Whiskey has to be aged at least two years to be considered bourbon, however more and more American distillers have been aging their spirits for a lot longer. However, Buffalo Trace is taking age statements to an entirely new level with its O.F.C. Vintage.
Released last month, this bourbon was barreled in 1993, when “The X Files” and “Jurassic Park” were all the rage! Like its predecessors, the 1993 Vintage will arrive in a wooden display box containing a provenance card, a crystal bottle with real copper lettering in-laid in the bottle with a hand applied paper label. The label on the back of the bottle notes the milestones for the year 1993. The provenance card contains the same information found on the back label. Unlike previous O.F.C. Vintages, there are more bottles available of this 1993 vintage.
The O. F. C. vintage-dated bourbons named after the National Historic Landmark’s original moniker – the O.F.C. Distillery – renowned for producing top class whiskey during its tenure.
“It’s hard to believe that the same year this bourbon was made, in 1993, the world wide web was just becoming a ‘thing,’ and introduced to the public domain,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “Now when you think of how far everything has come, from a technology standpoint to bourbon’s popularity again, it’s mind blowing. What’s really amazing is how solid this bourbon is, and how the taste and integrity have held up. It’s a real tribute to Elmer and Gary Gayheart and the rest of the team at the Distillery for this vintage to have this consistency and taste this good after aging for 25 years.”
This 1993 Vintage is actually the third release of the O.F.C. Vintage whiskey, but the second offered for sale. In the fall of 2016, Buffalo Trace released three vintage-dated bourbons, exclusively to non-profit organizations at no charge to raise money for their causes. Those bottles, from 1980, 1982, and 1983 were auctioned at charity last spring, and raised nearly $1.2 million for a variety of causes such as cancer services, cystic fibrosis, leukemia and lymphoma, children’s rights, autism, military veterans, animal protection, arts foundations, and many more.
Suggested pricing for the very limited 1993 O.F.C. Vintage Bourbon is $2,500.
