May 10th, 2011

Review: Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection “Rediscovered Barrels”

John Hansell

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection “Rediscovered Barrels”
When Buffalo Trace acquired the Old Charter brand, barrels of whiskey came with the deal. Here are three that they “rediscovered.” They’re old for bourbon, so you’re going to find a good dose of wood in their flavor profile.

BTEC “Rediscovered Barrels,” 1993 vintage, 17 year old, 45%, $47
Richly flavored and surprisingly sweet on the nose and front of the palate. A tactile whiskey: creamy, yet becoming resinous toward the finish. Notes of vanilla saltwater taffy, roasted nuts, tobacco, and molasses. An intriguing whiskey, and my favorite of the three. 

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 90

 BTEC “Rediscovered Barrels,” 1991 vintage, 19 year old, 45%, $47
Quite bold and crisply spicy. The most palate-piercing of the three. Well defined flavors of cool mint, warming cinnamon, honey-kissed fruit, and caramel. Briskly spicy finish. When I nose this whiskey, it feels like it’s brandishing a sword at me and shouting “en garde!”

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88

BTEC “Rediscovered Barrels,” 1989 vintage, 21 year old, 45%, $47
A surprising amount of sweetness to balance the wood spice. Notes of pencil shavings, glazed fruit, candy corn, vanilla fudge, and bold polished leather on the finish.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 89

Category: Bourbon,New Releases,Reviews Tags: 14 Comments

February 28th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Top Ten New Whiskies”

John Hansell

There were many great whiskies released in 2010, and it’s good to know that (in an era of rapidly increasing prices) several of them are less than $100. Eight of the whiskies below were rated “Classic” status (95 points or higher); two more just missed it, with ratings of 94. Here they are, listed alphabetically:

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, 1995 Vintage, “American Oak Chips Seasoned,” 45%, $47/375ml
Surprisingly light and fresh for a 15 year old whiskey. Crisply spiced, with hints of dried fruit, kissed with light honey and a wisp of smoke. Balanced and clean throughout, and very drinkable.

Compass Box Flaming Heart (10th Anniversary bottling), 48.9%, $105
A marriage of seven different whiskies from three distilling regions (Highland, Islay, and Island) aged in both American and French oak casks. It demonstrates the advantage of marrying whiskies from more than one distillery. More smoke and tar on the palate than the nose, yet always in balance. Well played!

Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, 40%, $70
Perhaps the finest Canadian whisky we have ever tasted. Creamy and seamless from beginning to end. Forty Creek whiskies have always been very good, but none have ever had the right stuff to reach classic status. Until now, that is. An outstanding, very distinctive whisky!

George T. Stagg, 71.5%, $70
Very close to last year’s release in personality, with great balance between the sweetness, spice, and fruit. Nicely structured too, with clearly defined flavor notes. A great value, considering it’s almost the equivalent of two bottles of bourbon if diluted.

GlenDronach Grandeur, 31 year old, 45.8%, $700
The new ultra-mature release, following its 33 year old predecessor (bottled by previous owners). It’s nice to see the higher ABV. Very soothing. Quite deep on the nose, and viscous (almost sappy) on the palate. I like that it’s sherried, and the sherry is kept in balance.

Glenfarclas, 40 year old, 46%, $460
Glenfarclas has a solid reputation for aging very well. This new 40 year old is proof.  It’s complex and well-rounded, with great depth and no excessive oak. A classic, well-matured Glenfarclas — and a very good value for its age.

Glenglassaugh, 40 year old, 44.6%, $2,525
An excellent example of a very mature, sherried whisky done the right way. Much darker and more decadent than its younger siblings. Tasting this whisky, you know it’s old, but you also know it’s very good.

The Glenlivet Cellar Collection, 1973 vintage, 49%, $1,250
A marriage of three casks, one of them an ex-sherry butt. The sherry is certainly evident, and this one is more sherried than many of the Cellar Collection whiskies. Polished and seamless, with no trace of excessive oak. One of the richest — and finest — Cellar Collections to date.

