Woodford Reserve’s 2023 Master’s Collection Pays Homage to Northern California’s Wine Scene

Woodford Reserve released its annual Master’s Collection Expression for 2023. (Photo: Woodford Reserve)

Woodford Reserve on Tuesday announced the launch of its fall 2023 Master’s Collection release: the Sonoma Triple Finish. The expression was finished in a combination of Sonoma County pinot noir and brandy barrels, as well as ex-bourbon barrels that were used to age red wine. The 2023 Master’s Collection hosts a suggested retail price of $150 and can be purchased at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and from specialized retailers.

Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall turned to Master’s Collection releases from the past to serve as inspiration for the limited-quantity whiskey.  The inaugural Master’s Collection launched in 2004 with a “Four Grain” expression. Ten years later, the brand claims that it released the first Pinot Noir-finished Kentucky Bourbon in history. In 2016, Woodford stated that it broke new ground when it released the first American Brandy Cask-finished bourbon. McCall chose to use both releases as inspiration for the 2023 Master’s Collection.

“The result is a whiskey that brings together the worlds of bourbon and wine in a way unlike any we’ve ever released before,” Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said in a news release.

Woodford Reserve’s finishing process involves placing a fully matured whiskey in a second barrel sourced from a different wine or spirits producer for a minimum of one year. The brand claims many wineries age red wines in ex-Woodford Reserve barrels, yielding an expanding category of bourbon-barrel-aged wines.

Last year’s Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection release was a Historic Barrel Entry Bourbon under Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris’ stewardship. The whiskey entered the barrel at 100 proof, which was a choice commonly made by distillers in the 19th century. Modern whiskey typically enters the barrel at 125 proof, and this expression celebrated the whiskeys of yore.

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection 2023 Sonoma Triple Finish Tasting Notes, via the Brand

Nose: Vanilla, with cinnamon-dusted grilled pineapple and red plums.

Taste: Vine-ripened red fruit, with rich and warm vanilla bean and oak.

Finish: Long oak, red grape tannins.

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