Elizabeth McCall

Coming Up

Brown-Forman brought Elizabeth McCall in through sensory work in 2009, and that entry point matters: the job sits at the intersection of taste, aroma, and texture, where whiskey is assessed before it is ever spoken about in the market. That kind of training builds discipline around calibration, consistency, and the small judgments that hold a bourbon together. By 2015–2016, McCall had moved into Master Taster roles at Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, where sensory evaluation became part of the standard-setting work across two core brands. From there, she continued as Senior Quality Control Specialist and Master Taster at Woodford Reserve from 2016–2018, a stretch defined by technical scrutiny and the accumulation of authority that comes from repetition done well. At Woodford Reserve, the work shifted from evaluation to production when McCall served as Assistant Master Distiller from 2018–2023. That role widened the scope from judging whiskey to helping shape it, bringing sensory discipline closer to the distilling process itself. Since 2023, she has been Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve, a position built on years of internal knowledge and on a steady command of the house style.

Where They Are Now

Since 2023, McCall has served as Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve in Versailles, placing her in a role central to one of bourbon’s most closely watched houses. The appointment made her one of the youngest female master distillers connected with the brand, and it followed a progression from sensory analysis into bourbon development and distilling leadership. The throughline is method: process, detail, and the distinctions that define Woodford Reserve. At Woodford Reserve, her work now centers on new product development and innovations in bourbon, with the practical task of extending the brand without flattening what already makes it recognizable. McCall describes that balance plainly: “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.”

Signature

Elizabeth's signature wines include Master’s Collection Sonoma Triple Finish, Distillery Series Toasted Oak Four Grain, Kentucky Derby 150: Baccarat Edition, and Personal Selection.

In Their Words “ 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.” “That was my in into Brown-Forman and into the more science-y, technical side of whiskey making.”