Over the weekend, I mentioned 1792 Ridgemont Reserve. You might know that the 1792 in the name is a reference to the year that Kentucky became the 15th state. But did you know the bourbon was called “Ridgewood Reserve 1792” when it was released in 2003?
Barton Brands was forced to change the name the following year after Brown-Forman Corp. won a trademark-infringement suit in which it claimed the name and packaging were too similar to its Woodford Reserve brand. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman agreed that the two names “roll off the tongue in the same fashion,” but rejected Brown-Forman’s claim that Barton had copied its logo and bottle designs.
Coffman also allowed Barton to sell any remaining inventory that had been stocked in Kentucky before the lawsuit was filed, so you might see these bottles offered by collectors.
