Latest news with #PappyVanWinkle
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Trace's New Bourbon Is an Affordable Game-Changer, Granted They Make Enough It
Will the distiller's new 12-year-old Eagle Rare expression be a massive win for affordable bourbon fans? Or just another W.L. Weller 12 in the making. Buffalo Trace may have just given bourbon fans the best news of the year a little less than halfway through 2025. The maker of some of the most prestigious bourbons on the planet, including Blantons, W.L. Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle, to name a few, just announced a new 12-year-old version of Eagle Rare Bourbon that's bottled at an even slightly higher 95 proof than its 10-year-old, 90 proof sibling. Better yet, the new offering will be a permanent part of the Eagle Rare lineup, and its MSRP is just $50. It's the kind of sign long-standing bourbon drinkers have hoped (and may even prayed) would come for years now, whether or not they loved or hated Eagle Rare's low-rye, low-proof bourbon. That's because, in many ways, this launch could be the clearest indicator yet that a decades-long expansion effort by Buffalo Trace may finally return the American whiskey market to some semblance of sanity, at least from a consumer's POV. After nearly two decades of explosive and unprecedented growth helped fuel a maddening spiral of bourbon availability struggles and price hikes, a release of this magnitude suggests the bourbon market might finally return to earth. In 2015, Buffalo Trace kicked off a 1.2 billion dollar expansion effort. The timing of the move was interesting. On one hand, just a year earlier, a bevy of headlines from outlets ranging from Time to Esquire and Business Insider warned of 'the great bourbon shortage.' And they weren't making this up out of thin air. Maker's Mark stoked alarm and outrage in 2013 when it announced it would reduce the ABV content of its beloved bourbon by 3% to better stretch its existing supplies in the face of massive global demand. But that decision was quickly reversed in the face of immediate fan blowback. In an email on the topic, company executives Rob Samuels and Bill Samuels Jr. explained that they had investigated 'all possible solutions,' adding, 'fact is, demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it, which means we're running very low on supply.' Knob Creek stripped the age statements from some of its popular bottles for several years in a similar strategic move, though they subsequently returned in 2019 and 2021. Buffalo Trace also made a series of public statements on the topic, starting with a 2013 comment from former marketing director Kris Comstock that 'there could be temporary product shortages, even on favorites like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare.' He later added that 'this announcement is not meant as some sort of scare tactic to get people hoarding bourbon.' The message was essentially the same a year later in 2014, when the company stated again that there was 'no end in sight' for its Bourbon shortages in May of 2014. Other outlets, like The Guardian, however, claimed the fear was grossly exaggerated or at least overblown. On the other hand, the same year Buffalo Trace announced its expansion plans, Kentucky's bourbon inventory reached a 40-year high. 1.3 million new bourbon barrels were also filled in 2015, achieving a production high not reached since 1970. As such, it was natural to wonder if Buffalo Trace's big bet was potentially too much, too late. Five years after a new distribution center and bottling operation came online in 2015, the company's production began to ramp up dramatically. By 2022, Buffalo Trace had already increased its whiskey-making capacity by 50 percent thanks to '14 new barrel warehouses, 12 additional fermenters, additional cookers, a new cooling system,' according to company press statements. Within 12 months of that milestone, a new still house—complete with a duplicate of the brand's existing still, capable of producing up to 60,000 gallons a day—and other facilities also came online, effectively doubling Buffalo Trace's production yet again. 'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.' – Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley 'We appreciate our fans' patience as we've been laying down the foundation to produce more American Whiskey than we ever have before,' said Sara Saunders, vice president of Buffalo Trace Distillery stated as part of a press release outlining the company's progress. By 2024, Buffalo Trace brand reps informed our team that 75 percent of the expansion project had been completed by March, and only the third and final phase remained. Between 2022 and 2024, Buffalo Trace brought another five new aging warehouses online, all of which were already at their full capacity of 58,800 barrels a piece, alongside other key upgrades. The $1.2 billion 10-year project was finally completed at the beginning of this year, which netted a 150% increase in Buffalo Trace's output capacity. However, in the decades since construction began, the bourbon market and American whiskey, more broadly, have also downshifted dramatically. Many legacy media and industry-focused outlets have noted that bourbon demand is slowing down. In 2023, Tequila also officially overtook American whiskey as the second most valuable spirit category in the US, behind vodka. Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades. Combined with layoff announcements from major industry forces like Brown-Forman and MGP, Buffalo Trace's leadership has likely lost sleep over how to optimally leverage its newfound production might over the next decade and beyond. Given the time requirements for bourbon maturation, the company's precise plans, whatever they may be, will take years to realize fully. While there is technically no minimum age for bourbon, most bottles qualify as straight bourbons, meaning they've aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years. So-called Bottled-in-Bond bourbons must age for double that time, and many of Buffalo Trace's premium offerings contain whiskey that's aged for far longer than that. Still, the brand's actions over the last few years hint at Buffalo Trace's long-term aspirations. One way to quickly bring new surpluses of whiskey to market is to skip the loftier production requirements demanded by legally protected whiskey classes like bourbon. In 2024, the distillery launched Traveller Whiskey, which was developed in partnership with country music icon Chris Stapleton. It's a blended whiskey and technically not a bourbon. However, Buffalo Trace produces and distills some portion of the whiskey blend alongside other distillers inside Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac's portfolio. By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match. Yet despite its opaque recipe and $40 MSRP, Traveller's is far from a crappy cash grab, at least relative to other whiskeys in its class. The bottle has scored numerous industry awards. We also named it one of the 100 most important products of 2024. This year, Buffalo Trace also announced its plans to add a new premium expression of E.H. Taylor bourbon to its ultra-prestigious Antique Collection lineup, which, while not a volume play at all, was one indicator that the distillery's stocks of older, premium bourbon were finally loosening up. By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match. Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades. However, very few distillers today offer a 12-year-old bourbon or even Tennesee Whiskeys as part of their permanent core lineup—presumably because of longstanding supply constraints. And all but one sell a 12-year-old version for an MSRP of just $50 today. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old, which Buffalo Trace has also distilled for years, has an MSRP of $150 now, though buying it for less than $800 could still be considered a steal. Knob Creek 12 has an MSRP of $60. The price of Jack Daniel's premium 12-year-old bottling has hovered between $85 and $95, depending on the year, though it's part of an annual limited-release series. 1792 Aged Twelve Years Bourbon technically matches Eagle Rare 12's $50 MSRP, but it's also a limited edition, and typically sells for double that cost on secondary markets. Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it. Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley shared in a statement alongside the new release, 'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.' Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it. Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace, was even blunter in his assessment in the same statement. 'When it was introduced, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brought higher quality standards to whiskey around the world; now, Eagle Rare pushes the bounds of age stating excellence in Bourbon.' But while everything about Eagle Rare 12 sounds great on paper, jaded whiskey fans will likely wait and see before judging the new bourbon's long-term market impact, and for good reason. After all, even putting Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old aside, Buffalo Trace's history of producing 12-year-old bourbon at a high enough volume to keep price gouging at bay has been rocky, at least over the last 20 years, as evidenced by W.L. Weller 12. The now cult-favorite wheated bourbon once had an MSRP as low as $20, but it now costs between $60 and $70. However, due to a loose affiliation with Pappy Van Winkle and a consistently limited supply, it essentially retails for at least double that price. As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand. As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand. That said, even if supplies are limited right out of the gate due to the nature of Buffalo Trace's production ramp-up, there's still hope that further supply increases in the years to come may make Eagle Rare 12 easier to find at your local liquor store in the years ahead. According to Buffalo Trace, the new expression will be released to select retailers, bars, and restaurants across the United States beginning June 2025.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
10 best (but priciest!) bourbons for Father's Day, from Iowa to India
10 best (but priciest!) bourbons for Father's Day, from Iowa to India Bourbon is no longer the value it once was. Sure, great values still exist, but a growing marketplace of whiskey nerds and a willingness to sneaker-ify the spirit has led to robust resale markets and rising prices. You don't always wind up paying for quality. Let's talk about when you do -- especially if you're looking for a gift that delivers beyond the presentation and price tag. Today in our final breakdown for FTW's Father's Day Whiskey Week Extravaganza (tm), we're talking about the higher-priced bottles of bourbon out there. MORE WHISKEY LISTS FOR FATHER'S DAY: -- Best flavored whiskeys -- Best and most affordable bourbons -- Best spicy ryes -- Best Scotches, from reasonable to ridiculously expensive My aim here is to cast a wider net and avoid some of the more popular names out there. Thus, no Pappy Van Winkle or Wellers on this list. Let's venture from Iowa to India and see what we've got. These are the best higher-priced bourbons I drank this past year. Paul John Christmas Edition First, let me assure you Paul John's bottles are much nicer than this (look! It's pretty!). But I respect the utility of the media sample. No frills, no fancy mailer, just a bottle, some fine brown party liquors and a brief note telling you what it is. The spirit itself unveils a sharp, sweet and slightly spicy vanilla and oak once poured. The first sip leans into those craft ice cream flavors. It's got a little honey to it, tastes a little nutty and builds toward a boozy warmth that gets to, say, a 70 degree day before cooling back down. Fruit shows up throughout that spectrum; I'm getting a lot of orange but maybe some cherry as well. This all weaves together to create a smooth, sweet whiskey. I believe it's my first foray into Indian whiskey, so there's a chance I'm gonna assume every one I have from here on out is like a Highland malt with the dials turned hard toward "dessert." The finish brings the spice you'd expect from an aged spirit, clean and dry and leaving you to come back for more. There's a little cinnamon and some assorted baking spices that create a familiar, comforting sip. So yeah, if all Indian malts are like this, sign me up. Wolves American Single Malt Full disclosure: my first sip of Wolves wasn't for a review. Instead, I plucked the bottle from my shelf after roughly three hours of assembling a six-year-old's toys on Christmas eve in hope of respite. It delivered; smooth, sippable and, importantly, clean enough to leave me mostly hangover free for the following morning's 6 a.m. wakeup call. Neat: It pours a lovely dark caramel color with just a little bit of bead on top. You can smell the influence of the wine casks it spent the previous five years phasing in and out of right off the top. You get a little bit of white wine and some sweet lighter fruits to go along with that boozy malt. Despite a 48 percent ABV, it smells dense but not fiery. There's a nice, low key sweetness that rumbles throughout the sip. It's a bit like honey and coats your throat and tongue similarly. It works because there's very little burn involved here; you're pairing smooth with smooth and the result is a whiskey with very little friction that's wonderfully easy to sip. You get a lot of fruit, ranging from a little bit of wine to some sweeter, denser fruits like apple and ... maybe some pear? Either way, the sweetness works well with the light cereal backdrop of the malt. It's unmistakable as a whiskey, but softer than a bourbon, landing delicately between a happy hour drink and an after dinner one. The standout feature is its replayable flavor; a whiskey you can sip throughout the night without fatigue. Let's see how that translates over a little bit of ice. On ice: The ice blunts that malty, wine-adjacent flavor that wafts up from the pour. The ice bumps up the smoothness ratio and brings out more of the lingering honey flavor. But it dulls the malt and a little bit of the fruit inside. That's just about what I'm looking for, though. This is a perfect unwinding whiskey -- gentle enough to be sipped liberally but still with enough soft complexity to be interesting. This is more of a crowd pleaser than a heavy Scotch. It's a little sweet and slightly basic. But it works great over ice. Heaven's Door bourbon: The Bootleg Series Vol. VI Aged 12 Years This was released in conjunction with A Complete Unknown. That's the Bob Dylan movie I have not watched, but gladly would have in order to drink good bourbon. The bottle is a painted white with a barrio or holler landscape, which is lovely but doesn't give you a good look at the spirit inside. Fortunately, it pours the rich molasses color you'd expect from a bourbon that's nearly a teenager. It's dark and the smell coming off the top is rich rum raisin ice cream with a swirl of caramel. There's also a little tobacco, like you're dealing with a nice maduro wrapper cigar, though maybe not as earthy. That tobacco lingers in a crisp finish, but there's a long way to go before you get there. It's a remarkably complex spirit, giving off that caramel raisin up front and a little chocolate. You do get a lot of that oak flavor, which imparts a little vanilla but mostly that light, Swisher-Sweet-but-good vibe that closes each sip and gives you something to think about. You start light and end heavy, which is a lovely way to do it. There's little heat and absolutely no burn, which is what you'd expect from a 12-year bourbon but, more importantly, from a $500 one. That's a tremendous amount of money to spend on booze, but everything, from the presentation to the finish, is top shelf. The whiskey is smooth and complex. But, yeah, that's... pricy. Too much for me to splurge on. But if you're looking for a splash gift or just want to treat yourself, you're getting a conversation starter and a pretty damn good bourbon. Bhakta Whiskeys Let's begin with the obvious. Bhatka's entire aesthetic is gorgeous. The tapered, ridged bottle looks like something stolen from the set of Metropolis or, if a more-current-but-still-dated vibe is more your thing, from the underwater city of Rapture. Let's talk about three A-grade expressions from Vermont. 