Buffalo Trace has announced the release of two new bourbons as part of two collections in its lineup, according to recent reporting. The distillery is cementing its 27-year-long Single Oak Project as a permanent product line with the debut of Single Oak Rye Bourbon. It is simultaneously releasing Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon as part of its Experimental Collection. The highly limited rollout for both newcomers will begin this month.
The release of Single Oak Rye Bourbon is part of the distillery’s Single Oak Project, which was launched in 1999 to experiment with and isolate seven variables in whiskeymaking including mash bill, entry proof, and warehouse type. The initiative gets its name from Buffalo Trace’s decision to work with a specific section of oak trees. In 2011, the distillery released the resulting 192 bourbons and invited consumers to taste them and vote for their favorite. The specifications of the winning barrel — like bottling at 90 proof after aging in-barrel for eight years — were then mimicked for this new release.
The distillery has yet to announce a release schedule for the now-permanent Single Oak line, nor has it confirmed whether the ensuing bourbons will be made with the same specifications. Single Oak Rye Bourbon comes in 375-milliliter bottles with a suggested retail price of $75 and will have limited availability nationwide. The release’s tasting notes include caramel, vanilla, and baking spices on the nose. Drinkers can expect a palate of toffee, oak, and more spice with a silky, caramel finish.
Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon is the 28th entry in Buffalo Trace’s Experimental Collection since the line’s 2006 debut. The wheated bourbon is barreled at 105 proof — a relatively low entry proof — before aging for 15 years. Evaporation during maturation led to a loss of 62 percent of the original liquid, and it was then bottled at 107 proof.
Brand tasting notes reveal caramel aromas balanced by tobacco and leather, which lead into an oak-heavy, dried fruit palate. The wheated bourbon will only be available at the distillery’s gift shop in Frankfort, K.Y., where consumers can find the 375-milliliter bottles with a suggested retail price of $47.
