Buffalo Trace Distillery Whiskey Tasting Pre-Party!

Buffalo Trace is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. Records indicate that distilling started on the site that is now the in 1775 by Hancock Lee (think Hancock’s President’s Reserve Single Barrel) and his brother Willis Lee who died in 1776. The first distillery was constructed in 1812 by Harrison Blanton (think Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon), and the rest is history. Buffalo Trace Distillery, with the most sought-after brands in the world including Pappy Van Winkle and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, is the iconic brand of America’s Spirit.

Enjoy a tasting that includes each of the Buffalo Trace Distillery’s five unique recipes with a local expert walking you through each offering. Consider the option to add other Buffalo Trace offerings for additional suggested donations to expand your at-home tasting experience. Also, consider expanding your at-home experience with rare premium Japanese , also available for additional suggested donations.

Included in the Pre-Party Tasting for a suggested donation of $35:

Buffalo Trace (Mashbill #1)

Ancient buffalo carved paths through the wilderness that led American pioneers and explorers to new frontiers. One such trail led to the banks of the River where Buffalo Trace Distillery has been making the same way for more than 200 years. In tribute to the mighty buffalo and the rugged, independent spirit of the pioneers who followed them, we created our signature Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

TASTING NOTES:

This deep amber whiskey has a complex aroma of vanilla, mint and molasses. Pleasantly sweet to the taste with notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak, toffee, dark fruit and anise. This whiskey finishes long and smooth with serious depth.

Eagle Rare (Mashbill #1)

Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey is masterfully crafted and carefully aged for no less than ten years. Every barrel is discriminately selected to offer consistent flavor but with a seemingly individual personality. Eagle Rare is a bourbon that lives up to its name with its lofty, distinctive taste experience.

TASTING NOTES:

The nose is complex, with aromas of toffee, hints of orange peel, herbs, honey, leather and oak. The taste is bold, dry and delicate with notes of candied almonds and very rich cocoa. The finish is dry and lingering.

Ancient Ancient Age (Mashbill #2)

Since 1946 this bourbon has been held in high regard. 80 proof and distilled from corn, rye and barley malt, it’s smooth and simple, yet robust in its own way. There is much to love about this bourbon that has withstood the test of time.

TASTING NOTES:

Features aromas of corn, caramel, toffee and vanilla. Follows through with many of the same but with a hint of spice and a lingering finish hinting of toffee and citrus.

W.L. Weller Special Reserve (Wheated Mashbill)

The Original Wheated Bourbon Whiskey features an exceptionally smooth taste, substituting wheat for rye grain. Bottled at 90 proof, this bourbon stands out with its burnt orange color. Its softer flavor notes make this bourbon great for sipping or making cocktails.

TASTING NOTES:

A sweet nose with a presence of caramel. Tasting notes of honey, butterscotch, and a soft woodiness. It's smooth, delicate and calm. Features a smooth finish with a sweet honeysuckle flair.

Sazerac Rye (Rye Mashbill)

The One and Only New Orleans Original. Sazerac symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans. Rye Whiskey dates back to the 1800’s, around the time when saloons, veiled as Coffee Houses, began lining the streets of New Orleans. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye Whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became known as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born. This is the whiskey that started it all.

TASTING NOTES:

Aromas of clove, vanilla, anise and pepper. Subtle notes of candied spices and citrus. The big finish is smooth with hints of licorice.

Other Buffalo Trace Wheated Mashbill Bourbons available for a suggested donation:

Old Weller Antique (one ounce sample)

Suggested donation: $10.00 (8 available)

A wheated bourbon with a full-bodied flavor and a balanced palate. Old Weller Antique is bottled at 107 proof, offering a complex taste and bold finish. It’s certainly a recognizable member of the Weller label, with its own unique characteristics to compliment the high proof.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet and unusual floral notes and coupled with vanilla. The taste is very well balanced with sweet fruit notes, strong vanilla undertone and sharp spicy tones, with a cinnamon finish.

