Buffalo Trace - Experimental Collection

[Grant]

Back on Feb 26 2006 I found the Buffalo Trace webcams - and happened to spot some very large push carts filled with some interesting looking bottles - so I zoomed in on them and noticed they contained bottles of Experimental Collection Bourbon.

The carts were placed in a location in a room that was lit poorly - so I could only read a few of the labels that were pointing towards the webcam.

I assume that the 2 attached images are examples of what this thread is all about. I have some other examples if anyone is interested.

Enjoy.

[bluesbassdad]

I love those labels. I'd buy production bourbon with such labels. Much better than those that contain folklore about historical figures and places combined with a flowery restatement of the legal definition of bourbon.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[Gillman]

I agree, those labels are great. Why not release them as is (with anything legally required added of course)? Sometimes a simple, natural approach is best.

Gary

[CrispyCritter]

I'd be very interested in picking up one - the French oak and double-aged sound especially good - but, at $45/375 ml, it's very close to the top of what I'd pay for any whiskey. My hard limit is $100 for a 750, and I've only hit that with Ardbeg 1977 and come close with Glenrothes 1974.

I'm wondering if I'll even manage to see any of these on the shelf, though, given the way Saz 18 disappeared so quickly.

[SBOmarc]

Reading this thread with great interest, while knowing full well that this may be the only way for me to learn about them. No way that any of these find a way out to CA. All my hopes are on Binny's. May be my only chance and I must say I've gone to bed with better thoughts.

[TNbourbon]

Personally, I suspect many of them will never see a retail shelf. It's my understanding BT is directing them to specific, valued retailers in small quantities of under half-a-case -- many times just a bottle or two. Thus, many likely will go directly into those retailers' private collections, or be sold privately to those retailers' best customers.
In short, any one of us is just going to have to get lucky, and be the right person at the right place at the right time.

[NorCalBoozer]

I wish all distilleries would at least put the barrelled date and bottled date on labels....as we can see with items like some of the Van Winkles, its going to become impossible to know which verision we have and now whats on the selves is unknown. Not that one is worse or better, but we just won't know unless we bought it before the change, but even then we'd have to make sure to note it somehow.

Everything is the same except what's in the bottle. Thats why I wish we could have the dates on there.

I love those labels. I'd buy production bourbon with such labels. Much better than those that contain folklore about historical figures and places combined with a flowerly restatement of the legal definition of bourbon.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[TMH]

I wish all distilleries would at least put the barrelled date and bottled date on labels

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought most bottles without a barrel date are from several barrels with different ages, which is done in order to meet the brand taste profile.

I'm honestly a little disappointed with what I've seen so far of the experimental collection. I was excited about it until I saw the pictures and read the bottle proof and saw "chill filtered" on the label. Why go all the way to make an unusual product and charge a premium price if you are going to turn it into a regular product in the end? Does anyone know if any of the bottles will be barrel proof or non-chill filtered? Perhaps I'll have to wait for the Signatory bottlings.

[gothbat]

They definitely sound interesting but I’m kinda turned off about the small bottle size and, to a lesser extent, the $45 - $50 price tag. I know the size is small because they are so limited but for some reason spending 2x the price on a regular size bottle is more appealing and considerable to me. If I saw one for sale and the price wasn’t too jacked up I’d probably buy it, after all they do sound intriguing, but I don’t think I would go out of my way to get one even if I lived somewhere where it seemed possible that a store within a 50 or 60 mile radius might have one.

[NorCalBoozer]

Hi Tim, good point about different aged bourbons. I would at least appreciate a bottled date for those that are mixtures of different barrel years. Just that bit of information would be of great value.

What if Sazerac or ER 17 didn't have a bottle year on it? The bottles would be of less value because you couldn't be able to differentiate and taste test year vs. year.

on the flip side, something like Pappy 20, Lot B, the Old Rips, etc would reach a higher value by giving year by year differentiation.

Seems like an easy thing to do that would benefit both the consumer and distiller.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought most bottles without a barrel date are from several barrels with different ages, which is done in order to meet the brand taste profile.

I'm honestly a little disappointed with what I've seen so far of the experimental collection. I was excited about it until I saw the pictures and read the bottle proof and saw "chill filtered" on the label. Why go all the way to make an unusual product and charge a premium price if you are going to turn it into a regular product in the end? Does anyone know if any of the bottles will be barrel proof or non-chill filtered? Perhaps I'll have to wait for the Signatory bottlings.