Woodford Reserve Releases Limited Edition Maple Wood Finished Bourbon
Posted on November 1, 2010 | By TheEnabler | Comments Off on Woodford Reserve Releases Limited Edition Maple Wood Finished Bourbon
Like the title? I lifted off the entire title from the press release. Here is some blah blah verbage from the same distinguished source:
This whiskey is one of the most unique Master’s Collections to date as it is the industry’s first bourbon to be finish-aged in barrels made from sugar maple wood. Barrels play a key role in producing bourbon, with approximately 70 percent of the spirit’s flavor and aroma and all of its color provided by the barrel. Woodford Reserve’s new offering features bourbon finish-aged in uniquely crafted barrels made of maple wood, something never before done in the industry.
“Sugar maple trees have a complex natural chemistry, rich in calcium, potassium and other minerals, but they are best known for their flavorful sap which contains as much as 3% sugar,” said Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. “Though it was thought that whiskey barrels could not be crafted from sugar maple wood, our Brown-Forman Cooperage has done just that. Of all the distillers in our industry, we are the only bourbon company that crafts its own barrels, giving us unique knowledge and control of the process. The Master’s Collection Maple Wood Finish uniquely finish-ages Woodford Reserve in a toasted, not charred, maple wood barrel, resulting in a whiskey enhanced with hints of maple, honey and cinnamon.”
Ever year, one of the five sources of flavor is changed for the Master’s Collection expressions. These five sources – grain, water, fermentation, distillation, and wood-aging – are unique to bourbon whiskey, and altering just one of them creates a totally new flavor profile.
“Bourbon must be matured in new, charred oak barrels, and in our quest to fully understand the contribution oak wood makes to bourbon, we have studied other Kentucky hardwoods as well,” said Wayne Rose, brand director for Woodford Reserve. “This has led to some exciting discoveries and innovative barrel finish concepts. One of these – Maple Wood Finish – is a first for the spirits industry and has resulted in an amazing, elegant whiskey.”
Blah Blah Blah.
What this all means is that another potentially awesome bourbon has just been released today. I have had two of the previous, the Sonoma-Curtrer Finish, and the 1838 Sweet Mash. Two of the best bourbons I have ever had, with the 1838 being the best I have had so far. (clicky the hot link for our review. Clicky this one to go to their website)
Hopefully, we will review this new release in the not too distant future. In the meantime, grab a bottle if you see it. Even at $90 bucks or so a bottle, it will probably be worth it. Especially since this is a limited release, kind of like Disney films on DVD so if you don’t get it now, you may never. Besides, there are lots of greedy people out there who suck up the good bourbon like there is no tomorrow. So, get on it.
If this bottle was a woman, I would marry it (but only for a long weekend).
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