W.L. Weller 12 Year (one ounce sample)

Suggestion donation: $15.00 (4 available)

As part of the wheated bourbon family, this twelve year old W.L. Weller is aged far longer than most wheated bourbons. This offering is a smooth, easy-going and balanced offering with a beautiful deep bronze color.

TASTING NOTES: Aromas of lanolin, almond, creamed corn and toasty vanilla. The mid-palate flavor is heavily wheated, layered and moderately sweet. Long, oaky, and intensely smooth fin

Weller C.Y.P.B. (“Craft Your Perfect Bourbon”) (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $30.00 (2 available)

In November 2015 Buffalo Trace Distillery launched its Craft Your Perfect Bourbon (C.Y.P.B.) website, an interactive experience that allowed people to learn about and create their own perfect bourbon. The process allows people to choose a bourbon recipe, placement in the warehouse for aging, number of years to age the bourbon, and final proof for bottling. According to Buffalo Trace, after a little over two years over 100,000 bourbon fans completed this process of crafting their own bourbon.

The majority of respondents chose a wheated bourbon recipe, aged for eight years on the top floor of the rickhouse, and then bottled somewhere between 90-99 proof. Based on this response, Buffalo Trace decided to create C.Y.P.B. under their existing Weller line which consists exclusively of wheated bourbons. The first batch was released in summer of 2018, with additional batches expected annually thereafter.

TASTING NOTES: A light aroma with citrus and oak on the nose. The palate is well rounded and balanced, with a medium-long finish and hints of vanilla. Weller Full Proof (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $30.00 (2 available)

William Larue Weller developed his original bourbon recipe with wheat, rather than rye. Bottled at the same 114 proof the spirit was when it entered into the barrel, this non-chill filtered wheated bourbon forgoes chill filtration to preserve all the naturally occurring residual oils and flavors that occur during the distillation and aging process (potentially making it appear cloudy at cold temperatures). This bourbon balances a rich mouth feel, with robust notes of vanilla and oak. A whiskey that satisfies the demand of the non-chill filtered whiskey enthusiasts, honoring the man who made wheated bourbon legendary.

TASTING NOTES

Having a nose of vanilla, dark cherries and caramel. On the palate, there is a balance of caramel and toasted oak. The finish is said to be long, with notes of crème brûlée and chocolate.

Other Buffalo Trace Mashbill #2 bourbons available for a suggested donation:

Hancock’s President’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $10.00 (6 available)

In 1775, the Leestown settlement was established along the banks of the Kentucky River by Willis and Hancock Lee. Soon this became a well-known shipping port for tobacco, hemp and whiskey. The Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of Hancock Lee.

Tasting Notes

This Single Barrel bourbon whiskey is deep amber in color. The nose is light and sweet with traces of mango and papaya. The body is full and the palate shows a nice balance of honey, clover, fruit and a dash of spice. The finish is long and warm.

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $20.00 (2 available)

Named after Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee, this whiskey is hand selected and bottled to the taste and standards of Elmer T. Lee himself. Perfectly balanced and rich, as declared by the man who knows how great bourbon should taste.

TASTING NOTES:

The nose brings notes of clove, vanilla, and old leather. The flavor balances fruit, honey and vanilla with a light spiciness. A long and warm finish.

Blanton's Single Barrel (The Original Single Barrel) (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $12.00 (4 available)

Taken from the center-cut or middle sections of the famous Warehouse H, Blanton’s Original Single Barrel was once designated for ambassadors, dignitaries, and Colonel Blanton’s family and friends. Today, everyone has access to the world’s first single barrel bourbon. The taste profile is sweet, with notes of citrus and oak. The creamy vanilla nose is teased with caramel and butterscotch, all underscored by familiar baking spices such as clove, nutmeg, or cinnamon.

