Village Wine Barrel Selection: Woodford Reserve

Elizabeth McCall: Woodford Reserve Master Distiller

We have just received our most recent single barrel of Woodford Reserve. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as we observe Women’s History Month once again celebrating the women who make the beverage industry what it is today. Female leaders, owners, importers, winemakers, brewers, and of course distillers!

Woodford Reserve has announced the appointment of Elizabeth McCall as master distiller, succeeding Chris Morris. McCall becomes only the third person to hold the title in the brand’s 26 year history, with Morris assuming the role of master distiller emeritus and remaining an essential part of the Woodford team.

A position she’s been training for over the last decade, McCall will oversee the quality and innovative efforts of the brand and its products. She will also lead the brand’s special, rare bourbon releases, including both the Master’s Collection and Distillery Series.

Her path to this appointment begun in 2009, when McCall joined Brown-Forman, Woodford’s parent company, as a member of the research & development department. This role included setting up tasting panels to ensure the product’s quality. 

Speaking on her appointment, McCall said: “I am humbled to stand upon the foundation built by Chris Morris, who is one of the most well-known and respected Master Distillers in the world. I look forward to following in his footsteps and crafting the world’s finest bourbon.”

Morris took McCall under his wing for mentorship in 2015 in preparation and spoke of his proudness: “I am proud of and confident in Elizabeth’s ability to maintain the award-winning flavour profile of the Woodford Reserve family into the next generation. Her inquisitive nature bodes well for those who have come to expect innovative flavor concepts from our Master’s Collection and Distillery Series offerings. The future couldn’t be more promising for Woodford Reserve.”