Woodford Reserve Master's Cherry Wood Smoked Barley

Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Cherry Wood Smoked Barley — the 12th release in the Masters Collection: a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey where a portion of the malted barley is smoked over cherry wood before mashing, introducing a distinctly sweet, fruity, and aromatic smoke character into the bourbon that has no equivalent in mainstream American whiskey production.

Peat smoke defines Islay Scotch. Cherry wood smoke defines this expression. The difference is significant: peat smoke is heavy, medicinal, and savory — the product of burning ancient compressed organic matter. Cherry wood smoke is lighter, fruitier, and more aromatic — the product of burning fruit-bearing hardwood, which imparts a naturally sweet, perfumed smoke that integrates into bourbon character rather than overwhelming it.

Woodford's process applies that cherry wood smoke directly to the malted barley before it enters the mash, allowing the smoke character to carry through fermentation and distillation — triple pot still — into the final spirit. The bourbon is then matured in new charred American white oak, where the standard caramel, vanilla, and grain sweetness of Kentucky bourbon is layered alongside the cherry smoke character, producing a whiskey that bridges American bourbon tradition and smoked malt technique in a way that no other major distillery has attempted at commercial scale.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Cherry wood smoke — lighter and fruitier than peat, distinctly aromatic and sweet — woven through the Woodford Reserve caramel, vanilla, and grain character; unique and immediately identifiable
• Palate: Fruity smoke, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and rounded malt character from triple pot still distillation; the cherry smoke integrates rather than dominates, adding complexity without the medicinal intensity of heavily peated spirits
• Finish: Medium-long with cherry wood smoke, caramel, and warm oak tapering gently into a clean, aromatic close

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Masters Collection
• Technique: Cherry wood smoked malted barley in mash bill
• Distillation: Triple copper pot still
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Series: Masters Collection No. 12
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Is cherry wood smoke similar to Scotch peat smoke? No — peat smoke is heavy, medicinal, and savory. Cherry wood smoke is lighter, sweeter, and more aromatic with a distinct fruitiness. For drinkers who find heavily peated Islay Scotch too intense but are curious about smoked grain character, Cherry Wood Smoked Barley is the most accessible and elegant introduction.
• Does the smoke dominate the flavor? No — the cherry wood smoke integrates alongside the bourbon's caramel and vanilla rather than overwhelming it. It is present and distinctive but approachable — a smoked bourbon for people who don't typically seek smoked spirits.
• Is this a limited release? Yes — the 12th Masters Collection release, produced in limited quantities. Not a permanent expression.