Bourbon, Betting & a Wet Victory: Sovereignty Rules the Derby, but Woodford Wins the Crowd 🥃

"It rained horses and bourbon barrels this past weekend..."

The 151st Kentucky Derby came and went in a glorious blur of mint juleps, muddy track shoes, and one heck of an upset for the ink-slingers of the betting world. Sovereignty, the dark horse with a name that sounds more political than pastoral, edged out the odds-on favorite, Journalism, in a heart-thumping, rain-drenched finish.

And while the ponies pounded the turf, one name reigned just as predictably as the Derby itself...

🥃 Woodford Reserve.
Official sponsor of the Kentucky Derby, again.

🥇 How Did Woodford Reserve Nab the Sponsorship Crown?

Simple: history, class, and a little something called presence.

While Kentucky is home to dozens of worthy distilleries—Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and heaven knows how many craft upstarts—Woodford plays the long game. Nestled in Versailles, Woodford isn’t the biggest. It’s not even the oldest. But it’s quintessential Kentucky: polished but real, refined but rooted. When the Derby needed a partner that matched its velvet-and-vices reputation, Woodford had the right blend.

They leaned hard into:

• Pristine copper pot stills

• Limestone-rich water

• A triple-distilled method that’s as rare as a sober infield guest

They didn’t just slap their label on the event—they built a story around it. The bespoke Derby bottles? The horse-adorned limited editions? That wasn’t marketing—it was a match made in bourbon heaven.

🥾 What It’s Like to Tour Woodford Reserve

Step onto the grounds and you'll swear you walked into a Civil War-era postcard. You’re greeted by stone buildings older than your granddad’s leather chair. The air is thick with oak and sweet mash. The kind of smell that says, “Things have been done right here for a long time.”

You’ll watch:

• Steam rise off copper pot stills like morning fog on a racetrack

• Whiskey babble through century-old fermentation vats

• Barrels aging in rackhouses that feel more like cathedrals

But it’s the tasting room—where sunlight hits just right, and the glass glows like church glass—that’ll get you whispering, “This... this is bourbon country.”

🥃 The Weekly Pour: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

Skip the Derby bottle—reach for Woodford Double Oaked.
She’s a beauty. Darker than a thundercloud over Churchill Downs and just as dramatic.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Toasted oak, chocolate mousse, burnt caramel

• Palate: Vanilla cream, maraschino cherry, spiced cinnamon bark

• Finish: Long, buttery, and warm as a Southern hug

Perfect for sipping neat or adding depth to your favorite cocktail...

CLICK HERE to add it to your stash—trust me, you'll be more grateful than a Derby champ draped in roses.

🍸 The Art of Mixing: The Toasted Boulevardier

A twist on a classic, turned smoky and seductive.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Woodford Double Oaked

• 1 oz sweet vermouth

• 1 oz Campari

• Orange twist

Instructions
Stir over ice. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish with that orange twist.
Sip slow. Watch the sun set on your sorrows.

📣 Big Lesson of the Week: Favorites Don’t Always Finish First

The Derby reminded us: hype doesn’t always translate to hardware. Journalism had the pedigree. The stats. The whispers in every bourbon-soaked betting booth. But Sovereignty? It had grit.

Same goes in whiskey:

• Not every hyped bottle drinks well.

• Not every dusty label is worth the chase.

• Sometimes the pour you overlooked becomes the one you can’t stop talking about.

So next time you're chasing the bottle with all the buzz—pause. Try something quieter. You might just meet your new favorite.

🥂 Final Toast

To the underdogs who defy the odds,
To the distillers who double down on quality,
To the rain-soaked crowds, the muddy boots, and the bourbon that always shows up—no matter the weather.

🧠 Weekly Proverb

"Smooth doesn't mean safe, and aged doesn't mean slow."

📚 Don’t forget—our “Whiskey, History & 5 Damn Good Stories to Share Over Your Next Pour” is waiting for you.
It’s your cheat code for becoming that person at the bar with stories so good, the bartender stops pouring to listen.

👉 Get the book here.

Which part of the newsletter was your favorite?
Drop a comment, share it with your bourbon crew, or just star it so you can find it next time you’re feeling thirsty.

🍀 Until next pour, stay curious.

Warm barrels & wild stories,
Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. This Friday, I’m uncorking something real special: Three American distilleries making world-class whiskey without a lick of hype. You’ll want to be the friend who says, “I found them first.”

Don’t miss it. 🥃🔥