Light in body, with creamy notes of vanilla and honey married with orchard fruit. All this is balanced by warming dried spice on the finish. Very enjoyable. Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection French Oak Barrel Aged Bourbon 2015 Release. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2015)

More caramelized sugars (caramel and toffee), with darker fruit than the 105 and 90. More oak spice influence too, but balanced nicely by the sweeter notes. Mouth-coating, viscous, and lubricating in texture. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2013)

Well-defined flavors and clean on the palate. Wood is the driving influence here, showing plenty of dried spice throughout with a dry, resinous finish. The spice notes are accompanied by a layer of caramel, dried spice (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg), and subtle orchard fruits. The dry oak notes overstay their welcome for balance. Otherwise, it’s a very pleasant whiskey. Price per 375 ml.  

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2014)

Each of these three bourbons was distilled and bottled at the same time, and aged in the same warehouse for 12 years and 3 months. The main variable was the floor they were aged on. In theory, the higher up in the warehouse, the greater the temperature variation, and the more wood influence. Does the experiment support this general concept? Yes, with the sweet spot being the middle floor. Soft and sweet, oozing caramel, honeyed vanilla, and gentle, ripe orchard fruit. Soft, gently sweet finish. Not the most complex of the three in this experiment, but it’s very easy-going and soothing on the palate. A nice pairing for a cigar, where the sweet notes will marry nicely with the cigar’s dried spice. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2014)

Deeper, darker, more intense than the Barrel Head Aged expression. Toffee, pit fruit, Earl Grey tea, cinnamon, pencil shavings, and tobacco lead to a tannic, gripping finish. The French oak influence is tangible. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2015)

Effervescent, tingly mouthfeel, but the flavor begins after the initial warmth, with hints of caramel apple, pumpkin pie, apricot, and a slight hint of caramel popcorn. Then it’s pumice, apricot, and marmalade, followed by salt water taffy, cinnamon, and a big burst of nutmeg. A long finish offers a hint of peach pie.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Summer 2018)

Nice effort overall. My gut feeling is that this whiskey might have been better a couple years ago, but I wouldn’t call the second barrel impact excessive. It’s rich and smooth, with sweeter notes of caramel, rich vanilla, and subtle candied fruit, underpinned by firm spice (especially cinnamon) which kicks in on the finish. It comes across as very traditional bourbon, with perhaps a little extra oak impact on the back end. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2010)

My favorite of the two [Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Giant French Oak Barrel]. Surprisingly sweet, with layers of caramel, butterscotch, nougat, and subtle creamy vanilla. This whiskey defies its age. A blend of dried spice on the nose and the finish of the palate balances the sweetness. A very enjoyable (and drinkable) whiskey. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Quite bold and crisply spicy. The most palate-piercing of the three. Well defined flavors of cool mint, warming cinnamon, honey-kissed fruit, and caramel. Briskly spicy finish. When I nose this whiskey, it feels like it’s brandishing a sword at me and shouting “en garde!”

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2011)

Dark, big, and brooding. A mouthful of oak spice, resin, and leather. Surprisingly (and happily) the oak is never excessive — even on the finish. A mélange of toffee, maple syrup, and candy corn props it all up. The flavors aren’t as well defined as its sibling release (reviewed above), and there’s a peculiar hint of “dunnage warehouse” (think damp earth) to it that adds intrigue. A very characterful whiskey worthy of debate. Price is per 375ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2010)

These releases are all the same age, but this one tastes the oldest, and in a higher weight class. Deep and dark in personality. Chewy, with some tobacco and roasted nuts thrown in the mix, along with the toffee, dark pit fruit, oak spice, and leather on the finish. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2013)

The oak staves are placed in a “hot box” at 133 degrees and then steamed before being built up into a barrel. Aged over 16 years, this is pleasant whiskey (if not overly complex), with caramel, tropical fruit, marzipan, a hint of toasted coconut, and a nice creamy texture. My favorite of the two experimental releases. Price is per 375ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2013)

Candy apple and artificial fruit notes, like Kool-Aid powder, dominate the nose, which overall is fairly reticent. Semi-sweet chocolate, peanuts, orange oil, apple peels, white pepper, and cinnamon, as well as plenty of oak, on the simple palate. The finish is peppery, with plenty of oak and pops of orange. A few drops of water help this whiskey hang together.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2020)

Drier on the palate than the 90, with more caramel than honey, and more oak spice (especially vanilla) and grip on the finish. Still, rather light in personality. However, I’m looking for more sweet notes to partner with the dried spice. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2013)

Placed in a new barrel after 8 years and 8 months. Very spicy with an oak sappiness. Loads of maple syrup and corn sweetness up front, with the spice and some subtle lush fruit kicking in mid-palate. Leather and tobacco follow through to a very masculine, dry oak finish. While a very enjoyable whiskey, the dominant, hot, and lingering oak on the finish keeps me from scoring it as high as its siblings.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2006)

Aged in Zinfandel barrels for eight years after spending ten years in new charred oak. Quite similar in flavor profile, but with more oak influence (as would be expected) when compared to its younger brother. The oak spices and resinous textures are more prominent on the nose and palate in this whiskey, and they linger on the finish, which ultimately becomes slightly leathery and tannic. Still, an entertaining, intriguing whiskey. (But read between the lines-buy the younger expression.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2007)

Light and airy on the nose, and delicately creamy on the palate. Gently sweet personality, with caramel custard, vanilla bean, candy corn, and crème brulee. Shows more oak on the palate than the nose, with increasing dried spice notes on the finish. A peculiar whiskey, if not overly complex or inspiring.Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2012)

There’s a reason why bourbon distillers don’t char their barrels to this intensity. Aged over 15 years, this is a bold whiskey, with lovely honeyed fruit and creamy vanilla on the nose and palate. But it’s bullied by the charred oak, brandishing oak tannins and leather, along with background tobacco and over-roasted nuts. Dry, charred oak finish. There’s a lovely sweetness that does challenge all this charred oak, but it eventually loses the battle. Price is per 375ml.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2013)