Woodford Reserve has named Elizabeth McCall as Master Distiller, the third in the bourbon brand’s 26-year history. She will succeed Chris Morris, who will assume the role of Master Distiller Emeritus. And while McCall is the not first woman to be named to the Master Distiller role, she is the first for such a major American whiskey brand.
McCall, who has been training for this Master Distiller role for over a decade, will oversee quality and innovation efforts and bring new Woodford Reserve products to market. She will lead the brand’s special, rare bourbon releases, including the Master’s Collection and Distillery Series, bringing her unique touch and point of view to new whiskies.
McCall said she is deeply honored to take the baton from her mentor and friend, whom she called a legend in the spirits industry. “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,” McCall said. “I look forward to following in his footsteps and crafting the world’s finest bourbon.”
Morris began mentoring McCall to take the Master Distiller role in 2015, when she became Master Taster. McCall became Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller in February 2018.
“I am proud of and confident in Elizabeth’s ability to maintain the award-winning flavor profile of the Woodford Reserve family into the next generation,” Morris said. “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.”
McCall joined Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve’s parent company, in 2009 as a member of the Research & Development department. She began her career setting up tasting panels to ensure quality and consistency with the company’s products.
She follows in her mother’s footsteps and is the second generation of her family to work in the spirits industry after earning her master’s degree from the University of Louisville. McCall and her husband, Matt, live in Louisville and have one child.
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