For the first time on Australian shores, 100 Australians will have the chance to taste whiskies from Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Experimental Collection.
Buffalo Trace Distillery has partnered with four Adelaide restaurants to create the Experimental Collection Passport, a tasting experience of four experimental releases.
The Experimental Collection debuted in 2006 and is now comprised of 26 unique experiments. Each expression in the Collection is created with innovative changes in the mash bill, types of wood, barrel treatment, and more. Due to the trial-and-error nature of the collection, , these whiskeys are released periodically and sold on a limited basis.
“The Experimental Collection is a prime example of our commitment to ‘Honour Tradition, Embrace Change.’ It is not about breaking the rules of bourbon; in fact, 95 per cent of our experiments stay within the confines of traditional methods of making whiskey. We conduct this research to better understand the variables that affect our final flavour profiles,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller.
The Experimental Collection Passport features:
- Organic 6 Grain Whiskey: a remarkable bourbon with a distinct mashbill of six unique organic grains: corn, buckwheat, brown rice, sorghum, wheat and rice.
- Made with Oats: aged for almost 10 years in freshly-charred white oak barrels, the tantalising complexity of this bourbon made with corn, malt and oats will delight your taste buds with its pleasant and complex smoky nose and rich aroma of toasted oats.
- Oversized Barrel:madewith Buffalo Trace’s flagship rye bourbon mashbill and holding all other variables constant, this bourbon waslaid to rest for nearly nine years in a 500L charred white oak barrel – more than double the size of a standard 200L barrel, resulting in a more tannic, oaky and dry flavour profile.
- Single Oak Project:an experiment focused on directly comparing the impact of seven critical variables. The Buffalo Trace coopers constructed 192 barrels from 192 unique tree sections, with each stave seasoning varied and charred differently. These single oak barrels were then filled with different recipe whiskeys, at various entry proofs and aged in a variety of different warehouse styles. None of the 192 bottles in the complete set are exactly alike, offering a total of 1,396 taste combinations.
“We’re thrilled to make these unique experiments available to Australian whiskey enthusiasts for the first time,” Harlan enthused.
Guests will includes a nip of each experimental, a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned cocktail on arrival, and tastes of each Buffalo Trace’s flagship whiskeys also served at each venue: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old Bourbon, Sazerac Rye and Weller Special Reserve Wheated Bourbon. The tasting experiences will be hosted at NOLA, Bad Dog, La Louisiane, and Memphis Slim’s House of Blues, with tickets available from September 1 to 30, or until sold out.
