This Valentine’s Day, Woodford Reserve has partnered with Phillip Ashley Chocolates to showcase how perfectly bourbon pairs with chocolate.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon is known for its rich flavor profile full of sweet aromatic flavor notes. To highlight those flavors, Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall designed a tasting guide that includes three different chocolate pairings that will accentuate specific characteristics of the bourbon: white chocolate, milk chocolate with almond, and sea salt dark chocolate.
To bring this experience to a new level, the Kentucky distillery partnered with Phillip Ashley, a renowned Memphis, Tennessee chef, who specializes in crafting custom-made chocolates. He created four confections specifically to be paired with Double Oaked.
“Chef Phillip is a true master. He did an extraordinary job bringing all of the flavors found in Woodford Reserve Double Oaked to life,” Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said. “By focusing on the non-sweet aromatic notes in the bourbon – wood, grain, spice, and fruit and floral – he provides an elegant way to train the palate to taste these nuances.”
Chef Ashley’s Double Oaked-inspired offerings are hand-painted in jewel tones, and include: white chocolate with a strawberry smashed, milk chocolate with orange and vanilla bean, blonde chocolate with caramel apple finished with sea salt, and a maple-infused dark chocolate.
The chocolates will be used in special bourbon tasting events around the country. A limited number will be sold at Woodford Reserve Distillery this month along with a special Double Oaked and chocolate tasting experience. Additionally, Woodford launched an Instagram sweepstakes to give away two boxes of chocolates to 20 winners. The winners will also be invited to an exclusive private virtual tasting experience with McCall and Chef Ashley.
“Woodford Reserve Double Oaked has long been a favorite drink of mine,” Chef Phillip Ashley said. “These chocolates I created highlight the incredible flavors in the bourbon and transform the tasting experience.”
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon is available for $54.99.
