Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Whiskey: Taste, Investing Tips

by Anthony Zhang

Twice a year, the Woodford Reserve Distillery releases a special edition whiskey as part of the Master’s Collection.

But what makes the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection so special?

For each release, the distillery tweaks the whiskey-making process.

For instance, they may use a different grain, change the fermentation process, or alter the proof. These special techniques produce delicate, unique whiskey.

Let’s explore the rich history of the Woodford Reserve Distillery and the characteristics, popular releases, and food pairing suggestions for the Master’s Collection whiskey.

We’ll also delve into other limited edition releases from the distillery and the investment potential of the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection.

Plus, you’ll discover an ingenious way to invest in rare whisky casks through Vinovest.

Characteristics of the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection

One of the essential elements that makes the latest Woodford Reserve Master's collection unique is the use of “distiller’s beer” — a fermented grain mash.

The fermented grain mash (distiller’s beer) is converted into a spirit using the Irish style distillation technique. The spirit then becomes a whiskey once barrelled.

The Woodford Reserve Master’s collection exhibits the taste of a classic beer style with its rich, roasted malt stout.

One notable aspect of Woodford Reserve Master's Collection is that it doesn’t carry an age statement. The bourbon whiskey is made from a blend of different aged whiskeys that are carefully selected to achieve the desired flavor profile.

It’s now time to discover the best Master’s Collection whiskeys and their tasting notes.

7 Popular Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Releases

Here are Woodford Reserve Master's Collection’s most notable releases produced by master distiller Chris Morris and assistant master distiller Elizabeth McCall:

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Four Wood Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Very Fine and Rare
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Limited Edition Series No.17
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Five Malt Stouted Mash Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Chocolate Malted Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Batch 118.4 Proof
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Historic Barrel Entry

1. Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Four Wood Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($2,037)

This drink was made with newly distilled whiskey, aged in American Oak Cask, and finished in maple, port and sherry casks.

It’s a luscious Kentucky bourbon with complex nutmeg, sweet vanilla, cinnamon, gingerbread, and saltwater taffy flavors.

2. Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Very Fine and Rare ($303)

Released in 2020, this fine rare bourbon has a rich palate of caramel, vanilla bean, and honey flavors infused with baking spice notes. The finish is slightly dry with roasted coffee, leather, brown sugar, and aged oak hints.

3. Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Limited Edition Series No. 17 ($275)

This complex yet balanced American whiskey has a milk chocolate aroma with hints of minty dark chocolate and vanilla bean. It boast a rich toasted oak flavor with baked fruit, spice notes.

4. Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Five Malt Stouted Mash Whiskey ($269)

This beautiful, fine rare bourbon opens with biscuit, toffee, orange zest and barley flavors with intense aromas of vanilla bean, roasted coffee, and spice.

5. Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Chocolate Malted Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($247)

This straight Kentucky bourbon has a decadent orange zest nose and a minty dark chocolate flavor with roasted malt and oak notes.

6. Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Batch 118.4 Proof ($238)

This Woodford Reserve Batch Proof whiskey received an impressive 91 points from the Whiskey Advocate.

It shines with baked dessert aromas and the tasting notes of dark cherry, pepper, roasted malt and chocolate.

7. Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Historic Barrel Entry (100 Proof) ($214)

The Historic Barrel Entry Proof 100 whiskey was made with newly distilled whiskey with barrel entry proof levels of 100.

This 2022 Master’s Collection whiskey boasts a roasted malt flavor and inviting light aromas of honey, rich toasted oak, robust vanilla, apple, and orange. The Historic Barrel Entry is a deliciously decadent bourbon with a long, spicy finish.

So, which dishes pair well with these whiskeys?

Food Pairing With the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Whiskeys

A glass of Woodford Reserve Masters Collection pairs perfectly with cheese boards and a selection of hams.

It also tastes great with baked desserts like crème brulée, crème caramel, hummingbird cake, cheesecake, and pound cake.

This collection of Kentucky whiskeys is typically enjoyed neat or over ice.

Are there any other rare Woodford Reserve whiskeys worth checking out?

4 Other Limited Edition Woodford Reserve Releases

Woodford Reserve is renowned for its limited-edition releases, and the Master’s Collection is just one of them.

