcome of a unionization vote at its distillery in Versailles, Kentucky.

References

References

1. {{NRISref. 2008a
2. (13 September 2012). "Behind the Scenes of Woodford Reserve". www.drinkspirits.com.
3. (16 March 2022). "The bourbon whiskey market continues to increase". Lane Report.
4. ["NHL nomination for Labrot and Graham's Old Oscar Pepper Distillery"]({{NHLS url). National Park Service.
5. Zoeller, Chester. (2009). "Bourbon in Kentucky: A History of Distilers in Kentucky". Butler Books.
6. (2025-02-20). "Woodford Reserve's Chocolate Whisper Redux Bourbon Hits Brand's Highest Proof Ever". BourbonBlog.
7. Bleier, Evan. (May 27, 2020). "Workspace 101: Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris Shows Us His Kentucky Office". InsideHook.
8. (September 25, 2020). "Forty Under 40: Elizabeth McCall". Louisville Business First.
9. Risen, Clay. (July 11, 2021). "In the male world of whiskey, more women are calling the shots". The Salt Lake Tribune.
10. Kilgore-Marchetti, Nino. (2023-02-06). "Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Role Now Belongs To Elizabeth McCall".
11. "Proof66.com's Summary Page for Woodford Reserve".
12. Schreiner, Bruce. (2024-04-10). "Woodford Reserve tried to undermine unionization effort at its Kentucky distillery, judge rules". [[Associated Press]].