Sazerac Rye, 18 year old, 45%, $70
An impressive whiskey, and an improvement from last year’s release. It’s soft (for a straight rye), well rounded, and easy to embrace, with tamed spice, subtle date, and polished leather on the finish. An excellent example of a very mature rye whiskey.

William Larue Weller, 63.3%, $70
Very similar to last year’s release. (A good thing, since that one was wonderful!) Very smooth, with layered sweetness, dark fruit, cinnamon, and polished oak on the finish. A whisky of elegance and sophistication. A benchmark wheated bourbon.

Category: Awards,New Releases Tags: , , , , , , , , , 37 Comments

September 15th, 2010

Review: Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 2010 release

John Hansell

There are two again this year. And once again, there’s an interesting contract between the two. I’m liking the lighter, cleaner, more elegant one better. You might have a difficult time trying to find these whiskeys at the suggested retail price listed below, given that they are very much in demand.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, 1995 Vintage, “American Oak Chips Seasoned,” 45%, $47/375ml
Surprisingly light and fresh for a 15 year old whiskey. Crisply spiced, with cinnamon, evergreen, vanilla, anise and teaberry. Hint of dried fruit, kissed with light honey and a wisp of smoke. Balanced and clean throughout, and very drinkable. I’m finding it very hard to find anything to gripe about here. An excellent whiskey!

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 95

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, 1995 Vintage, “French Oak Barrel Aged,” 45%, $47/375ml
Dark, big and brooding. A mouthful of oak spice, resin, and leather. Surprisingly (and happily) the oak is never excessive—even on the finish. A mélange of toffee, maple syrup, candied corn props it all up. The flavors aren’t as well defined as its sibling release (reviewed above), and there’s a peculiar hint of “dunnage warehouse” (think damp earth) to it that adds intrigue. A very characterful whiskey worthy of debate.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88

Category: American whiskey,New Releases,Reviews Tags: 18 Comments

August 24th, 2010

Buffalo Trace releases newest Experimental Collection whiskeys

John Hansell

There were several new whiskey releases announced while I was out of the office last week. I’ll get you up to speed on all of them over the next few days.

First up: the two newest Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection whiskeys. Details are below in the press release I received. I tasted both (a few times) informally over the weekend and I like both of them. (Formal review to follow soon.) The contrast between the two is striking.

—————–

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES LATEST ROUND IN EXPERIMENTAL COLLECTION

French Oak Barrel Aged and American Oak Chips Seasoned Whiskeys are Latest in the Collection

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 18, 2010) – After more than 15 years in the barrel, Buffalo Trace Distillery releases the two latest whiskeys in its highly acclaimed Experimental Collection – a French oak barrel aged whiskey and an American oak chips seasoned whiskey. This experiment explores the differences between whiskey that has been aged in a new toasted French oak barrel, versus whiskey aged in a used American white oak barrel that has been seasoned with toasted oak chips. “It’s incredibly exciting to see how experiments like this will turn out, and we’re thrilled to offer these two whiskeys after 15 years,” said Kris Comstock, brand manager for Buffalo Trace.

Both whiskeys were put up April 7, 1995 on the eighth floor of Warehouse K.  Details are as follows:

  • 1995 French Oak Barrel Aged: This barrel was filled on April 7, 1995 and bottled July 21, 2010. Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash Bill #2 was used and the product entered the barrel at 125 proof. After more than 15 years and 3 months of aging, the new toasted French Oak barrel added rich complexity and interesting flavors to this whiskey. The result is a leathery and woody whiskey that has a good depth with a dark, dry finish.
  • 1995 American Oak Chips Seasoned: This barrel was filled on April 7, 1995 with Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash Bill #2 and toasted oak chips were added. After more than 15 years and 4 months of aging, this whiskey was bottled on August 5, 2010. The whiskey in this charred American White Oak barrel derived a smoky complexity from the toasted oak chip seasoning. It is a lighter whiskey for its age and has a good flavor without being heavy.  