Blanton’s Original set the standard for single barrel bourbons in 1984. Best served neat or on the rocks. Bottled at 46.5% alcohol by volume.

TASTING NOTES:

A deep, satisfying nose of nutmeg and spices. Powerful dry vanilla notes in harmony with hints of honey amid strong caramel and corn. A medium finish composed of returning corn and nutmeg flavors.

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $20.00 (2 available)

Named for a stretch of rich farmland along the Kentucky River, Rock Hill Farms is a fine single barrel bourbon. The limestone waters of the Kentucky River that wind through Bluegrass country and alongside Buffalo Trace Distillery nourish the land and provide the distinct flavor to Rock Hill Farms.

TASTING NOTES:

The nose opens with light summer cherries, berries, baked apples, and light hay. Behind these scents is a delicious bed of vanilla, cinnamon bark, and charred oak. Light spice mixes with a creamy dose of leather and oak on the palate. Swirling the sip pulls forward sweeter flavors of allspice, vanilla sticks, toasted sugar, and a light hint of cocktail cherries. A large dose of rye spice opens the finish. This spice is joined with hints of creamy vanilla, evergreen, and oak.

Other Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 Bourbons available for a suggested donation:

E.H. TAYLOR, JR. SINGLE BARREL (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $12.00 (4 available)

Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased what is now called Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today, including climate controlled aging warehouses. Many of the barrels selected for the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel are aged in Warehouse C, which was built by Taylor in 1881 and proven to be an excellent aging warehouse. Each barrel is hand-picked and Bottled in Bond at 100 proof to honor its namesake.

TASTING NOTES:

The aroma carries lightly toasted oak, with dried figs and butterscotch. One sip brings flavors of sweetness balanced with tobacco and dark spices. The finish is just long enough to prepare the palate for another sip. The bottle itself is a likeness to Colonel Taylor's original design used over a century ago.

E.H. TAYLOR, JR. BARREL PROOF (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $25.00 (4 available)

Crafted from hand-selected barrels, this bourbon is bottled directly from the barrel; uncut and unfiltered at more than 125 proof. It reflects the way whiskey was produced in the days before Prohibition, when Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was the owner of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Drawn from barrels aged in warehouses constructed over a century ago under Taylor’s watchful eye, the taste is smooth, yet powerful and uncompromising, just like its namesake.

TASTING NOTES:

The aroma of cooked berries meets the nose, followed by a rich caramel and slightly floral smell. The taste is bold and full of spice that fills the mouth with a distinct flavor of toasty vanilla, dried oak and pepper. The finish is long and satisfying with a powerful rye character and lingering hints of fruit.

Stagg Jr. Bourbon (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $12.00 (4 available)

George T. Stagg built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century, during a time known as the Gilded Age of Bourbon. Uncut and unfiltered, this robust bourbon whiskey ages for nearly a decade and boasts the bold character that is reminiscent of the man himself.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich, sweet, chocolate and brown sugar flavors mingle in perfect balance with the bold rye spiciness. The boundless finish lingers with hints of cherries, cloves and smokiness.

2018 Release of George T. Stagg (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $45.00 (2 available)

This extremely hearty whiskey ages in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years. Straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the taste is powerful, flavorful and intense. Open it up with a few drops of water, sit back and ponder the wonders of the universe. George T. Stagg was named “Best American Whiskey” in Jim Murray’s Bible 2018. Extremely rare, only 284 barrels of this bourbon where produced, and 51.15% of the original whiskey was lost to evaporation during the 15 years and 4 months the bourbon sat in barrels untouched. This traditional straight bourbon whiskey (i.e., rye mashbill bourbon) is the traditional bourbon against which ALL OTHER BOURBONS are measured.

TASTING NOTES:

Lush toffee sweetness and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla, fudge, nougat and molasses. Underlying notes of dates, tobacco, dark berries, spearmint and a hint of coffee round out the palate.

Japanese Whiskies available for a suggested donation.

