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a natural fermentation that lasts anywhere from three to five days
before the whisky is distilled and poured into barrels for aging.
The barrels are key to the bourbon. Buffalo Trace uses charred oak
barrels made from naturally aged, "center ring" wood from trees
typically 70 to 80 years old. The liquid that goes into them starts
out clear, but barrel aging eventually turns it brown.
The key to producing truly balanced bourbon like Buffalo Trace is
allowing Mother Nature to do her part in the aging process. Buffalo
Trace’s barrels are aged in steam-heated aging warehouses.
After the tour, Bill and Harlen joined us for lunch at the Elmer T. Lee
Clubhouse, a log cabin named after Bourbon Trace’s Master Distiller
Emeritus, and Bill and Harlen gave us tasting tips. We learned that
you don’t swirl bourbon before sniffing, the way you do wine; you
just put your nose in the glass (or snifter) and inhale. Every barrel
of whisky has different nuances. Some bourbons smell stronger than
they taste; some bourbons taste stronger than they smell.
When it came time to select our barrels we went to
Warehouse H where dad and I each pulled a variety of
barrels to try. Tasting was done at barrel-strength and
again at 60 proof, which allowed the natural aromas
and flavors to come through.
The process for bourbon tasting is the same as for
wine: sniff, sip, spit.
All in all I ended up choosing 55 barrels that I think
are just right for Rouses: 40 Buffalo Trace Kentucky
Straight Bourbon, 10 Eagle Rare Single Barrel, and 5
Blanton’s Single Barrel. By the time we were headed
home, the barrels were headed off for bottling and
packaging exclusively for Rouses. Along with the
bourbon, Bill sent us the actual barrels we chose. You
can see them on display in our stores.
Buffalo Trace
OLD FASHIONED
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
2 maraschino cherries
2 slices of orange
1 teaspoon sugar or 1 small sugar cube
1 or 2 dashes of angostura bitters
1 teaspoon water
2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
HOW TO PREP
Muddle 1 cherry, 1 orange slice, and the sugar,
bitters, and water in a chilled Old Fashioned
glass. Remove the orange rind.Add the whisky
and ice; stir. Garnish with a maraschino cherry
and an orange slice.
DRINK RECIPE,
try me!
Donald Rouse and Bill Goldring
Inspecting the mash
Buffalo Trace
Distillery sits right at
the spot where buffalo
migrated across the
Kentucky River 200
years ago. It is the
oldest continuously
operating distillery in
the country.
