Each calendar year, Woodford Reserve releases two or three exceptional bottles of bourbon as part of its ever-popular Distillery Series. This past June, the Kentucky-based distillery unveiled its first expression of 2022, dubbed Toasted Oak Oat Grain, a bourbon that featured a secondary maturation in barrels that were heavily charred. The point of the Distillery Series is to display the capabilities and range of the small batch label and its brilliant Master Distiller Chris Morris.
Now for its second Distillery Series release for 2022, Woodford Reserve has debuted the Honey Barrel Finish. We’ve heard of finishing whiskey (or any spirit) in ex-sherry casks, ex-brandy barrels, and even ex-rum barrels, but this new bourbon is getting its secondary maturation in barrels that formerly held local honey from Woodford County. The honey bee farmer had, of course, received the barrels from the distillery ahead of time, which he used to store and add some nuance to his own honey. Now the casks have come back around to give a rather unique profile to Woodford Reserve’s new bourbon whiskey.
Hitting the nose and palate with notes of honeysuckle, lemon peel, toasted coconut, graham cracker, and cloves, the bourbon then concludes with a long finish. This expression isn’t just special for how it displays the distillery’s willingness to think outside of the box, but for how it remains within its Kentucky region to partner with a neighboring business.
The Distillery Series Honey Barrel Finish is getting released in very small quantities, with buyers limited to just two bottles per person at around $60 each. You can head over to Woodford Reserve’s website to find out more, including a list of retailers.
