Woodford Reserve launches bespoke barrel program; unveils Singapore Barrel Selection

To coincide with the launch of its bespoke whiskey barrel selection program, Kentucky, US-based whiskey maker Woodford Reserve has announced a special country-specific barrel selection for Singapore slated to arrive in January 2020.

interest in American-made whiskies here in Singapore has been on the rise recently, buoyed by the introduction of a number of whiskey-friendly bars such as Flagship, The Secret Mermaid, and The Copper Plate. Once limited to the likes of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel’s – nothing wrong with those, but they can be rather basic – the past few years have seen a slew of premium, sipping American whiskies enter the market.

Aside from mainstays by the big boys such as Diageo’s Bulleit Bourbon, Beam Suntory’s Maker’s Mark, and Russell’s Reserve by Campari Group, Singapore even started to get its hands on whiskies from smaller outfits. There’s Defiant Whiskey by North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Distilling, Virginia’s Catoctin Creek, Koval from Illinois, Pennsylvannia’s Dad’s Hat, and even Washington’s Dry Fly – whiskies from all over the United States – available in town if you know where to look.

You could say there’s no better time to be whiskey drinker.

Barreling into the Singapore market

But you know the scene has come of age when Master Distiller Chris Morris of Kentucky’s small batch whiskey maker Woodford Reserve earlier this week descended into town to introduce the Woodford Reserve Personal Selection, a bespoke barrel selection program that allows consumers who want to buy their own private barrel of bourbon to do so.

There are two ways this can be done. One is to personally fly to Kentucky and pick one out (impractical for most, but some of you may be that baller). Or there’s the more realistic method of going through a guided tasting of three samples across different styles here in Singapore to pick out your preference, whereupon a barrel with a similar taste profile will then be chosen out for you.

After the selection process and a waiting period of 24 weeks, consumers will get to bring home 180 bottles (1-litre) of their Woodford Reserve Bourbon Personal Selection, or 240 bottles (750ml) of their Rye Personal Selection or Double Oaked Personal Selection, personalised with your names.

The Woodford Reserve ‘Singapore Barrel Selection’

As part of the announcement, Morris also revealed that Singapore will be getting a special country-specific barrel selection of its own. The ‘Singapore Barrel Selection’ used the latter method with top bartenders and drinks writers, with the selected samples to guide the blending in Kentucky in creating this exclusive Singapore Barrel Selection.

“Woodford Reserve Personal Selection celebrates a bespoke drinking experience and to launch the first-ever Singapore Barrel Selection, we are pleased to get together the top mixologists and key opinion leaders in the drinking industry to select the best blend,” shared Chris Morris, Master Distiller for Woodford Reserve.

The Woodford Reserve ‘Singapore Barrel Selection’ will be bottled by early 2020 and the limited-edition bottles made available for sale online through local distributor Malt & Wine Asia. Pre-orders are highly recommended.