whiskey

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection – Warehouse Floors Experiment Review

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Buffalo Trace’s latest release in their Experimental Collection looks at the aging process using their wheat bourbon mash bill.  It’s the same mash bill as W.L. Weller and the Van Winkle bourbons.  From their press release:

The Warehouse Floors Experiment was started in 2001, when Buffalo Trace filled 15 barrels with their Wheat Bourbon Mash Bill and placed five barrels on floors one, five, and nine of Warehouse K. This brick warehouse has nine wooden floors in total and was chosen for this experiment due to the variety of tastes it provides during the aging process.

Buffalo Trace Distillery sent me a sample of each.  Here’s how the three bourbons panned out:

FIRST FLOOR

nose:  soft caramel,  slight fruit (maraschino cherries),  surprisingly very little oak

palate:  toffee, caramel, butterscotch, a little fruit

finish:  short & sugary sweet

FIFTH FLOOR

nose:  slight oak,  caramel.

palate:  soft entry followed by caramel, cinnamon, slight oak

finish:  nice and balanced.  Not as sweet as the first floor…  almost bittersweet.  Slightly drier and a tad spicier.  Very nice.

NINTH FLOOR

nose:  sweet oak, caramel, vanilla, smells a bit more robust

palate:  a lot of oak,  sweet (caramel) and a little nutty

finish: dry and spicy

The first floor was not a spicy whiskey.  It was a nice combo of butterscotch, caramel, and fruit.  The fifth floor introduced oak.  It makes a cameo, but wasn’t the star of the show.  It was also slightly spicier than the first floor.  The ninth floor is an oakier and drier whiskey.  The sweetness and oak went back and forth and never really meshed for me.

Also of note is the evaporation differences between the floors, especially compared to a similar earlier experiment using their rye bourbon mash bill.  According to Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, “we noticed a higher evaporation rate on the wheat recipe experiment vs the rye bourbon recipe experiment.  The wheat evaporated between 42-51% over the twelve years, depending on what floor the barrel was aged.  The rye experiment evaporated between 25-49% over the twelve years, with significantly less on the lower floors.  This higher evaporation rate is expected in wheated recipes, but it’s interesting to see it up close with the rye experiment.”

As always, the Experimental Collection is a limited, one-time release.  A 375ml bottle will run you about $46.  This is a great examination of the influence the aging location of a bourbon has on its final flavor. These barrels filled with the exact same distillate sat feet apart from each other and end up as completely different whiskies.  I’d suggest you pick up a bottle of each to taste the differences for yourself, which is what I think is the heart of this release.  However, if you’re in the market for one bottle, I’d stick with the fifth floor.  Highly recommended.

9/10

WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Review

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I’ve seen that bottle of WhistlePig Rye Whiskey on the shelves for a while now.  100% rye. Aged 10 years.  You’ve got my attention.  However for some reason or another, I never seem to walk out of the store with a bottle.  I contacted WhistlePig for a review sample, which they graciously provided.

On the nose, there’s a slight grain quality, salty caramel, oak, sweet grass and even a little citrus (orange).  The entry is slightly hot, with some butterscotch, caramel, nutmeg and spice, and lastly a little vanilla.  I found the finish to be sweet, and moderate in length.  The heat fades quickly and leaves behind a little spice.  Nice.

After tasting WhistlePig, I feel the need to keep a bottle of this on my shelf.  It’s a really a nicely balanced, nicely aged rye whiskey.  The price is just north of $65 for this 100 proof whiskey.  Shame on me for passing on this whiskey in the past.  Pick up a bottle if you’re looking for a tasty, easy-sipping rye whiskey.

8/10  Outstanding!

Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon Review

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Bulleit bourbon is one versatile whiskey.  It’s great neat, but its high rye content makes it outstanding in cocktails.  Best of all, it’s a solid buy for about $25-$30.  In 2013, Bulleit Distilling Company unleashed a version of Bulleit bourbon aged 10 years, which is about 3-4 years older than their standard Bulleit bourbon, and considerably more expensive ($45).  How does the extra time in the barrel change things?  Is it worth the extra cash?

(Bulleit Distilling Company provided a small sample for this review).  Where Bulleit bourbon is dry and spicy, its 10 year old sibling Bulleit 10 is a bit more balanced.  On the nose there’s some oak along with spice, vanilla, and a little caramel.  It’s nice.  Taste-wise, I don’t get the alcohol kick I expected at 91.2 proof.  Much less of a kick than its younger brother.  There’s a nice balance of oak and spice, with a little vanilla and caramel.  The finish is a little spicy and sweet, but doesn’t stick around too long.

Overall Bulleit 10 is a tasty, balanced bourbon.  It lacks the big spice of its younger sibling, but evens things out with a little oak.  The whiskey in this bottle is highly recommended, even at $45.  My only gripe is the price.  It’s about $15 more than standard Bulleit bourbon… a fantastic bourbon in its own right.  Bulleit is the better value, but Bulleit 10 is the better bourbon.

8.5/10