Sazerac-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery has expanded its Experimental Collection with a Bourbon made with peated malt. The new Buffalo Trace Experimental Peated Bourbon is the 26th release in the brand’s Experimental Collection, created to ‘push the limits of innovation’ in American whiskey.
The ‘one-of-a-kind’ Bourbon uses smoked peated malt to add a ‘hint of smoke’ to the rye mashibill. The use of peated malt is rare in American whiskey production, the Kentucky distiller said. The distillate was aged for nearly 10 years in new charred white oak casks before being bottled at 45% ABV.
The resulting liquid offers a ‘smoky and nutty’ aroma, with hints of leather, mahogany and cacao beans, with flavours of ‘light smoke’, brown butter, and a sweet toffee finish.
“The Experimental Collection is not about breaking the rules of Bourbon; in fact, 95% of our experiments stay within the confines of traditional methods of making whiskey,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace’s master distiller.
“We conduct this research to better understand the variables that affect our final flavour profiles.
“We were eager to experiment with peat to see how the grain influenced our mashbill from a recipe perspective. We anticipated it providing the perfect hint of smoke, just enough to compliment the sweet and spicy notes from the rye, and I’m happy to report our hypothesis was correct.”
Buffalo Trace Experimental Peated Bourbon is priced at US$46.99 per 375ml bottle. It is available to buy across retailers and restaurants in the US.
In December 2022, Buffalo Trace filled its eight-millionth barrel of Bourbon after its US$1.2 billion expansion.
