On Tuesday 1 August, Woodford Reserve launches its Masters Collection Brandy Cask Finish which will be the 11th in the Masters Collection series. The Brandy Cask Finish is the first whiskey to be finished in an ex-American brandy cask. Brandy is often aged in oak barrels and these can be used a number of times because brandy doesn’t have the new, charred barrel requirement that Kentucky Bourbon does. Finishing fully matured Woodford Reserve in these barrels doesn’t add any new flavours to the whiskey, but it accentuates the rich dried fruit and nut characteristics that come from the grain recipe and long fermentation process.
The Master’s Collection is a series of extremely small batch products that fulfil the original vision of Woodford Reserve; to restore innovative whiskey making capabilities that were used historically but have disappeared over time due to the growth of the industry. In the early 1800s the Woodford County Distillery, thanks to owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow, was the site for landmark discoveries and innovative techniques in bourbon-making. Pepper and Crow are credited with refining and defining key processes such as sour mashing, yeast propagation, copper pot distillation and the maturing of whiskey in new, charred oak casks. Their work defined bourbon and subsequently rye whiskey as we know them today. Woodford Reserve Distillery’s Master Collection honours the pioneering work of Pepper and Crow, applying their handcrafted methods to a variety of grain recipes, fermentation styles and maturation processes to create a range of unique whiskeys.
Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Brandy Cask Finish
45.2% ABV / 700ml, RRP $250.
Available at Dan Murphy’s or online at www.woodfordreserve.com.au.
Tasting notes – Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Brandy Cask Finish:
Colour: Warm red ochre
Aroma: A medley of chocolate, maple syrup and caramel drizzled over toasted hazelnuts, dark raisins and dried cranberries. Soft notes of oak and spice linger in the depths
Taste: Toffee-covered dried fruit and toasted hazelnuts warmed by delicate wood spice notes
Finish: Long and warm with a touch of caramel lingering on