The art of making fine bourbon first took place on the site (originally established by Elijah Pepper) of the Woodford Reserve Distillery in 1812. Under the guidance of industry icon, Lincoln Henderson, the Woodford Reserve brand was first introduced to the market in 1996. Woodford Reserve comes from a mixture of copper pot still spirits produced at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery and column still spirits from the Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky.