Woodford Reserve, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby, is honoring "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" with the release of its 2023 commemorative Kentucky Derby bottle. This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's stunning 1973 Derby win, still the fastest in history at 1:59 2/5.

1999 Woodford Reserve's Derby bottle has been an annual collector's item anticipated by bourbon and racing fans since 1999. Woodford Reserve, “Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby,” is crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery, tucked in the heart of thoroughbred country in Versailles, Kentucky.

Woodford Reserve has been the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby” since 1999 and the presenting sponsor for the past four years. “We are thrilled to welcome back Woodford Reserve as the presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby for the next five years,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI.

Woodford Reserve Every year, Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, releases a limited-edition bottle featuring the work of a noted artist.

The Kentucky Derby is an event like no other. It's a celebration of the finest thoroughbred horses, their impressive abilities, and the people who have made it all possible. A combination of skill, luck and determination guides the horse and jockey to the winning post.

The Derby, now run annually the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, is the oldest consecutively held thoroughbred horse race in the United States. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes comprise the coveted Triple Crown of U.S. horse racing.

The perfectly balanced flavor of Woodford Reserve comes from a careful batching process of whiskey distilled in pot stills and whiskey distilled in column stills. No other whiskey can boast such a flavor combination.

History. The county was formed from a part of Fayette County, Virginia in 1788. It was named for William Woodford, an American Revolutionary War general from Virginia who died while a prisoner of war in 1780. It was the last of the original nine counties established that formed the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792.

Woodford Reserve is crafted from a grain recipe of 72% corn, 18% Rye, and 10% malted barley. This recipe balances the sweetness of corn with the spice of rye, and the nuttiness of malt to build the base for the world's most flavorful bourbon.

Brown-Forman would name their new bourbon after Woodford County, the country in which it is produced. In 2005, the Labrot and Graham Distillery was renamed the Woodford Reserve Distillery and is recognized as the oldest distillery in Kentucky.

The Mint Julep The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century.

Kentucky sits on a bed of gorgeous blue limestone, which makes the ideal building block for bourbon. When water flows through the rock, it picks up minerals that add personality and flavor. Limestone also acts as a filter, eliminating bitter elements such as iron.