In the early 1800s, our Woodford County Distillery, thanks to owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow, was the site for landmark discoveries and innovative techniques in bourbon-making.

Pepper and Crow are credited with refining and defining key processes such as sour mashing, yeast propagation, copper pot distillation and the maturing of whiskey in new, charred oak casks. Their work defined bourbon and subsequently rye whiskey as we know them today.

Woodford Reserve Distillery’s Master Collection™ honors the pioneering work of Pepper and Crow, applying their handcrafted methods to a variety of grain recipes, fermentation styles and maturation processes to create a range of unique whiskeys.