Buffalo Trace Distillery has experimented with a variety of grains in their latest Experimental Collection release, six grains in one bourbon to be exact. The latest release is named Organic Six Grain Whiskey.
Distilled in early May 2010, this whiskey mash bill contains an assortment of grains; corn, buckwheat, brown rice, sorghum, wheat, and rice. These grains were milled, cooked and made into sour mash before being distilled on Buffalo Trace’s experimental micro-still to 130 proof white dog. The white dog was then entered into eight new charred white oak barrels that had received Buffalo Trace’s standard number four char. After resting in Warehouse H for seven years and one month, the whiskey was chill filtered and bottled at 90 proof.
This is a certified organic whiskey, as all six grains received organic certification, and the production method at Buffalo Trace Distillery, including distillation, processing, and bottling was organically certified.
While it may be uncommon to come across bourbons made with more than typically three grains, this six grain product still meets all of the requirements to be called bourbon, made with at least 51 percent corn, with the other five grains comprising the rest of the mash bill. Buffalo Trace observed that these six grains created a flavor profile that is different than the typical bourbons produced at the Distillery. For this reason, Buffalo Trace has elected to refer to this experiment as a whiskey in name.
Tasting notes for the Organic Six Grain Experiment describe it as being very complex, with slight herbal tones, heavy wood tannins, and earthy notes, accompanied by a spicy aftertaste that rounds out the comprehensive flavor.
These barrels are part of more than 14,000 experimental barrels of whiskey aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery, the largest number of experimental barrels ever held in inventory at the National Historic Landmark Distillery and most likely the world. Each of them has unique characteristics that differentiate them in distinct ways. Some examples of experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood, and different barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility, and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery, named The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. “OFC” Micro Distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks, and a state-of-the-art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery. Buffalo Trace has increased its commitment to experimentation with the recent addition of its Warehouse X. Although small in size, Warehouse X is designed to explore the extent of environmental influences on the flavor profiles of whiskey.
The Experimental Collection is packaged in 375ml bottles, and each label includes all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys retail for approximately $46.35 each and will be available in late May, 2017. Experimental Collection releases are generally quite small and have limited availability.
