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Chris Morris, is Master Distiller for Brown-Forman Corporation, the seventh since the company began in 1870. A Louisville native, Morris has spent most of his working life promoting Brown-Forman brands. He is responsible for providing taste profiles many Brown-Forman whiskies, including Early Times, Old Forester, Canadian Mist, as well as the super-premium Woodford Reserve bourbon. He is also responsible for providing brand managers with the resources they need to maintain the highest marketing standards. Additionally, he serves as brand ambassador for Brown-Forman at numerous trade and consumer functions. Morris has grown up around bourbon his whole life. His dad was a production manager, and his mother worked in the art department at Brown-Forman. His career with Brown-Forman began in 1976, as a trainee in the Central lab working for Master Distiller, Lincoln Henderson. In 1988, he transitioned to Glenmore Distilleries Company, where he worked as brand manager for their North American Whiskies Group. Morris joined United Distillers through their acquisition of Glenmore in 1991 and quickly assumed the role of Bourbon Portfolio Brands Development Manager, where he developed new bourbon brands, designed and directed sales and trade programs, and served as the company's bourbon brand ambassador on a global basis. While on the road, Morris began his avocation as a spirits historian. "My hobby is whiskey - reading about it, collecting it, visiting sites associated with whiskey. I have hundreds of bottles of whiskey at home; my passion is whiskey." In 1997, Morris returned to Brown-Forman and subsequently was chosen to begin training to succeed Lincoln Henderson as Brown-Forman Master Distiller. "I love keeping involved with the crafting of the brand," says Morris. In a way he compares himself to Brown-Forman's founder, George Garvin Brown, who personally guarded the taste profile of his brands. Morris holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Bellarmine College in Louisville, a master's degree in liberal arts from Texas Christian University, and a master's degree in marketing from Webster University. 
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