Buffalo Trace distills corn for single estate Bourbon

Buffalo Trace has distilled its first batch of homegrown corn that will be used to create the distillery’s single estate Bourbon.

Buffalo Trace has distilled the first batch or corn for its new farm-to-bottle Bourbon brand

The Kentucky-based distillery planted a strain of non-GMO white corn that dates back to 1876, when E. H. Taylor ran Buffalo Trace. The strain originates from a White Mastodon variety and through selection techniques in isolation it became Boone County White corn.

It was planted across 18 acres of land adjacent to the Buffalo Trace Distillery and was harvested in October last year, producing a yield that was “below expectation”.

The crop was then left to dry all winter before being fermented and distilled on 31 May, creating 117 barrels of spirit that are now ageing in Buffalo Trace’s warehouses.

Sazerac-owned Buffalo Trace announced plans to create a stand-alone single estate Bourbon brand last year, at the same time as purchasing an additional 293 acres of farm that will predominantly be used for house extra warehousing.

This year the group will plant the colourful Japonica Striped Corn – a strain originally from Japan and dating back to the 1890s – for an additional line of single estate Bourbon.

Buffalo Trace intends to plant a different variety of corn each year at its farm each year. The company has not yet determined to brand name, age or price of bottlings from its single estate range.

Last month, Sazerac revealed plans to undertake a US$200 million expansion of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in order to meet soaring demand.