2014 Armagnac Cask Finish Bourbon It pours an enticing dark walnut color, lending credence to the fact it made it all the way to third grade inside oak casks. This is a nine-year malt, though only 125 days of that stretch was spent weaving through the fibers of armagnac barrels. The smell is grain forward and sweet. There's the expected warmth of a 52.7 percent alcohol by volume cask strength whiskey. You get sweet caramel up front, which gives way to that heat you smelled earlier. That's the bouncer at the door. It's one you probably know how to get past if you're dropping $150 on a bottle of whiskey. There's a little acidic fruit and that ongoing, creme brulee-ish current that comes with the caramel wafting from the top. It lingers, balancing between that sweet and spice before ultimately landing in the former camp. That makes it easy to come back to, but also potent enough to shine with an ice cube or two dropped in -- hey, drink however makes you happy. Ultimately, it's a very nice bourbon that lives up to its bottle and accompanying price tag. The finish has an almost dessert quality to it, and it hides its big boozy payload well even with that aforementioned warmth. 2011 Armagnac Cask Finish Bourbon As you might expect after the 2014, this is a nearly 13-year-old bourbon. That promises a smoother ride, tempered by a slightly stronger ABV at 55.5 percent. It's also got less corn (84 percent, down from 99 percent in the 2014) and the addition of rye and malted barley, which promises a little extra spice and warm dessert flavors. Once again, it pours an engaging dark brown. Despite the higher ABV, the nose is less boozy than its younger peer. You get a little bread pudding, some brown sugar and the roasted malt that makes up its backbone. You get sweetness up front before the warmth of a cask strength dram clocks in, bringing a wave of flavor with it. It's a melody of fruit flavor; lots of stone fruits (cherry, plum... date?), some raisin and that sweet, crystallized sugar vibe that ringed the 2014 version. It's not overly sweet, despite the sugar of the opening. The fruit flavors work well together, each bringing their own minor influence with a bit of baking spice to create a weird, boozy pie. As expected, those extra three years create a mellower, smoother ride. That fruit lingers after it leaves your lips, giving you something to think on after it's gone. At the same price point as the 2014, but made in a smaller quantity, this is the bottle on which I'd rather splurge. 1928 Straight Rye Whiskey aged in Calvados and Armagnac Casks This is a mix of five-year-old rye (60 percent), XO calvados (30 percent) and Armagnacs spanning multiple decades but starting as early as, you guessed it, 1928 (10 percent). Well, OK. That's... a lot. It pours slightly lighter than the bourbons. It smells much lighter too, with heightened notes of fruit and a little floral tone. There's a little dark sugar to it, sticking with the pie adjacent undercurrents of Bhakta's over whiskeys. Wow. The first sip is crisp. There's the sweet malt of the rye, but you also get a snappy fruit influence from the calvados. A little pear, some green apple and a very mild heat. That fructose sweetness lingers, even as the sharper fruit flavors fade away. It leaves a minor coating on your tongue, leaving a little vanilla alongside it. This all makes me think I may like calvados more than I anticipated. And that it works well alongside rye. The blend is smooth and complex. While the 100-ish year old Armagnac makes little more than a cameo, it's also a conversation starter that doesn't put this bottle out of the price range of its peers. And at $69, it's significantly cheaper than Bhakta's headline bourbons. Cedar Ridge The Beverly QuintEssential This whiskey holds a special place in my heart. In part because it's Cedar Ridge, and everything they've done, including a Slipknot bourbon, is pretty good. But this bottle arrived at the end of the NFL playoffs. When my final story was filed after Super Bowl 59, this is the drink I poured to shut my brain off and untangle the knot of anxiety that had looped through itself over the previous 23 weeks. I liked it then thanks to bold fruit flavor and a smooth finish. But I was also in no mood to actually review it. Now, we're pouring it again. And, again, it's a lovely dark tea color. The smell off the top is roasted malt, a little salt and gentle stone fruit flavor -- cherry, plum and a little bit of chocolate. The bottle, with its ridged, segmented sections, deserves mention as well. It stands out in a Hibiki kind of way, which makes sense because as a Cedar Ridge flagship bottle it's a special expression. The first sip is... wow. There's so much going on here and I really, really like it. You begin with sweetness and a minor brine that takes me back to some of the Islay scotches I prefer. You get some cherry and some baking spice and a little bit of warmth. Then, the finish. It's chocolate raisins and a little bit of malted milk. It's almost decadent, with the sherry cask the spirit spent six years breathing through really shining. I thought my initial impression of this whiskey may have been the exploding synapses of an exhausted brain. You could have plied me with Malort and I probably would have sipped it happily after the NFL season wrapped. But