The famous American whiskey was created in 1812 by the Scot James Crow, hired by the Oscar Pepper Distillery as a blender. Connoisseurs distinguish more than two hundred different shades in a balanced taste and aroma ─ from tart leather to sweet vanilla, from almond notes to floral nuances. This American whiskey is the official drink of one of the largest competitions in the United States ─ the Kentucky Derby, and an invariable ingredient in the favorite cocktail of millionaires, the thousand-dollar Mint Julep.
The history of the company that produces Woodford Reserve began in 1797, when Elijah Pepper built a small distillery in Woodford. The drink, which the distillery produced at first in small quantities, had little in common with the sophisticated and rich shades of modern bourbon. The development of the Pepper distillery began to gain momentum after the arrival of James Crow, who was already hired by the son of the founder of the company, Oscar Pepper.
A talented chemist, who received a fundamental education at the University of Edinburgh, developed the technology of “sour wort”, which allows you to strictly control the fermentation process and get a drink rich in flavors. Crowe also improved the whiskey aging process, offering a variant with new oak barrels, burned to a light charring on the inside.
At the end of the XNUMXth century, the grandson of the founder of the distillery, William Pepper, sold the company and the brand to two entrepreneurial friends ─ merchant James Graham and whiskey broker Leopold Labroth. Their names can still be seen on the bourbon label today. The new owners built new warehouses from local limestone with a unique microclimate that provides optimal conditions for aging spirits.
The development of the distillery was interrupted by Prohibition: the company was closed, and soon they began to use it as a farm. Whiskey production was fully resumed only in 1994, when the distillery became the property of the Brown-Forman Corporation. The plant was reconstructed and modernized, the first bourbon on the new equipment was released in 2003, at the same time the distillery was renamed Woodford Reserve in his honor. In 2009, the territory of the distillery was declared a national reserve Homeplace of Bourbon.
XXI century awards:
- 2000, 2001 and 2005 ─ Gold World Spirits Competition;
- 2001 – IWSC gold;
- 2003 and 2012 ─ gold in the International Spirits Challenge;
- 2009 – SIP Awards Platinum Medal, “Best in Class” status at the New York Spirits Awards, “Innovative Whiskey of the Year” by Whiskey Magazine;
- 2011, 2012 and 2014 – gold at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco;
- 2014 ─ gold Whiskeys of the World Awards;
- 2015 – Resolution “Excellent, best recommendations” from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
About the MINT JULEP cocktail
The name of the cocktail is based on the transformed Arabic word “julab”, or “rose water”. This is the eastern name for all “pharmacy waters” ─ healing herbal and flower tinctures. The Irish were the first to use them to improve the taste of alcohol, and they also transferred this fashion to America.
MINT JULEP based on bourbon was invented in 1903 in Virginia. During Prohibition, when American hard drinkers quenched their thirst in Cuba, the rum-mint Mohito, similar in taste to mint julep, became the drink of choice. But immediately after the lifting of the ban, the Americans gladly turned to their favorite cocktail.
In 1938, Mint Julep became the official drink of the traditional Louisville horse race. Equestrian competitions in Kentucky gather an audience from all the southern states; in 2 days, derby fans drink more than 120 cocktails poured into special silver cups.
There is also a vip-julep, worth $1000, it is served in gold cups in a limited edition of 50 pieces. The proceeds from the sale of the “golden julep” are transferred to a charitable foundation that maintains horses that have grown old and no longer participate in competitions. As part of the VIP julep, arctic ice, Moroccan mint, brown cane sugar from the Pacific Islands and Woodford Reserve whiskey.
To prepare the traditional Mint Julep, you will need: 10 mint leaves, 2 coffee spoons of powdered sugar, 50 ml of bourbon and ice. Recipe: put mint in a bar copper cup and sprinkle with powdered sugar, then add 10 ml of water without gas and lightly crush the mint with a muddler (a small bar pestle). Then pour in Woodford Reserve and add crushed ice. Stir the cocktail and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Tasting Features of Woodford Reserve
Connoisseurs say that the taste and aroma of bourbon was influenced by soft lime water characteristic of Kentucky, and carefully selected local rye and maize, and fermentation in unique cypress vats, and distillation in original copper boilers, and long maturation in limestone cellars built even Graham and Labroth.
Fortress “Woodford Reserve” 43,2%, the maturation of spirits 6-8 years. This is a golden amber drink with a pleasant smell of mint, dried cherries, oranges, cocoa and vanilla. Round and smooth taste with hints of cinnamon, citrus and chocolate. Long warming aftertaste with hints of caramel and creamy toffee. Bourbon is recommended as an aperitif and digestif, served neat, with ice or soda.
