Martha Paige Newsom
CRE 301
October 2014
Rhetorical Analysis Assignment
“The art of making fine bourbon whiskey has taken place on the site of
The Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, since 1812.
We honor this heritage with a truly unique small batch of bourbon of
unparalleled quality” (Woodford Reserve). This quote is found on the side of
every bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey. A Kentucky proud
product, Woodford Reserve, small batch bourbon, is the object of this
analysis. The targeted audience is toward anyone of or above a country’s legal
drinking age whether it is the United States or another country. Bourbon as a
whole has always been a popular choice of alcohol as well as a traditional
trademark of the state of Kentucky.
There are some key components to knowing what makes bourbon
unique. According to the Jim Beam bourbon whiskey website, what sets
bourbon apart from all other whiskeys is:
“Bourbon is kinda like whiskey's "sweet spot." Why? Well, first, because corn
is a sweet grain. The more corn, the sweeter the whiskey. Also, it's tougher to
make bourbon than whiskey. In fact, the government actually has standards
for "Straight Bourbon Whiskey."
By law, bourbon must be:
• Produced in the USA
• Made of a grain mix of at least 51% corn
• Distilled at less than 160 proof (80% ABV)
• No additives allowed (except water to reduce proof where necessary)
• Aged in new, charred white oak barrels
• Aged for a minimum of two years*
 To be called "Straight" bourbon” (Jim Beam 1)
So we see, to officially be called “bourbon”, there are lots of laws and
regulations.
Woodford Reserve distillery is located in Versailles, Kentucky. One can
learn from a distillery tour that it is the oldest of the 9 bourbon distilleries
currently in operation in the state of Kentucky, which began in 1780. The
distillery offers daily tours for people of all ages as well as tastings for anyone
twenty-one and above. Brown-Forman Corporation, headquartered in
Louisville, Kentucky, owns Woodford Reserve, which is the same corporation
that owns Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Korbel
Champagnes, as well as many others. Most everyone has more than likely
heard of those names. So clearly the Brown-Forman Corporation is well
known for their experience in perfecting alcoholic beverages, managing them
and marketing them.
To focus specifically on a bottle of Woodford Reserve, it definitely uses
visual and spatial mode. The bottle is somewhat plain yet elegant,
distinguished and classy. The monochromatic color scheme of brown and tan
are used sporadically on the bottle. The words on the bottle are very few, but
also arranged symmetrically. A label toward the bottom of the bottle tells you
the batch number and bottle number. For people to know that they have
something numbered or special is definitely something appealing to an
audience of an upper class. The bottle doesn’t have large graphic designs all
over it or bright colors, but it does scream “reserve” or elegance. One can
learn from the Woodford Distillery tour that the bottles are all specially made
and the corks are imported and kept simple to reserve it’s distinguished and
classy style.
The name itself says Woodford Reserve, and by definition from
Merriam-Webster dictionary is “to set or have set aside or apart.” This
definition tells what the company wants. They want people to respect their
bourbon and think of it as a superior bourbon in comparison to other brands
of bourbon. An ethos for Woodford Reserve is that the greatest two minutes
in sports, aka the Kentucky Derby, chose Woodford Reserve as their official
bourbon. When a well-established and distinguished event such as the
Kentucky Derby chooses a particular bourbon as their “official bourbon” then
most people will respond positively. That in itself is fantastic advertisement
for Woodford Reserve. Many people love bourbon as well as horse racing,
especially Kentucky natives, and when the two are brought together, it makes
for a great cohesion and establishes a great pathos.
Being the oldest standing and operating bourbon distillery in the state of
Kentucky must mean it’s doing something right, which established Logos as
well as Ethos. Logically, if the distillery has been in operation as long as it has
been, then clearly it is greatly loved. That also gives great credibility, to be
able to say they are the oldest standing and operating bourbon distillery in
the state of Kentucky.
The expected, normal crowd of Woodford Reserve isn’t one that would
be seen from most other bourbon lovers. The bottle’s classy appearance, the
bourbon’s distinguished endorsements, hefty price and it’s simplicity keep it
to a typical upper class crowd. Unlike many other bourbon companies for
example, Wild Turkey has created a bourbon infused with honey called
American Honey. Jim Beam has created many bourbons infused with honey,
cherry, mint, etc…They’ve also created “Devil’s Cut” as well as “Angel Share”
bourbon. Early Times has created a mint julep mixed bourbon in a bottle.