“Our Experimental Collection always allows us the opportunity to say “what if… and then to try it and see what happens,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “It’s always great to learn from these experiments and see what works and what doesn’t. And the excitement from our fans as we release a new offering is always gratifying.”

There are more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey now aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each of these barrels has unique characteristics making it different from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, type of wood, and barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery complete with cookers, fermenting tanks and a state of the art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys will be released in August 2010 and retail for approximately $46.35 each. Each experiment is very rare and very limited. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com.

Category: American whiskey,Bourbon,New Releases Tags: 8 Comments

December 8th, 2009

Bourbon and Rye Whiskey drinkers, pay attention: something new!

John Hansell

It wasn’t very long ago when I was lamenting how the Scotch, Irish, and even Japanese whisky industries were being creative and experimentative, while the very traditional and loyal (to the point of being borderline stubborn) bourbon/rye whiskey  industry refused to participate.

Well, times have changed. And it’s no surprise that Buffalo Trace has their fingers in this.

A decade ago I asked why we don’t have four grain bourbon (corn, malted barley, rye AND wheat). Why must it be ryed bourbon or wheated bourbon? Brown-Forman broke that barrier with their Four Grain Master’s Collection several years back. But, there’s more than one way to marry wheat and rye.

#2 Wheat On Rye label crop (Small)Today I received two review bottles of Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection whiskeys. Not from Buffalo Trace, but from The Party Source, a retailer in Kentucky. I’m only going to talk about one of the whiskeys in this post.

It turns out that this bottling is a wheated bourbon that was finished off in a freshly emptied rye barrel. I have not talked to Buffalo Trace or The Party Source yet, but  I gather that the concept here, if I can be so assuming, is to marry the mellow drinkability of a wheated bourbon with the vibrant, spice intensity of a rye whiskey.

You know what? It works. I have only tasted this 8 year old whiskey informally tonight, but the wheated bourbon comes through first on the palate, then the rye emerges as the flavors progress on the palate. And, as an added benefit, this whiskey is bottled at 63.5%, not the typical 45% ABV of previous  Experimental Collection bottlings.

This is certainly exciting on three levels–and all new, as far as I know:

1) I don’t recall a wheated bourbon being finished off in a rye barrel and then bottled.

2) Buffalo Trace appears to be willing to work with retailers, allowing them to create/bottle their own Experimental Collections. How many retailers? I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll find out.

3) It’s bottled at cask strength. A first for the BT Experimental Collection

I’m sure I’ll get a lot more answers in the coming days–both from Buffalo Trace and The Party Source (and maybe other retailers  who are doing the same thing but haven’t told me yet). But, I wanted to let you know what I found out, when I found out. After all, this blog is called “What Does John Know?”

Category: Bourbon,New Releases,Opinions,Rye whiskey Tags: , 25 Comments

October 9th, 2009

New Buffalo Trace Experimenatal Whiskeys: “Double Barreled”

John Hansell

I gave you a preview of these whiskeys here during my visit to the distillery back in September. The releases are now official. I was just sent this press release. I’ll post up my formal review shortly after I get my review samples.

Buffalo Trace releases new round
of Experimental Whiskeys

FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY— It’s time for the next round! After more than twenty years of experimentation, Buffalo Trace Distillery is rolling out more of their sought after Experimental Collection. The release explores what effect “double barreling” has on bourbon whiskey. In these two experiments the bourbon was aged in new, charred oak barrels and then removed after several years, only to fill more new, charred oak barrels.  The full flavor from each of these new barrels was extracted by the whiskey, creating a very powerful result.

Here are some of this experiment’s details:

1. 1993 Double Barreled: These barrels were filled April 4, 1993 and bottled September 15, 2009. Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash Bill #2 was used and the product entered the barrel at 125 proof. The bourbon was removed from its original barrel and re-barreled December 12, 2001. At 16 years and five months of age the finished product has a deep, rich flavor that fully expresses the oak character. The re-barreling has taken it far beyond its 16 years. It has a very strong, powerful finish.