Here are some of the other whiskeys:

Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Edition

1. Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition ($1,974)

Here we have a limited edition, fine rare bourbon. It’s made by uniquely finishing the most complex and balanced Kentucky Bourbon in select XO Cognac barrels.

The whiskey is bottled in a beautiful Baccarat crystal decanter. Its taste is complex and balanced, with subtle spiciness and a creamy finish.

2. Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked ($918)

A bourbon aged in two heavily toasted and lightly charred oak barrels — giving it a unique flavor profile.

The whiskey spends an extra year in the barrel, and this imparts spiciness and hints of sweetness to it — thanks to barrel extractives (the particles from the barrel wood that contribute to the taste of the whiskey).

3. Woodford Reserve Batch Proof ($238)

This limited edition release is bottled at a higher proof than Woodford Reserve standard whiskeys. The drink is 118.4 proof, while the Woodford Reserve standard whiskey is usually bottled at around 90.4 proof.

The Woodford Reserve Batch Proof whiskey boasts a charred oak flavor with sweet vanilla notes.

4. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Edition ($43)

This Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey features a special label design to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, a popular annual horse racing event.

It boasts honey and butterscotch aromas and the flavors of charred orange and sweet malt.

Origins of the Woodford Reserve Distillery

Woodford Reserve is a renowned Woodford County distillery located in Versailles, Kentucky, USA.

Here’s a breakdown of the most significant developments of the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery:

1780: Elijah Pepper (a Virginia native) moved to Versailles, Kentucky, and established the Woodford Reserve Country Distillery. The distillery was built by Irish stonemasons on the site of what was the Pepper family farm.
1812: Oscar Pepper, Elijah's grandson, took over the distillery and expanded it — making it one of the largest and most successful distilleries in Kentucky at the time.
1878: The distillery was purchased by James Graham (from Frankfort, Kentucky) and renamed the Labrot & Graham Distillery. Unfortunately, the distillery was forced to close down due to the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933. (The Prohibition era was a period when the US government outlawed alcohol sales.)
1941: The Woodford County distillery was purchased by Brown-Forman, a prominent spirits company, with the intention of preserving and reviving the historic site. The buildings were renovated, and the distillery was renamed the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery.
1993: Brown-Forman rebranded and reopened the distillery as Woodford Reserve Distillery — producing premium bourbon whiskey under the Woodford Reserve name.

Today, Woodford Reserve is known as a pioneer of modern innovation in bourbon production. It’s under the direction of master distiller Chris Morris and assistant master distiller Elizabeth McCall.

Fun fact: Master distiller Chris Morris created the world’s first bourbon finished in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Barrels.

Here are some of the innovative practices pioneered by the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery:

Flavoring Grains: Different grains are toasted and added to the mash bill to create unique flavor profiles.
Double Barrel Aging: The bourbon is aged in two different types of barrels to add complexity to the flavor.

Let’s now look at the characteristics of the Master’s Collection.

Is the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Investment-Worthy?

The bottles of the Woodford Reserve Masters Collection are rare and hard to find. They also usually show a stable price appreciation.

For instance, a bottle of the highly acclaimed Woodford Reserve Masters Collection 'Batch Proof' Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey rose in value from $164 in May 2021 to $229 in April 2023 — a 40% increase.

So, most whiskeys from the Masters Collection might make the best long term investments.

And if you’re looking for other investment-worthy whiskey bottles, Woodford Reserve has other related products that may interest you.

For example, a bottle of the 2017 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey increased in value from $106 in May 2021 to $1,099 in April 2023. That’s a staggering increase of more than 937% over 23 months.

The bottomline…

Like other reputed bourbons (like Wild Turkey, Jack Daniel, and Old Forester), the finest Woodford Reserve whiskeys can be worth it. But these drinks are very rare and hard to find.

Want a better alternative?

Invest in the casks of blended and single malt Scotch, American whiskey, Irish whiskey, and other whiskeys from across the globe.

Why?

Whiskey casks can be purchased at a younger age for a lower price, and they’ll increase in value as they mature.

In fact, the BC20 cask index has reported average annual returns of 13.09% over the last five years.

Sounds interesting, right?

Now let’s explore the smartest way to invest in whiskey casks.

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