Woodford Reserve has released a new limited-edition bottle, the result of a “happy accident” at the distillery that produced bourbon with a whisper of chocolate notes.

Chocolate Malt Whisper is a Kentucky straight bourbon made immediately after the production of the spirit later released as the 2019 Master’s Collection edition, Chocolate Malted Rye.

Some of the flavor notes from that Malted Rye carried over in the distillate of the next batch of bourbon, the company says. This influenced the flavor profile.

“Sometimes unforeseen developments occur in the distillery that result in great flavors,” says Master Distiller Chris Morris. “This is one of those cases.”

Chocolate Malt Whisper is part of the annual Distillery Series, which Morris created to “push Woodford Reserve’s creative boundaries of whiskeys to the extreme.” Each selection is planned by Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall, and is available for purchase at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and limited Kentucky retailers.

There are three annual releases of the distillery series.

Woodford Reserve Chocolate Malt Whisper has a nose of dark chocolate, dusty cocoa and roasted coffee beans with a hint of citrus oil and mint, the company reports. The palate is smoky roasted cocoa, vanilla beans and dark chocolate sweetened with a drizzle of caramel atop faint fruit and citrus notes. The finish lingers like a chocolate brittle walnut fudge brownie.

Chocolate Malt Whisper Bourbon is 90.4 Proof.

It is available for a suggested retail price of $49.99 per 375-ml. bottle, at the Woodford Reserve Distillery gift shop and select Kentucky retailers.