Evan Williams has made Evan Williams Honey, similar to that of Wild
Turkey’s American Honey. Unlike all of these other bourbon companies and
distilleries, Woodford Reserve keeps their bourbon simple. The only variety is
how long the bourbon has been aged or how many barrels in which the
bourbon has aged. Clearly the other bourbon companies and distilleries are
doing well at marketing all of the different flavor infused bourbons to a
younger crowd, but Woodford Reserve’s crowd is typically a crowd that is
older and enjoys the fine spirit of bourbon. Woodford Reserve is certainly not
a type of bourbon that you would typically find at a fraternity party or in a
college dorm.
A first ever advertisement released by Woodford Reserve in 2014, has
received a great deal of mixed reviews. On April 15, 2014, according to
Insider Louisville:
“NEWS | Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve Distillery
Woodford Reserve’s first TV ad panned as ‘sexist and dumb’
Woodford Reserve aired its first television commercial ever during Sunday’s
season premiere of “Mad Men,” and it’s being pretty much universally panned
as “sexist and dumb.”
And when we’re talking sexist, we’re not talking unilaterally. The entire
campaign is equally offensive to men and to women.
But the ad that aired on Sunday is particularly so. It’s called “Bookshelf” and
features a breathy female narrator extolling the virtues of a man who drinks
bourbon. It’s set in that Garden & Gun/Original Makers Club aesthetic, which
was oh-so-pretty about four or five years ago but has been so rung through
the J.C. Penny/Hollister wringer by now that what once subtly hinted at class
and sophistication now shrieks of aspirationalism.
The script reads:
When I see a man drinking bourbon, I expect him to be the kind who
could build me a bookshelf. But not in the way that one builds a readymade bookshelf. He will already know where the lumber yard is. He
will get the right amount of wood without having to do math. He will let
me use the saw, and not find it cute that I don’t know how to use it.
Ad Age talked to Brown Forman’s bourbon brand administrator, who
maintains the ad wasn’t sexist because a lot of women worked on the project.
No really, that’s what Biba Konieczna said: “This is a campaign that has been
largely created by women. The copy was written by a woman … and the
photography was done by a woman and a lot of team members … we are
women.” (Chipman 1,2).
So according to Insider Louisville, many people are finding Woodford
Reserves only advertisement to be sexist and dumb for both genders. To say
that they didn’t necessarily target just one specific gender, means that
perhaps maybe they aren’t being sexist. To be a female, it could seem rather
upsetting for someone to publicize you don’t know how to do something like
using a saw, but it can also seem sexist to a male by making it seem “weak” or
“feminine” to use mathematics with the example of building a shelf.
While Woodford Reserve has not been successful in creating a
commercial advertisement, they do have a nice website, Facebook page,
Twitter account, a Tasting iPad App, and an Instagram. They’re constantly
posting things about events they are attending or will be set up such as at the
Bourbon Social event in Lexington, Bourbon Barrel Foods, Kentucky Bourbon
Festival etc…. They always keep up appearances at any of the bourbon events
or even local, central Kentucky events. They’ve even been hosts at a
bartender’s camp and Woodford Reserve has been featured in many
cookbooks, specifically bourbon cookbooks and has been used to make
bourbon balls by the famous and Kentucky local Ruth Hunt Candy Company.
Woodford Reserve is also a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Woodford Reserve has had multiple features in the Bourbon Review
Magazine and also places print advertisements in many other magazines.
Most of their print advertisements are very simple and plain without
ornamentation. They normally use placement and proportion as well as
monochromatic color schemes for their print advertisements. One would
normally see a large bottle of Woodford Reserve with a dark colored
background. With the bourbon itself being brown, the background being
normally a black or deep navy, and white or cream colored text, the colors are
certainly monochromatic.
For advertisements, Woodford Reserve certainly lives up to it’s name
as being “reserved” by focusing on the bourbon itself instead of lots of
different colors and ornamentation. By only ever having one television
advertisement and still be the oldest standing bourbon distillery, I think that
says a great deal about the bourbon itself as well as the company. That is
great ethos.
In conclusion, bourbon as a whole is very important to society. It is
Kentucky proud as well as America’s official spirit. Specifically, Woodford
Reserve is a well-established bourbon distillery that has surpassed the
standing and opening time of any other distillery, which certainly says a great
deal about their bourbon. Their advertising is limited and minimal, but they
keep up appearances, stay updated on social media, offer distillery tours, and
they’re the official bourbon of the infamous Kentucky Derby. Compared to
most other bourbons, it is easy to see why Woodford Reserve is something
exceptional.
Works Cited
"About Bourbon." Bourbon vs Whiskey: What Is Bourbon? N.p., n.d. Web.
04 Oct. 2014.
Chipman, Melissa. "Woodford Reserve's First TV Ad Panned as 'sexist and
Dumb' - Insider Louisville." Insider Louisville. Insider Louisville, 15
Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
"Reserve." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2014.