A New Offering from Buffalo Trace: Tasting Authenticity in Spanish Oak Expression

A Voyage Into New Whiskey Territory

With each release from its beautifully rotated whiskey series, Buffalo Trace Distillery lays down a marker, a testament to its daring desire to excel, innovate, and embrace new frontiers within an age-old bourbon landscape. Make no mistake: Buffalo Trace persists in its ambition to capture the essence of whiskey-making, bringing forth the untapped magic of the oak barrels in their latest Old Charter Oak release, the Spanish Oak.

The Old Charter Oak Series

This series is a testament to the ecosystem of American Whiskey as the selections explore the various influences of different oak trees on whiskey. The barrels might not be the first thing you think of when you talk about whiskey, but the wood can influence the flavor almost as much as the grain used. The Old Charter Oak series, launched in 2018, prominently features barrels made from oak trees that deviate from the industry standard, which mainly relies on American white oak.

Art of Modification

When oak is felled, it’s all about the tannins. These determine the flavour profile of a whiskey to a great extent. Buffalo Trace’s distillation methods and finishing techniques have set a strong foundation for their series. But the sheer effort to import wood from another continent, Spain, for the Spanish Oak casks, testifies to Buffalo Trace’s committed exploration of the diverse flavors that different oak can bring to bourbon.

The Oak and the Artisan

Buffalo Trace understands that the type of oak used in the bourbon aging process is just as crucial as the distillation process. Distiller Harlen Wheatley noted, “For many years Buffalo Trace Distillery has been on an endless pursuit of creating the perfect bourbon through experimentation”. At Buffalo Trace, continuous experimentation with the aging process is the order of the day, with results dictating the nature and depth of the flavor profile.

The Spanish Oak

The Spanish Oak release offers whiskey lovers an alluring variant in the oak series, boasting a distinct and multi-layered flavor complexity, full of fruity, chocolate-drenched notes, and slightly bitter hints.

Unveiling the Flavors

Each sip of the Spanish Oak expression is a journey through a labyrinth of flavors—starting off with a hint of fruit, blending into a smooth touch of chocolate, finishing with a smoky-spiced crescendo. It’s an authentic Spanish dance of flavors – passionate, bold and full of flavour twists.

Taste of Commitment

In the end, the bourbon pays homage to both the oak it was aged in and the unwavering commitment of Buffalo Trace Distillery. The Spanish Oak bottling is a veritable culinary adventure, delivering an extraordinary blend of vibrant and earthy tastes; it simply reaffirms the distillery’s audacious exploratory nature.

Conclusion

Buffalo Trace has shown us once again that there are still exciting territories left to discover in the world of whiskey. The Spanish Oak release’s bold yet balanced flavors bear testament to the distillery’s ability to venture into new grounds while maintaining the trademarks of their well-curated whiskies. With this brave exploration of a new type of barrel, Buffalo Trace ensures that the Old Charter Oak series stays intriguing and highly anticipated amongst the whiskey community.