Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Brandy Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Brandy Cask Finish — the 11th release in the Masters Collection: the first Woodford Reserve bourbon finished in American brandy casks, pulling the dried fruit, nut, and brandy-grape character of American brandy production into the bourbon's finishing phase to create a flavor bridge between American whiskey and American brandy traditions.

Woodford Reserve introduced wine cask finishing to American bourbon in 2007 with the first Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir Finish. The Brandy Cask Finish extends that wine country connection: instead of wine barrels, the bourbon is finished in barrels previously used to mature American brandy — a spirit with its own tradition of dried fruit, toasted nut, and gentle grape character that differs significantly from wine. American brandy casks hold less residual liquid character than wine casks, contributing a drier, more nuanced fruit influence that integrates with bourbon's caramel and vanilla differently than wine finishing does.

As the 11th Masters Collection release, the Brandy Cask Finish marks Woodford's expansion of its cask finishing program beyond wine into the broader world of fortified and distilled fruit spirits.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Dried fruit, nuts, vanilla, and caramel with the standard Woodford triple pot still character beneath — the brandy cask adds dried grape and stone fruit character rather than the fresh fruit of wine finishing
• Palate: Rich with dried fruit and nuts — the brandy cask contribution emphasizes raisin, walnut, and baked stone fruit alongside the bourbon's caramel and baking spice foundation; rounder and less tannic than wine-finished expressions
• Finish: Medium-long with dried fruit, gentle nut, and warm caramel oak

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Masters Collection (#11)
• Finish: American brandy casks
• Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Release: 2016 (11th Masters Collection)
• Size: 750ml

Browse the full Woodford Reserve collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is American brandy? A distilled spirit made from fermented fruit (typically grapes or apples) aged in oak. American brandy casks contribute dried fruit, nut, and gentle grape character to the bourbon during finishing — different from wine casks, which contribute more fresh fruit and tannin.
• Is brandy cask finishing different from wine cask finishing? Yes — wine casks carry more residual tannin and fresh fruit character; brandy casks contribute a drier, more concentrated dried fruit and nut influence that integrates differently with bourbon's caramel base.
• Is this the first brandy-cask-finished American bourbon? Yes — the Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Brandy Cask Finish was the first American brandy cask finished bourbon released commercially.