Woodford Reserve's Masters Collection is one of those annual releases that genuinely gets me excited. Every year, the team at Woodford pushes boundaries — and the Sonoma Triple Finish is a perfect example of what happens when bourbon craft meets wine country creativity. At 45.2% ABV, this NAS expression has been finished across three different Sonoma County wine casks, and the result is something that sits firmly in premium sipping territory.
Let me be upfront: at £128, this isn't your everyday pour. But the Masters Collection has never been about everyday drinking. It's about what bourbon can become when you let curiosity drive the process. The triple finish concept — running already-mature bourbon through a sequence of wine-seasoned barrels — adds layers of complexity that a standard Woodford Reserve simply can't achieve. Each cask imparts its own character, and the fact that they've sourced these barrels from Sonoma, one of the world's great wine regions, tells you they're serious about the wood influence here.
What I find genuinely interesting about this release is how it bridges two American traditions. Bourbon and California wine are both products of place, climate, and craftsmanship. The triple finishing process means each barrel type gets a say in the final flavour profile, but the base spirit — Woodford's signature bourbon with its high-rye mashbill and copper pot still distillation character — still needs to hold its own underneath all that wine cask influence. At 45.2%, they've bottled it at a strength that gives you enough punch to taste through those finishing layers without overwhelming the palate.
Tasting Notes
I'll hold off on detailed tasting notes for now, as I want to revisit this one a few more times before committing specifics to print. What I will say is that triple-finished bourbons in this style tend to deliver rich fruit-forward qualities layered over that classic Woodford backbone of dried spice and vanilla. The Sonoma wine cask influence should bring a vinous, slightly tannic quality that you won't find in standard bourbon releases. If you've enjoyed other wine-finished American whiskeys, this takes that concept and turns the dial up considerably.
The Verdict
At 8.3 out of 10, the Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish earns its spot as one of the more compelling Masters Collection entries. It's ambitious without being gimmicky, and the price — while steep — is actually reasonable for what you're getting in the context of limited annual releases from major distilleries. Some Masters Collection bottlings have felt like experiments for experiment's sake. This one feels like it has genuine purpose behind it. The Sonoma connection gives it a story worth telling, but more importantly, it gives the whisky a character that justifies seeking it out. If you collect Masters Collection releases or you're a bourbon drinker looking for something that genuinely pushes the category forward, this deserves your attention.
Best Served
Pour this one neat in a Glencairn or a wide-rimmed tasting glass at room temperature. Give it a solid ten minutes to open up — triple-finished whiskeys often need that breathing time for all the cask influences to settle and introduce themselves properly. If you want to experiment, a few drops of water will help tease out whatever fruit character the Sonoma casks have contributed, but I'd taste it without water first. This is absolutely not a mixing bourbon at this price point. Savour it slowly after dinner, maybe alongside a square of dark chocolate or some dried stone fruit. That's where a whisky like this really shines.
