Buffalo trials

[Sally Toms]

Buffalo Trace has released a collection of unique experimental whiskies.
Since the distillery began experimenting 17 years ago, it has produced more than 1,500 barrels of experimental whiskey.

Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood, barrel toasts, and so on. Now for the first time, Buffalo Trace will bottle a few of these experimental barrels.

There will be just 400 bottles of each. The new whiskeys are:

1. French Oak: Ten years in a French Oak gives the whiskey a sugary sweetness and dark caramel colour.

2.Twice barrelled: After aging this bourbon for eight years and eight months, this whiskey was put into a brand new barrel. This whiskey has lots of oak and has a long warm finish.

3. Fire Pot Barrel: The barrel was heated for 23 minutes to dry the wood. The whiskey has a smoky nose, and fruit and tobacco on the palate.

[PuckJunkie]

Sounded great, but although retail price was under $50 for each bottle (375ml bottles, by the way), the collection of three is going for about $400 on eBay. When you can find them. Ouch!

Puck

[Deactivated Member]

Buffalo Trace produced a single -- as in "one" -- barrel of each of these experimentals. The three barrels together provided 100 12-bottle cases (4 375ml bottles of each experiment), which Buffalo Trace directed (with distributor cooperation) to favored "best" retailers. Many of the bottles either went into the retailers' private collections, or went out the door to the retailers' best/favorite customers. Few were presented at retail.
I've related all that to try to dampen enthusiasm to 'get some'. It's already too late, since they were released about 2 months ago. Either you get extremely lucky because you know someone who has them, or you pay eBay prices. These simply ARE NOT available generally.
I spoke to Elmer T. Lee (retired BT master distiller) about them, and he implied that the only one worth tasting, anyway, is the one aged in French Oak. It is unique and good, he says. The Fire Pot is hard to distinguish from any other well-aged bourbon, according to Elmer, and the Double Barrel is over-oaky and over-aged, he said.
I've tasted an example of the next round of 'experiments' during a visit to BT's lab, and it was very tasty. Though I cannot divulge it's 'uniqueness', I will say that it is aged in a manner that will keep it from being called bourbon (at least, without a qualifier, a la "Distiller's Masterpiece").

[PuckJunkie]

Thanks for all the info! I found this part especially comforting:

...I spoke to Elmer T. Lee (retired BT master distiller) about them, and he implied that the only one worth tasting, anyway, is the one aged in French Oak. It is unique and good, he says. The Fire Pot is hard to distinguish from any other well-aged bourbon, according to Elmer, and the Double Barrel is over-oaky and over-aged, he said. ...

At least I'm not missing out on something incredibly unique. The Fire Pot actually sounded really interesting, so it's good to know I probably shouldn't ante up for a bottle!

Puck

[BourbonDrinker]

Did anyone ever wind up finding and trying any of these. Despite what I've read I'm still very curious about them!

[hook55]

Gee! I must be behind in Bourbon makers? never heard of Buffalo trails, don't know if I should mention it here? but I'm drinking Jim Beam Black label, and the one I used to drink is Makers Mark, can't find many really good bourbons and single malts where I am!!

[I_SPEY]

I second that!

[Willie JJ]

I would certainly support any campaign to get the Buffalo free, (or even at a reasonable price).

[JARV]

what did the buffalo do wrong in the first place?

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Buffalo knocked off Springfield .....