To celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month, Woodford Reserve released a new limited-edition bottle as part of its annual Distillery Series: Honey Barrel Finish.

This new product is Woodford Reserve Bourbon finished in barrels that once stored honey. This expression demonstrates the versatility of a bourbon barrel – and the ability to recycle them for multiple uses.

Woodford Reserve Distillery loaned some of its freshly-dumped bourbon barrels to a local honey bee farmer in Woodford County, Ky. That farmer then aged his honey in the barrels. The barrels were later returned to Woodford Reserve Distillery where they were refilled with bourbon to create the perfect subtly sweet liquid.

The result is a beautiful raw honey color liquid that features floral and toasty notes including honey suckle, lemon peel, toasted coconut and honey graham cracker. 

“One of the best parts of my job is being able to experiment with new ways of making Woodford Reserve,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris. “It’s been rewarding to work with a honey producer here in Woodford County to create this unique Distillery Series expression and support local business and agriculture.”

Honey Barrel Finish is part of Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series, which Morris created to push Woodford Reserve’s creative boundaries of whiskeys to the extreme. Each selection is masterminded by Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall and is available for purchase at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and limited Kentucky retailers. There are three annual releases of the Distillery Series.

Honey Barrel Finish is available in 375ml bottles at 90.4 Proof. It is available for an SRP of $59.99 at the Woodford Reserve Distillery’s gift shop and at select Kentucky retailers. For more information, visit www.woodfordreserve.com.