2. 1997 Double Barreled: These barrels were filled November 18, 1997 and bottled September 16, 2009. Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash Bill #2 was used and the product entered the barrel at 125 proof. The bourbon was removed from its original barrel and re-barreled December 12, 2001. At 11 years and ten months of age the finished product has a complex barrel flavor. It possesses a deep caramel color making it pleasing to the eye as well as the palette. It has a very robust start and finishes smooth.

 “I really love the variety in these experimental releases,” commented Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “The end product is so different from one release to the next. I look forward to the new information we garner from each round.”

There are more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey now aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace. Each of the barrels has unique characteristics making it different from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood and barrel toasts.  In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program an entire micro distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks and a state of the art micro still has been constructed within the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskies will be released in late October of 2009 and retail for approximately $46.35 each. Each experiment is rare and very limited. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com.

Category: Bourbon,New Releases Tags: 7 Comments

August 14th, 2009

Two new Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Whiskeys: updated!

John Hansell

Debuting this fall, two “Double Barrel” bottlings. One, a 1993 vintage. The other, a 1997 vintage.

Both are ryed bourbons. Both were aged in new charred oak barrels for 8 years, and then re-barrelled into new charred oak barrels again for the rest of their life span.

I tasted both today. Not enough time to go into detail now, but will fill you in on these two–and the entire new Buffalo Trace Antique collection, which I also tasted–in the near future.

Updated:

Here are my “tweets” on these two whiskeys soon after I tasted them yesterday. These are informal thoughts, based on cask samples, not the final (lower-proof) dressed bottle. They haven’t been bottled yet. I’ll provide a more formal review of the final product later.

1997 Vintage Double Barrel BT Experimental Collection. Aged 8 yrs. then again in in virgin charred oak barrels. Very woody, but drinkable.

1993 Vintage Double Barrel BT Experimental Collection. Aged 8 yrs. then again in in virgin charred oak barrels. Over the line in oak. Avoid!

Category: Bourbon,Breaking news,New Releases Tags: 6 Comments

June 2nd, 2009

New Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection whiskeys

John Hansell

I tweeted about this last Thursday when I received the press release. (My tweets are displayed on the right margin of this blog site.) Here’s the full press release.  I should be receiving review samples this week and will let you know my thoughts after I taste them.

What’s next? After more than twenty years of experimentation, Buffalo Trace Distillery is rolling out the latest release of the prized Experimental Collection. This round of tinkering was conducted to find out how barrels with different wood grains affect bourbon aging. In particular, what impact do barrels made from fast-growth oak trees with coarse grain patterns have on bourbon aging, versus barrels made with slow-growth trees with fine grain?

Here are some answers to that question:

1. FINE GRAIN OAK: These barrels were filled July13, 1994 and bottled May 7, 2009. Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 was used and the product entered the barrel at 125 proof. After more than 14 years of aging, the slow-growth of fine grain wood concentrated the sugars and imparted extra doses of caramel and vanilla.  The bourbon is rich and exceedingly sweet with an almost syrupy character.  It also has a nice balance of flavors and complexity.

2. COARSE GRAIN OAK: The filling and aging time on these barrels is the same as with the fine grain. After nearly 15 years in the barrel, this whiskey is dry with a balance of smokiness and wood with herbal qualities. The finish is quick and woody and it is slightly heavy with a powerful complexity.

“We continue to learn new and interesting information from these experiments. We never know how they are going to turn out,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “It’s also great to see the excitement that surrounds these releases. The customer feedback is great.”

There are more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey now aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace. Each of the barrels has unique characteristics making it different from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood and barrel toasts.  In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program an entire micro distillery complete with cookers, fermenting tanks and a state of the art micro still has been constructed within the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskies will be released in late May of 2009 and retail for approximately $46.35 each. Each experiment is rare and very limited. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com.

Category: Bourbon,New Releases Tags: 13 Comments



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