The QuintEssential is every bit as good as I remember; sweet with just a little spice, warm and complex and, ultimately, a good memory wrapped in a gorgeous package. Fox & Oden American Single Malt Whiskey So let's talk about single malt. It's different from "single barrel," which means a bourbon that's been aged in a single barrel and thus can differ noticeably from bottle to bottle. Single malt means it's just one grain in the mix and that it's all from the same distillery. So, it's a bit of a marketing ploy than an indicator of quality -- you're better off with a bottled-in-bond in most cases than a single malt -- but it's still a fancy sounding wrinkle. Fox & Oden is part of a Michigan whiskey revival that includes the genuinely great Joseph Magnus. The rye was lighter than expected, but still a delightful sipper. The single malt, hand-numbered and in a bottle befitting a craft distillery, pours a proper mahogany. It smells, from the top, like big, boozy fruit. Raisin, cherry, a little bit of burnt sugar. It's like an 1800s pudding, which means you get a little roasted heat with those sharp fructose flavors. That sweetness hits up front and lingers through the entire sip. Underneath it you get some more fruit -- a little citrus, maybe even a little bit of chocolate and honey? -- before a smidge baking spice clocks in late. There's warmth, but no burn despite its 94 proof toll. The texture is a bit thicker than I'm used to, but that's not a problem. It's really quite nice. This is a spirit I could sip all night -- slightly bready, slightly sweet and with a little floral influence and a lot of fruit. Some single malts fail to live up to the hype of its label. This one does not. Ducks Unlimited 10-year (by the World Whiskey Society) This is an absolutely gorgeous bottle. It's in an absolutely gorgeous case. And it's 10-year, cask strength bourbon. And I get to write about it, because my job is the fever dream of an overserved 19-year-old college student. Seriously, look at the presentation on this guy! Anyway, this pours a gorgeous mahogany. It smells like oak and vanilla, all playing a supporting role to a boozy stone fruit -- a little raisin and cherry and, I think, a little caramel. The opening sip is sweet on your lips but absolutely gives way to that cask strength. This is STRONG. Not undrinkable, obviously, but with enough heat to let you know this isn't an 80 proof spirit. That leaves you with a sweet, warm bourbon that brings a lot of flavor at the expense of the smoothness you might expect from a 10-year whiskey. At cask strength, you're getting a pure expression straight from the barrel, which is effectively a challenge. Ultimately, the headline is stone fruit, molasses and a little vanilla, all against a backdrop that's warm but doesn't quite burn. I'm on board. Maybe not at $300, but given the absolute beauty of the case and bottle, it's a proper price for a solid spirit and a gorgeous presentation. I wouldn't buy this for myself, but I would buy it as a gift. And I'd be happy as hell to receive it. Joseph Magnus Triple Cask From October's "A" review: Wow. Just uncorking this bottle makes it clear where this whiskey came from. There's a distinct sherry smell that floats out of the neck once you crack the seal. Pouring it into a proper glass reveals a rich tea coloring and a complex, fruity nose. You're getting those grapes, sure, but there's a little cherry, peach, and other stone fruits to turn a simple sniff into an olfactory pattern of paisley. It's awesome. The first sip is notable in how long it lingers on your tongue and how many different permutations it runs through over what feels like 10 full seconds. The warmth of a 100 proof bourbon is there -- though it never burns -- as you go from sweet fruit, to grain, to a little spicy ...plum? to oak and finally a return to that cognac beginning. There's a lasting chewiness to each sip; a dry finish with rounded off edges, if that makes sense. I'm not a wine guy, but the grape-stained barrels here impart a lot of flavor beyond your standard vanilla/oak/tannins. Those weave their way into a proper bourbon in a spirit of cooperation rather than combat. There's just so much to unpack here, but all of it is good. If you're looking for a bourbon to sit and take your time with, Magnus should be your jam. As long as you're OK with a little cognac and sherry in the mix. Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey The bottle promises five years in the barrel and a 93 proof spirit -- toned down from cask strength, but still a bit stronger than your typical pour. It smells slightly spicy, with vanilla, cinnamon and a little green apple-ish fruit to it. It's sweet up front, with that apple sweet-and-sour candy vibe casting its lot from the outset. That doesn't hang over the sip, however. There's a lot lurking underneath. There's some mild spice which helps build up that pie-adjacent profile; some light clove and a little heat. The body is medium dense, but the finish still lingers gently on your tongue with a little burnt sugar to it. There's a slight acidity that helps carry things along. No burn, but a little warmth and some cutting spice that bumps up the replay value of this bourbon. That makes it valuable and versatile -- a worthy sip neat, on ice or in the occasional cocktail (but I wouldn't throw it in with just anything). The straight bourbon may not have as much cache as the well-lauded Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof. But it's also about one-third the cost of its venerated brother. That makes it a solid value -- and a fancy tasting whiskey at a reasonable price.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Trace's New Bourbon Is an Affordable Game-Changer, Granted They Make Enough It
