Sazerac overhauls its single barrel programme

Fans of Buffalo Trace and other Sazerac Bourbon brands will have an easier time scoring prized barrels thanks to a revamped single barrel programme.

Single barrel picks are becoming increasingly popular in American whiskey, as Bourbon enthusiasts put their palates to the test to find their preferred profiles.

Sazerac has responded to this trend by completely overhauling its single barrel programme, broadening the scope of brands that drinkers can choose from, and offering up a greater percentage of its barrel inventory.

What was formerly Sazerac Company’s Single Barrel Select will now be known as Sazerac Barrel Select (SBS).

The shift seeks to offer enhancements in five key areas: supply, brand selection, transparency, drawing opportunities, and experience. The improvements per area break down as follows:

• Supply – more barrels will be allocated for the new Barrel Select programme, with allotment set to increase year over year. The 2023 allotment sees a 70% increase from 2021 and a 100% increase on barrels of Buffalo Trace.
• Brand selection – Sazerac is offering up a greater breadth of brands, including Bowman Brothers, EH Taylor, Sazerac Rye, and Stagg, which was previously only available to retailers. Other, non-Bourbon brands, like Paul John, Corazón, and Caribou Crossing will be made available in future years.
• Transparency – a new points system will grant participants greater clarity on how to access barrels as well as improved chances of securing them. Each SBS point equates to one entry into barrel drawing events.
• Drawing opportunities – while the previous programme ran on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, the new process offers four drawing events per year.
• Experience – a redesigned website and consumer account management platform will make it easier for consumers to understand and participate in the program Users can also add club affiliations to their profile.

For those interested, SBS points can be earned in a number of ways. Everyone who creates an SBS account will receive one automatic entry and one point for each year they remain a member, with points distributed on 1 January.

Furthermore, users can also earn two additional points by completing individual brand preferences and confirming their readiness to purchase.

Additional opportunities will be presented to members throughout the year via email.

Drawing events are currently slated for September and December 2023. The original Single Barrel Select programme was first launched in 2015.

“We’re so thankful for our fans, whose support of the barrel select program has helped it grow year after year,” Diego Bianchi, Barrel Select general manager, said. “Sazerac Barrel Select demonstrates our commitment to offering consumers access to a global portfolio of award-winning spirits, from Bourbon to other whiskeys, Tequila, rum and more.”