Buffalo Trace Warehouse X

[dmarkle]

Now here's something I hadn't run into on this forum... BT's "Warehouse X"...

http://www.experimentalwarehouse.com/

Found it off Wired's new article about another process for making what will likely be nasty whiskey quickly. Stop me if you've read this before...

[tanstaafl2]

Yes, I think I first recall hearing about this here last fall or maybe on Chuck Cowdery's blog.

[Phil T]

If you've taken the hard hat, you've heard of "x". They are experimenting with different mashbill variations of all kinds, and now warehouse variations. They built the warehouse up on the hill, pretty cool.

[dmarkle]

Ugh. What is wrong with me. I should have checked Chuck's blog first!

[jonnyd]

In addition the article from Wired seemed to have some factual issues. BT isn't looking to accelerate the process as much as they are trying to perfect it (insofar as it is possible to do so.) Also unless I read it incorrectly the author stated that bourbon barrel staves were kiln dried exclusively. We know that is not the case.

[squire]

Yeah, there's been some talk about it, basically a laboratory to study the science of aging. BT isn't looking to reinvent the wheel, rather make it smoother, rounder and roll faster.

[cowdery]

Warehouse X has five zones, including one that is open to the elements. Each holds about 25 barrels. They can control for sun, humidity, temperature, and airflow.

[jmj_203]

Very cool, I love to see some controlled variables being applied to aging. Being an engineer by trade, I tend to view things a certain way and always wondered why there hasn't been more study behind the idea that every barrel ages differently based on location, temperatures, humidities, etc. Plus I'm a huge fan of BT products already, more so now.

[cowdery]

Mark Brown told me that when they started to do their various experiments, they did a literature search to determine what kinds of research had already been done. They found that virtually all of the research on record was done right after Prohibition and virtually all of it was about how to age whiskey faster.

[sutton]

Solving the problem of aging whiskey faster would be the Holy Grail. Imagine how that de-risks their business. The trade secret value of even partially solving that equation has got to mean tens of millions to the bottom line and better ability to track your demand. That extra flexibility would also mean the ability to take risks on new product offerings to develop new markets. So many dividends.

Makes sense to me to be investing your "R&D" funds in this area. I'm sure that is what was behind the "Single Oak Project" - I give BT props for their investment here - I wonder if this is putting some pressure on the other majors to do their own research, but they are just quiet about it - which also makes sense.

[JDSmith619]

Did the hard hat tour 3 weeks ago...very excited to see what comes from X.