Woodford Reserve tells BourbonBlog.com that the 2015 release will the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection 1838 Style White Corn, limited quantities in November for a suggested retail price of $99.99. in select markets within the United States and in limited international markets.
By using white corn with the same barrels and yeast used to create Woodford Reserve bourbon, the result is a spirit that is lighter in body with a softer, sweeter, fruit-forward profile. The release pays tribute to the craftsmanship and vision of past distillery industry leaders Oscar Pepper and James Crow and their original use of white corn in their whiskey production process from the late-1830s to the 1850s.
“This Master’s Collection release has, in a way, allowed us to go back in time and create a new bourbon by drawing upon materials from our distillery’s historic past,” Morris tells BourbonBlog.com. “Year after year, our Master’s Collection is always a favorite of mine to produce, as I enjoy seeing how even the slightest of variations can yield a dramatically different whiskey,” says Morris.
Story Behind 1838 Style White Corn 2015
The 1838 Style White Corn was conceptualized and created by Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. Drawing from original production records, Morris was able to develop and bring to life a recipe Pepper and Crow might have used. The 1838 Style White Corn release is both inspired by, and pays tribute to, the techniques developed by Pepper and Crow which today have become some of the most well-known and commonly used throughout the industry.
In the mid-1800s, Oscar Pepper and James Crow engaged in early distilling at the present day site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery. While at this site, they engaged in innovation, experimentation, and discoveries that ultimately advance the bourbon and whiskey industries.
The key bourbon production methods created and refined by Pepper and Crow have since been recognized by historians as advancing the modern bourbon industry and are celebrated through each Master’s Collection release. Their work also helped earn the Woodford Reserve Distillery its National Historic Landmark status in 2000.
With each Master’s Collection, Master Distiller Chris Morris focuses on one of the five sources of flavor that create Woodford Reserve’s balanced and beautifully complex profile. Released as the latest offering under the brand’s umbrella of ten total Master’s Collection expressions, the 1838 Style White Corn was created by adjusting the whiskey’s first source of flavor—grain. The use of white corn instead of the traditional yellow corn complements additional grains within the liquid, including the rye and malt, allowing those characteristics to shine through and create a sharper whiskey.
History of Master’s Collection
Originally introduced in 2006, the Master’s Collection has become an acclaimed addition to the Woodford Reserve portfolio that we’ve covered on BourbonBlog.com. . Though individually unique, each Master’s Collection release encompasses the distillery’s one-of-a-kind production capabilities, combined with Woodford Reserve’s focus on contemporary style and straightforward presentation.
Today, the Woodford Reserve Distillery is visited by more than 130,000 visitors each year.
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