Buffalo Trace Distillery is at it again– questioning the standard use of oak and aging outside the box. “Old Charter Oak line is an entire collection of bourbon aged in oak barrels from different oak varietals, and is designed to explore, honor, and celebrate the role of oak in making great whiskey. The oak trees used for this brand will vary by country of origin, or species, or U.S. state. Some barrels are even made from century oaks, 100, 200, or 300 year old oak trees,” according to the distillery’s press release. 
Mongolian Oak Bourbon hits the shelves this month with more to follow. Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley sourced this oak himself and the bourbon has been resting in its imported home for 10 years. “The barrel is responsible for about 50% of the flavor profile in bourbon,” stated Wheatley. “So it only made sense to take that one step further and see how different barrels from different oak tree varieties would taste in comparison to what we think of as ‘traditional’ oak barrels.”
Suggested retail on this bottle is $69.99 with prices to be similar for future products in the line. As is usual for all things Sazerac, “supplies will be limited.”
2019 will see the release of two additional international experiments. “As of now, we have bourbon aging for the Old Charter Oak collection set for release now through 2030, but we’ll keep producing more each year for more new whiskeys beyond that,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director.
[…] Distillery is adding to a long list of experimental and very limited editions. They plan to use the fermenter to produce a patent-pending Old Fashioned […]