Buffalo Trace - Experimental Collection

[brewcrew]

I stumbled across the below site and decided to try a few random names and came up with a new Buffalo Trace bottling (BT Experiment French Oak Aged). Does anyone have any information about this?

I am having problems posting the picture so you will have to do the following. Click on the below link. Put in a recent date begin range (I used 1/1/05) and then type a name in Product Name (Buffalo Trace). To see the label click on the TTB ID No. and then Printable Version. If you enlarge the label there is a good deal of info on it.

TTB

[Gillman]

Interesting, seems to have been bottled some time ago, and there was only 1 barrel, so likely (I would think) not intended for commercial sale despite the label registration. Note the barrel was built at ISC from French staves.

Gary

[brewcrew]

I missed the 1 barrel on the label. Makes sense now. I assumed since they registered the label it was for commercial production. I also figured it was new since the label was just registered in Aug 05. Guess I just got a little too excited by the possibility new BT product.

I found that website to be interesting though. I found several new beers on there not released yet but not too much in the way of bourbon.

[TNbourbon]

Seems they poured it a couple of years ago at Malt Advocate's Chicago WhiskyFest, and some other gatherings -- and Marvin nailed it!

Chicago WhiskyFest 2004

[Sweetmeats]

In the Chicago WhiskeyFest thread, there was the following:

He was unhappy with the amount of leaking Buffalo Trace was having with their barrels and very unhappy when one cooperage tried to place the blame for excessive loss of whiskey during aging on "Gobal Warming".

I am now a staunch supporter of saving the environment!

[ChuckMick]

Guess I just got a little too excited by the possibility new BT product.

A few weeks back there was a BT (Bufalo Trace) tasting at the Spinghurst store in Louisville. I was a little early and had a chance to talk with a rather tallish man from BT as he was setting up the display before the MD came in. During the conversation we got around to talking about speciality bottlings BT puts out and how pleased I was at the recent Antique Collection. Well conversation got around to other "special" things BT is doing and he let me know that this year, I believe he said in April or May, that BT is going to release a French Oak bottling and the prince will be ~$400-$500 range. I was shocked.

Is this true? Could Ken Weber, or anyone at BT, talk about this?

I assumed he wasn't pulling my chain and this thread brought that back to the forefront of my little mind.

I better start saving my $ now. If it's like Pappy 23 you need to know someone in order to secure a beauty line this.

Any other info on this from anyone?

ChuckMick

[Ken Weber]

The gentleman in question is John Vereeke, our state sales manager. If you can keep a low profile on this (Mark will kill us if he finds out word has leaked), I can confirm that we will be releasing a few different "experimental" barrels of bourbon and other whiskies within the next month or so. Only a barrel or two exists for each experiment, so distribution will probably be as an exclusive to an account like Binny's or Sam's or ......

Ken

[Rughi]

Only a barrel or two exists for each experiment, so distribution will probably be as an exclusive to an account like Binny's or Sam's or ......

Ken

Or an ad hoc group of bourbon enthusiasts!!!

I'm sure I'm not overstating that I can guarantee we'll even write up reviews for you.

Roger - Don't make me come up with more cheesy song lyrics - Hodges

[clayton]

If these get released to a particular store, please let us know! I'm happy to order it from wherever, but just want to get in on the goods!

[Brennan77]

The spirits buyer at the store I work at called me over to his desk the other day to talk to me about the experimental collection. We've supposedly been put on a short list of stores to receive a case. It looks like the whisky will be in 375ml bottles and will be extremely limited in quantity. There are 4 variations, with one being aged twice or "finished" for 8 months, I believe, in a different barrel. I just skimmed the info on them, but they all sounded very interesting. I can't wait.

[cowdery]

Now that the cat is entirely out of the bag on this, how many of you are looking forward to paying $45 for a 375 ml bottle of "experimental" whiskey?

That said, the French Oak one is quite tasty.

[barturtle]

Well, originally I had heard that it was going to be around $80 for that size so suddenly it doesn't seem so bad, but still might be more than I'm willing to cough up...gonna have to try it first.

[NorCalBoozer]

something tells me most are going to be lucky to find it for $45.

Now that the cat is entirely out of the bag on this, how many of you are looking forward to paying $45 for a 375 ml bottle of "experimental" whiskey?

That said, the French Oak one is quite tasty.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Now that the cat is entirely out of the bag on this, how many of you are looking forward to paying $45 for a 375 ml bottle of "experimental" whiskey?

That said, the French Oak one is quite tasty.

Being in California I don't think that's a decision I'll have to make...

Maybe that's a good thing as I'd hate to be disappointed or even worse really like it and not be able to get anymore........

[camduncan]

Now that the cat is entirely out of the bag on this, how many of you are looking forward to paying $45 for a 375 ml bottle of "experimental" whiskey?

Unfortunately, unless I get someone on the board to grab me a bottle and mail it to me, I'm not likely to see these Downunder.

Having said that, I'd happily pay $45 per bottle for a single bottle of each... The question is, would I pay $45 for a second bottle? :skep:

The other question I'd ask is.... if you really, really like one of these....how many are you going to bunker for later?

[cowdery]

I have to believe that part of what they are doing here is test-marketing some of the ideas they think might have legs. Everyone who has tasted the French Oak, for example, has liked it and it wouldn't surprise me if they have put down a few--maybe a few dozen--barrels of that one, that will be ready in a couple more years. They didn't do this purely for fun--although it was partly for fun--they did it in the hope of hitting on something they can turn into a successful product.

What I think is really exciting is the idea of "experimental" American whiskey actually being marketed. How far we've come.

[bluesbassdad]

I plan to live vicariously through tasting notes provided by a certain bourbon-only newsletter, the editor of which will undoubtedly receive freebies from Buffalo Trace just for that purpose. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[jspero]

That said, the French Oak one is quite tasty.

That is probably the only one I'd be willing to try for that price. Having said that, if I only see one of the varieties, I'd probably pick it up, but not all three.

Jay

[cowdery]

I plan to live vicariously through tasting notes provided by a certain bourbon-only newsletter, the editor of which will undoubtedly receive freebies from Buffalo Trace just for that purpose. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Let's both keep our fingers crossed on that one. From your lips to God's ears.

[Ken Weber]

$45 per bottle!! Wow! The experimental collection consists of French Oak aged, double barrel (aged, dumped, then back in a new barrel), and Firebox (extra crispy chared barrel). The French Oak is very good; the double aged is outstanding; the extra char is just okay.

Still, the price reflects what is happening with Stagg and the rest of the Antique Collection. When we sell the cases we have adopted a policy of making them available to consumers at a fair price. Short supply and large demand drives up the price downstream.

Ken

[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. :cry:

[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.