Demand for has skyrocketed. Since 2013, Japanese Whisky exports are up over 300% with distillers not able to keep up. As a result of the sudden increase in demand and shortfall in premium aged whiskies, prices have risen. In response, manufactures often remove age statements and domestic producers have increased imports of bulk whiskies to create new blends. See what the fuss is about with these rare aged premium whiskies.

HAKUSHU 12 YEARS OLD (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $20.00

From ’s mountain forest distillery, nestled deep in Mt. Kaikomagatake, Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu® is the fresh and gently smoky single malt whisky with herbal notes that is the revelation of Japanese single malts. Straight from the untouched forests, soft and crisp waters and mountains of the Southern Japanese Alps, it is no wonder that Hakushu is a "green and fresh" whisky. Created by the dream for a new type of whisky of Keizo Saji, the second , the unique taste made is distinct. Hakushu® is praised by the most curious whisky connoisseurs and lovers of gastronomy. Its crisp and vibrant feel, unique in a single malt whisky, enlivens and liberates your senses.

TASTING NOTES:

Green with herbal notes. Color of Champagne gold. Hints of Basil, pine needle, and green apple on the nose. Sweet pear, mint, and kiwi on the palate. The whisky finishes with Green tea and subtle smoke.

YAMAZAKI 12 YEARS OLD (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $25.00

Yamazaki® Whisky is Suntory's flagship single malt whisky, from ’s first and oldest malt distillery, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas. From Yamazaki was born the surprising, delicate yet profound experience of a Japanese single malt whisky. Spiritual and deep, made at Yamazaki Distillery, the soulplace of Japanese whisky, its signature multi-layered taste is highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world. Today, Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki® Whisky is not only the No.1 single malt whisky in Japan, but is enjoyed in more than 35 countries.

TASTING NOTES:

Succulent with soft fruit. Color of Pure gold. Hints of Peach, pineapple, grapefruit, clove, candied orange, vanilla, Mizunara (Japanese oak) on the nose. Coconut, cranberry, and butter on the palate. The whisky finishes long with Sweet ginger and cinnamon.

Nikka 12 YEARS OLD (one ounce sample)

Suggested Donation: $25.00

A blend including whisky from Nikka's two distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, The Nikka 12 is a well-balanced age stated blend originally available in international markets only (i.e., consumers have never been able to purchase this bottle from US liquor stores, restaurants, and bars). Nikka discontinued production of this 12 year old age stated blend more than 2 years ago to stabilize and conserve whisky reserves (i.e., this is very rare especially in the United States). This blend has been replaced by a non-aged stated blend available in international markets only.

Tasting Notes:

Color of deep gold. Hints of butterscotch, poached pears, toffee apples, nougat and nutmeg on the nose. Buttery oak, rounded malt, a touch of leather and a hint of smoke on the palate. This whisky finishes with spice, fruit and a little cocoa.

Nikka From The Barrel (Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year)

Suggested Donation: $15.00

From The Barrel is an extremely complex blended whisky bottled at 51.4% ABV. In order to deliver its richness and full flavors, the blended liquid goes into used barrels for another few months for “marriage” before it is bottled.

Excerpts from Whisky Advocate: In 1985, Company’s blending team, led by Shigeo Sato, designed this whisky using both malt and grain whiskies produced at Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo Distilleries. When taking into account the full array of casks—bourbon barrels, sherry butts, refill hogsheads, and more—over 100 different constituent whiskies are enlisted.

Notably balanced and elegant, the colorful palette of whiskies combines for tremendous depth of flavor. Soft, sweet butterscotch and orange peel meet poached pears and stone fruits. Earthiness appears as dried autumn leaves, coffee, old oak, and tobacco. Among the tangle of spices, tasters identified chili pepper, allspice, cloves, and universally adored its ginger note. Finally, wisps of smoke and sea salt.

—Jeffery Lindenmuth