Sweet Dreams

Every couple of years, Chris Morris, the master distiller at Woodford Reserve Distillery, has an epiphany: by changing just one element of the Woodford Reserve recipe, a whole new bourbon can be born. In 2005, a fourth grain was added to create the Master's Collection Four Grain. In 2007, the usual Bluegrass Cooperage barrels were swapped out for chardonnay barrels, resulting in the Sonoma-Cutrer Finish collection. This year, the Master's Collection was conceived using a sweet mash, as opposed to the ubiquitous sour mash. The result is the 1838 Sweet Mash limited edition bourbon. Although derived from a "sweet mash," the new release is actually more herbaceous and dry than the original. I had the opportunity to try it Monday night at Apotheke, along with a couple interesting cocktails (saffron-infused Woodford Reserve with pomegranate juice, Woodford with bitters and bay leaves). Chris Morris even made sour and sweet mash right before our eyes in big copper pots. It was like chemistry class at the bar, complete with booze geeks at the front and hip slackers up to no good in the back. I was somewhere in the middle.