Will the distiller's new 12-year-old Eagle Rare expression be a massive win for affordable bourbon fans? Or just another W.L. Weller 12 in the making. Buffalo Trace may have just given bourbon fans the best news of the year a little less than halfway through 2025. The maker of some of the most prestigious bourbons on the planet, including Blantons, W.L. Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle, to name a few, just announced a new 12-year-old version of Eagle Rare Bourbon that's bottled at an even slightly higher 95 proof than its 10-year-old, 90 proof sibling. Better yet, the new offering will be a permanent part of the Eagle Rare lineup, and its MSRP is just $50. It's the kind of sign long-standing bourbon drinkers have hoped (and may even prayed) would come for years now, whether or not they loved or hated Eagle Rare's low-rye, low-proof bourbon. That's because, in many ways, this launch could be the clearest indicator yet that a decades-long expansion effort by Buffalo Trace may finally return the American whiskey market to some semblance of sanity, at least from a consumer's POV. After nearly two decades of explosive and unprecedented growth helped fuel a maddening spiral of bourbon availability struggles and price hikes, a release of this magnitude suggests the bourbon market might finally return to earth. In 2015, Buffalo Trace kicked off a 1.2 billion dollar expansion effort. The timing of the move was interesting. On one hand, just a year earlier, a bevy of headlines from outlets ranging from Time to Esquire and Business Insider warned of 'the great bourbon shortage.' And they weren't making this up out of thin air. Maker's Mark stoked alarm and outrage in 2013 when it announced it would reduce the ABV content of its beloved bourbon by 3% to better stretch its existing supplies in the face of massive global demand. But that decision was quickly reversed in the face of immediate fan blowback. In an email on the topic, company executives Rob Samuels and Bill Samuels Jr. explained that they had investigated 'all possible solutions,' adding, 'fact is, demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it, which means we're running very low on supply.' Knob Creek stripped the age statements from some of its popular bottles for several years in a similar strategic move, though they subsequently returned in 2019 and 2021. Buffalo Trace also made a series of public statements on the topic, starting with a 2013 comment from former marketing director Kris Comstock that 'there could be temporary product shortages, even on favorites like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare.' He later added that 'this announcement is not meant as some sort of scare tactic to get people hoarding bourbon.' The message was essentially the same a year later in 2014, when the company stated again that there was 'no end in sight' for its Bourbon shortages in May of 2014. Other outlets, like The Guardian, however, claimed the fear was grossly exaggerated or at least overblown. On the other hand, the same year Buffalo Trace announced its expansion plans, Kentucky's bourbon inventory reached a 40-year high. 1.3 million new bourbon barrels were also filled in 2015, achieving a production high not reached since 1970. As such, it was natural to wonder if Buffalo Trace's big bet was potentially too much, too late. Five years after a new distribution center and bottling operation came online in 2015, the company's production began to ramp up dramatically. By 2022, Buffalo Trace had already increased its whiskey-making capacity by 50 percent thanks to '14 new barrel warehouses, 12 additional fermenters, additional cookers, a new cooling system,' according to company press statements. Within 12 months of that milestone, a new still house—complete with a duplicate of the brand's existing still, capable of producing up to 60,000 gallons a day—and other facilities also came online, effectively doubling Buffalo Trace's production yet again. 'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.' – Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley 'We appreciate our fans' patience as we've been laying down the foundation to produce more American Whiskey than we ever have before,' said Sara Saunders, vice president of Buffalo Trace Distillery stated as part of a press release outlining the company's progress. By 2024, Buffalo Trace brand reps informed our team that 75 percent of the expansion project had been completed by March, and only the third and final phase remained. Between 2022 and 2024, Buffalo Trace brought another five new aging warehouses online, all of which were already at their full capacity of 58,800 barrels a piece, alongside other key upgrades. The $1.2 billion 10-year project was finally completed at the beginning of this year, which netted a 150% increase in Buffalo Trace's output capacity. However, in the decades since construction began, the bourbon market and American whiskey, more broadly, have also downshifted dramatically. Many legacy media and industry-focused outlets have noted that bourbon demand is slowing down. In 2023, Tequila also officially overtook American whiskey as the second most valuable spirit category in the US, behind vodka. Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades. Combined with layoff announcements from major industry forces like Brown-Forman and MGP, Buffalo Trace's leadership has likely lost sleep over how to optimally leverage its newfound production might over the next decade and beyond. Given the time requirements for bourbon maturation, the company's precise plans, whatever they may be, will take years to realize fully. While there is technically no minimum age for bourbon, most bottles qualify as straight bourbons, meaning they've aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years. So-called Bottled-in-Bond bourbons must age for double that time, and many of Buffalo Trace's premium offerings contain whiskey that's aged for far longer than that. Still, the brand's actions over the last few years hint at Buffalo Trace's long-term aspirations. One way to quickly bring new surpluses of whiskey to market is to skip the loftier production requirements demanded by legally protected whiskey classes like bourbon. In 2024, the distillery launched Traveller Whiskey, which was developed in partnership with country music icon Chris Stapleton. It's a blended whiskey and technically not a bourbon. However, Buffalo Trace produces and distills some portion of the whiskey blend alongside other distillers inside Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac's portfolio. By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match. Yet despite its opaque recipe and $40 MSRP, Traveller's is far from a crappy cash grab, at least relative to other whiskeys in its class. The bottle has scored numerous industry awards. We also named it one of the 100 most important products of 2024. This year, Buffalo Trace also announced its plans to add a new premium expression of E.H. Taylor bourbon to its ultra-prestigious Antique Collection lineup, which, while not a volume play at all, was one indicator that the distillery's stocks of older, premium bourbon were finally loosening up. By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match. Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades. However, very few distillers today offer a 12-year-old bourbon or even Tennesee Whiskeys as part of their permanent core lineup—presumably because of longstanding supply constraints. And all but one sell a 12-year-old version for an MSRP of just $50 today. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old, which Buffalo Trace has also distilled for years, has an MSRP of $150 now, though buying it for less than $800 could still be considered a steal. Knob Creek 12 has an MSRP of $60. The price of Jack Daniel's premium 12-year-old bottling has hovered between $85 and $95, depending on the year, though it's part of an annual limited-release series. 1792 Aged Twelve Years Bourbon technically matches Eagle Rare 12's $50 MSRP, but it's also a limited edition, and typically sells for double that cost on secondary markets. Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it. Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley shared in a statement alongside the new release, 'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.' Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it. Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace, was even blunter in his assessment in the same statement. 'When it was introduced, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brought higher quality standards to whiskey around the world; now, Eagle Rare pushes the bounds of age stating excellence in Bourbon.' But while everything about Eagle Rare 12 sounds great on paper, jaded whiskey fans will likely wait and see before judging the new bourbon's long-term market impact, and for good reason. After all, even putting Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old aside, Buffalo Trace's history of producing 12-year-old bourbon at a high enough volume to keep price gouging at bay has been rocky, at least over the last 20 years, as evidenced by W.L. Weller 12. The now cult-favorite wheated bourbon once had an MSRP as low as $20, but it now costs between $60 and $70. However, due to a loose affiliation with Pappy Van Winkle and a consistently limited supply, it essentially retails for at least double that price. As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand. As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand. That said, even if supplies are limited right out of the gate due to the nature of Buffalo Trace's production ramp-up, there's still hope that further supply increases in the years to come may make Eagle Rare 12 easier to find at your local liquor store in the years ahead. According to Buffalo Trace, the new expression will be released to select retailers, bars, and restaurants across the United States beginning June 2025.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Trace Is Going to Start Selling Its Rare Whiskeys on Sazerac's New Online Shop
