Buffalo Trace reveals ‘perfect’ single oak Bourbon

Buffalo Trace has revealed what it believes to be the “perfect” Bourbon after fans selected the distillery’s Batch #80 bottling as the winner of its Single Oak Project Bourbon.

The goal was to create the “perfect Bourbon” based on feedback from Bourbon drinkers

For the last four years, the distillery has been intermittently releasing 192 individual bottlings of the Single Oak Project Bourbon and consulting whiskey enthusiasts for their opinion through a dedicated website.

The goal was to create the “perfect Bourbon” based on feedback from Bourbon drinkers.

Seven different variables were studied over the project: recipe (wheat or rye); entry abv (52.5% or 62.5%); stave seasoning (six months or 12 months); grain size (tight, average, or coarse grains); warehouse (concrete floor or wooden rick floor); char level (number three or number four char); and tree cut (top or bottom half of the tree).

Each whiskey was aged for 12 years in total.

Overall, 5,645 people participated in the project with 5,086 individual whiskey reviews; each whiskey being evaluated 26.2 times on average.

Through this extensive feedback collation, Buffalo Trace compiled a wealth of data such as how entry proof, wood grain, and the cut of the tree can alter the taste.

“The knowledge gained from conducting this research experiment is priceless,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

“We can now compare and confirm how each of these variables in the Bourbon making process affects the finished product, which will only refine our experimental program and help us create even better whiskeys in the future.”

The winning Bourbon from Barrel #80 was a rye recipe Bourbon, entered into a barrel made from oak harvested from the bottom half of the tree, with staves seasoned for 12 months.

The grain size of the wood was considered average and the barrel received a number four char inside. The whiskey entered the barrel at 125 proof and was aged in a concrete floor warehouse.

The distillery will now begin to produce new batches of #80 Single Oak Bourbon for future sales, and predict it will be available in 2025.

“We are flattered and thankful that so many whiskey connoisseurs took the time to participate in this experiment,” said the group’s Bourbon marketing director Kris Comstock.

“Although we’re not quite sure how the tree loggers plan to harvest wood solely from the bottom half of the trees, we’re eager to get more barrels and start producing more of the winning Single Oak Project Bourbon”

In May this year, Buffalo Trace released two 10-year-old French oak barrel aged Bourbons as part of the distillery’s exclusive Experimental Collection.