Other
Chris Morris
Distiller
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Chris Morris holds the title of Master Distiller Emeritus at Woodford Reserve, a role he has held since 2023. His work sits inside a Brown-Forman lineage built around production discipline, sensory language, and controlled expansion of bourbon finishing practice. He has said the idea is to create new and different things with an artisan's touch—things nobody has done before—while maintaining the essence of the distillery that everyone loves. Based in Versailles. “The idea is to create new and different things with an artisan's touch. Things nobody's ever done before while maintaining the essence of Woodford Reserve that everyone loves.” Chris has said.
Career Arc
A distilling career grounded in lab work gives a maker a different relationship to whiskey: raw material, process, proof, maturation, and repeatability are treated as linked variables. After Bellarmine University, Chris Morris joined Brown-Forman's central lab as a trainee in 1976, then moved in 1980 to the production side of the distilling business at Brown-Forman, where he worked through 1988. Woodford Reserve’s late-1990s development placed production knowledge in conversation with house style and mentorship. From 1997, Chris Morris was an understudy to Lincoln Henderson at Woodford Reserve, a role that put him close to decisions around whiskey making, maturation, and flavor direction. Since 2023, he has held the title of Master Distiller Emeritus at Woodford Reserve.
The Work Today
Finishing work in bourbon depends on whether secondary wood can add structure without obscuring the base spirit. Chris Morris is credited with creating the world’s first bourbon finished in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir barrels, and with developing the world’s first maple barrel. Those projects expanded the conversation around what finishing and barrel selection could do within bourbon. Sensory documentation is part of production communication, not just consumer language. Morris is credited with introducing the term “tasting notes” for bourbon and documenting dozens for use. His signature works include the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Woodford Reserve Rye, the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, and including the Maplewood edition from 2009.
Signature
Signature spirits include Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Woodford Reserve Rye, and Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection.
Standing
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame recognition places a distiller inside the formal record of the state’s bourbon trade. Chris Morris’s honors include Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, reflecting his work across Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve, bourbon finishing, and flavor documentation.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Chris
What does Chris Morris currently do?
Chris Morris is master distiller at Woodford Reserve.
Where did Chris Morris train or study?
Chris Morris trained at Bellarmine University.
What recognition has Chris Morris received?
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