Whiskey fans know how hard some of Buffalo Trace's most allocated bourbons are to get, and how expensive these bottles are if you do find them. We're talking about names like Pappy Van Winkle, George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and the Last Drop. However, these bottles are going to be slightly easier to get your hands on starting tomorrow, because the distillery's parent company, Sazarac, just announced the launch of a new online e-commerce platform called Legacy de Forge. Given that this is a partnership with BlockBar, there is, of course, a blockchain element to this new endeavor. These days, that concept often causes people's eyes to glaze over, but the gist is as follows: You can buy bottles from the Legacy de Forge website using a credit card, wire transfer, or Ethereum, and each purchase comes with a digital token to verify its authenticity. If you're looking to flip a bottle, that means that BlockBar can store it in its secure physical facility, and the new buyer will also have reassurance that what they are buying is legitimate. More from Robb Report An Oscar-Winning Film Producer Has Sold His Glitzy Miami Beach Penthouse for $4 Million Tom Cruise Is Reportedly Buying a New Multimillion-Dollar Nautor Swan Sailing Yacht Charlie Chaplin Once Parked His Fire Trucks Where This $12.5 Million L.A. Home Now Stands But let's skip to the juicy part. The website had a soft opening that started on May 28, featuring some extremely rare bottles from the Last Drop—including the 27 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery that we favorably reviewed recently. Other Last Drop expressions that are currently available to bid on are the 32 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey and 22 Year Old Mizunara Cask Blended Japanese Whisky. There is also a bottle of Sazerac de Forge Grande Champagne Cognac Vintage 200, Mister Sam Canadian whisky, and the new Garavogue 20 Year Old Single Malt from Sazerac's recently acquired Hawk's Rock distillery in Ireland. There will be more to come in the future, and presumably that will include some of Buffalo Trace's most collectible Kentucky bourbons and rye whiskeys, like the aforementioned Pappy and Stagg, as well as Weller, Eagle Rare, and Blanton's. Sales will be divided up into three sections on the website: The most rare spirits will be available via auction that you will be notified of when you sign up for the newsletter; the less exclusive but still collectible bottles will be available to purchase outright during a certain window; and the more widely available bottles will be for sale at any time (while supplies last). And to celebrate the launch of Legacy de Forge, there will be an online auction starting tomorrow where you can purchase a single barrel of Blanton's Gold that includes a VIP tour and one-night stay at Buffalo Trace Distillery's Stagg Lodge. Bidding opens tomorrow, June 6, at 10 a.m. and lasts until June 20 at 10 a.m. (EST). You can visit the website now to find out more. Best of Robb Report Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One 9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec Click here to read the full article.
Scotsman
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Larceny bourbon deal: £31 wheated whiskey with Pappy flavour profile
Larceny wheated bourbon evokes much more expensive whiskys | Larceny This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. A first-person take on the bourbon that channels Pappy Van Winkle vibes – and is now just £31 on Amazon in a rare deal. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There's one bottle I'll always have in the house – not because it's fancy or exclusive, but because it reminds me of one of the best whiskeys I've ever tasted. It's called Larceny, and right now, it's on Amazon for just £31 – the lowest price I've ever seen it. I first stumbled across Larceny in a blues bar in Manhattan. Yeah, I know – a bit of a cliché. But what drew me in wasn't the music, it was the name on the whiskey list. One sip in and I was sold. It was buttery, rich, smooth as anything – and oddly familiar. It reminded me instantly of a small pour of Pappy Van Winkle I was once lucky enough to try, thanks to a generous (and very rich) friend. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Both Pappy and Larceny are what's known as wheated bourbons – meaning wheat is used instead of rye in the mash bill. It gives the whiskey a creamier, more rounded flavour, less peppery heat, more honeyed caramel. Larceny in particular has this rich mouthfeel and mellow warmth that makes it dangerously easy to sip. But here's where it gets interesting – Larceny also has one of the best origin stories in the business. John E. Fitzgerald, whose name is now on the label, was a U.S. Treasury Agent who had the keys to the rickhouses where bourbon was stored. Late at night, he'd sneak in and sample the finest barrels. When it came time to bottle them, a few were mysteriously lighter than expected – but smoother than anything else around. When Larceny started showing up in the UK about ten years ago, it was quietly shipped in one-litre bottles for under £50. But as word spread, prices crept up – and now it's mostly sold in 70cl bottles, still often around the £50 mark. So this £31 Amazon deal is a steal. I've already stocked up. In my opinion, Larceny's best enjoyed neat. There's no bite or burn to worry about, no need for water or ice unless you really want it. That said, it also makes the perfect base for my go-to cocktail: the Godfather. A couple of fingers of Larceny over ice, a whisper of Angostura bitters, and a splash of Amaretto – swirl it gently and you've got something as smooth and complex as anything you'd find in a high-end New York bar. If you've never tried wheated bourbon, this is the place to start. And if you're already a fan of the style, you'll know what a find this is at £31.
