Oak Barrel Exclusive Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The Whisky

In an Oak Barrel first, our latest exclusive release is a bourbon - Introducing the Oak Barrel Exclusive Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon: fuller-bodied than standard Buffalo Trace and packed full of dark cherries, toffee, citrus and spice! 

Unlike most Buffalo Trace releases, this is a single barrel expression. It's also 45% abv as opposed to the usual 40% and is delivered in a more generous 750ml bottle. Our selection yielded 264 bottles at 45% abv.

The Story

When former Whisky Educator, Scott Fitzsimons ended his innings at The Oak Barrel, he left us in good stead; with the knowledge that two epic single barrel releases were on their way (North Star Bunnahabhain & Boutique-y Campbeltown Malt)... It came as a welcome surprise then, when we got a call from Southtrade letting us know that our barrel of Buffalo Trace was ready for us - as far as parting gifts go, we reckon this is about as good as they get!

This single barrel was selected well over a year ago, after extensive tasting by Scott (with some help from Andy Milne). It was meant to be released in 2021, however, as is so often the case these days, its release was delayed by external factors. As it happened, the new release date coincided perfectly with Sydney Whisky Fair, where we launched it last week (9th & 10th September '22). 

The longest continuously running distillery in America, and one of the very few that survived Prohibition, Buffalo Trace has something of a cult following. It's home to legendary bourbon releases, such as Pappy Van Winkle and the Buffalo Trace Antiques Collection, as well as gems such as Blanton's, Sazerac, Eagle Rare and of course, Buffalo Trace itself. So popular is Buffalo Trace in the U.S. that bourbon collectors will often cross state lines in the hunt for a bottle! We are fortunate in Australia that we don't have to look quite so hard to find a bottle of Buffalo Trace; though regrettably we also don't have access to the 45% abv readily available in the U.S. It therefore seems fitting that our first ever Oak Barrel exclusive bourbon should not only be a single barrel of Buffalo Trace, but a single barrel Buffalo Trace delivered at 45% abv!

The Tasting Notes

The Oak Barrel’s Tasting Notes

An amalgam of notes from The Oak Barrel team... 

Nose:

Josh: Toffee, morello cherries, cumquat and vanilla.

Peter: Powerful spice drive, vanilla and nutmeg, toffee and some orange marmalade.

Palate:

Josh: Cherry strudle, oak, vanilla, baking spice, citrus zest and brown sugar.

Peter: Vanilla, caramel and toasty oak.

Finish:

Josh: Medium length - the cherries linger, finishing dry and with some residual oak. 

Peter: More toffee to finish with a touch of lingering, refreshing menthol.