Distiller Notes
Woodford Reserve, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby, is honoring "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" with the release of its 2020 commemorative Derby bottle. It features the work of Louisville artist Richard Sullivan, a former Atlanta Braves baseball player. Sullivan’s stunning watercolor image is of thoroughbreds as they thunder toward the finish line, with the famed Twin Spires of Churchill Downs in the background.
Clean, brilliant honey amber in color, this whiskey is heavy with rich dried fruit, as well as hints of mint and oranges covered with a dusting of cocoa and faint vanilla and tobacco spice. It is rich, chewy, rounded and smooth on the palate, with complex citrus, cinnamon and cocoa. Silky smooth, almost creamy on the finish.
Proof: 90.4
Watch Wine.com host Gwendolyn Osborn for a special tasting with three of the Derby’s official drinks sponsors: Woodford Reserve, G.H. Mumm Champagne, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estate. Chris Morris, Master Distiller for Woodford Reserve, will share his famed Bourbon and share his favorite recipes, Elise Cordell of G.H. Mumm Champagne will share how the winning jockeys and owners celebrate after the race, and Bob Bertheau, head winemaker for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates will taste his Chardonnay and Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Watch the tasting here.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Look for a gorgeous copper hue with orange highlights, a butterscotch-like aroma and soft feel. This Bourbon offers lots of fruit on the palate—orange, apricot, tropical fruit—that finish long, with caramel and a bracing burnt-orange peel note.
Although Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States, it is most commonly associated with Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it has been produced since the late 18th century. Made from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn, the Bourbon Whiskey distillate must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels. Bourbon Whiskeys are bottled at eighty proof (40% abv) or higher and cannot contain any added color or flavor. A versatile spirit that can be sipped neat, with water or on the rocks, it also performs nicely added to cocktails like the Old Fashioned.