Woodford Reserve’s historic Pepper House is new home to bourbon barrel program

The historic Pepper House at Woodford Reserve has been officially restored and will be the home of the Kentucky bourbon distiller’s Personal Selection barrel program, Woodford Reserve officials unveiled in a special press conference Friday.

A personal selection barrel is when someone blends two barrels or liquor together, creating a unique combination. Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said restaurants, bars, liquor stores and individuals from across the world will come to the distillery to create different combinations of Woodford Reserve bourbon.

“I believe it is a fitting tribute to the Pepper family to reuse this house in modern ways,” McCall said.

The Pepper House, a National Historic Landmark, was originally a log cabin that was built in 1812 by Elijah Pepper. The cabin was built on a hill above Glenn’s Creek, where the first distillery and grist mill were located.

In 2013 archaeologists began excavating around the property rummaging through trash. Kentucky Archaeological Survey Co-Director Dr. Kim McBride said garbage can paint a picture of what a society’s culture and socioeconomic status looked like.

Archaeologists found a variety of nineteenth to twentieth-century artifacts around the kitchen/slave house, such as a billiard ball, smoking pipes, mouth harps and harmonica parts. Only a few alcohol bottles were recovered at the site.

Since then, Woodford Reserve officials crafted the plan to renovate the house and make it the center of the Personal Selection barrel program. The library of the home was also dedicated to Chris Morris, master distiller emeritus for Woodford Reserve.

The historic Pepper House, built in 1812, is on the grounds of Woodford Reserve Distillery. The house has undergone extensive renovations and will become home to the distillery’s Personal Selection program. A dedication for the Pepper House was held Friday, June 28, 2024, at the distillery in Woodford County, Ky.

Guests explore the tasting room at the historic Pepper House, built in 1812, at Woodford Reserve Distillery. The house has undergone extensive renovations and will become home to the distillery’s Personal Selection program. A personal selection barrel is when someone blends two barrels or liquor together, creating a unique combination.

Lawson Whiting, President and CEO of Brown-Forman, the company that owns Woodford Reserve, said the renovation of the Pepper House would not have been possible without Morris.

McCall added Morris has been talking about restoring the Pepper House for as long as she can remember.

“I recall the first time he brought me here many years ago, the house was in serious disrepair. It was filled with many little critters and we were questioning how will we ever get it to stand and will anyone understand the true value and potential of this home,” McCall said. “Just as crafting a flavorful bourbon takes time, so did the restoration of the Pepper House.”

After the dedication Morris, who is a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and has worked with Brown-Forman for over 50 years, led a toast to the renovated pepper house. The toast featured Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky Derby 150 Baccarat, a special edition spirit that was twice-barreled.

The toast was given to Kentucky bourbon’s rich heritage and history.

“May it be ever respected, recognized, preserved and promoted so that Kentucky bourbon’s future continue to be bright,” Morris said.

Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve master distiller emeritus, offers a toast during at a dedication of the historic Pepper House, built in 1812, at Woodford Reserve Distillery. The house has undergone extensive renovations and will become home to the distillery’s Personal Selection program.

Whiting also announced Brown-Forman will donate $25,000 to the Woodford County History Room at the Woodford County Library. The donation will help the library establish a digitization station that will include, “state of the art scanning equipment, enabling the creation of high-quality digital images of historical documents,” Whiting said.

Going forward Brown-Forman will continue to invest in Woodford Reserve, Whiting said.

“It’s one of the things I’m proudest about with what’s happened in my career in the last 27 years,” Whiting said of Woodford Reserve’s advancements.

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