Woodford Reserve's Kentucky Derby Commemorative Has a Triple Finish

Woodford Reserve’s ties to the Kentucky Derby go back to 1999 when the distillery unveiled its first commemorative Derby bottle. In 2018, the distillery picked up a presenting sponsor role, making the whiskey nearly synonymous with the main event. In honor of the 150th Derby, master distiller Elizabeth McCall has unveiled the rarest Woodford yet: the Woodford Reserve Derby 150th Baccarat Edition.

The new whiskey starts as Woodford bourbon, aged, of course, in new American oak. Then, the liquid is transferred to XO cognac casks, a move that harkens back to Woodford Baccarat Reserve, a cognac-finished bourbon that debuted in 2019. After this finishing period, a third barrel type is added to the mix. McCall and her team carried American oak staves out to the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs and left them there to season for almost two months, after which they were made into two bespoke barrels. The cognac-finished whiskey was then placed into these barrels, where it underwent its third and final maturation over several months.

The combination of this three-barrel finish leaves the Woodford with a deep amber hue, and the nose is rife with red fruit, a great deal of wood spice, and brown sugar. More oak and caramelized sugar on the palate, joined by rich caramel, dark chocolate, and dried fruit; the finish is lengthy, deepening the existing flavors.

Given that the whiskey within is Woodford at its very finest, it’s no surprise that the presentation is also the pinnacle of luxury—the bottle is Baccarat crystal, and, in an homage to the Garland of Roses every Derby winner receives, the bottle’s crystal stopper is infused with 24k gold, creating a ruby red color. The whiskey is presented in a leather carrying case that is meant as a tribute to the hat-carrying cases favored by Derby goers.

Only 150 bottles of the Woodford Reserve Derby 150th Baccarat Edition are available, and they’re priced at $15,000 each, making this the most expensive Woodford to date. A limited number of bottles will be available at the distillery starting March 28; the whiskey will also be for sale on Woodford’s website, and at select retailers in Kentucky. If you order the bottle online, you’ll have to travel to Kentucky to pick it up, but McCall says the distillery will be rolling out the red carpet for buyers.