Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its exploration into oak tree varietals with the latest release in its Old Charter Oak collection, Spanish Oak Bourbon.
Harvested from the forests of northern Spain, the trees used in this year’s experiment were made into staves that were seasoned outdoors before becoming the barrels that aged this whiskey. Aged at Buffalo Trace, this whiskey sits in stark contrast to its counterparts aged in American Oak barrels. While American Oak gives a softer, sweeter taste, European Oak is drier, spicier and has stronger wood input. Long used for aging sherries, Spanish Oak imbues tasting notes of deep oak and dense caramel.
“The whiskey extracts from the charred oak barrel exciting elements like eugenol, vanillin and whiskey lactone,” said Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “American Oak has higher proportions of vanillin and whiskey lactone, resulting in bourbon with a softer, sweeter taste and notes of vanilla and caramel. Our Spanish Oak, on the other hand, has more eugenol, meaning drier, spicier notes and flavors like clove are imparted onto the liquid. We specifically wanted to test Spanish Oak as part of this collection because of its connection to sherry, which is known to be a nuttier, fruitier spirit. We were curious how those flavors would impact the taste of whiskey, and we are very pleased with the result.”
The Old Charter Oak collection honors and celebrates the role of oak in making whiskey by exploring the various possible taste profiles of whiskey resulting from barrels created from trees grown in different countries, climates, and soil. The oak trees used each year vary by country of origin, species, or U.S. state with some barrels made from century-old trees that grew between 100 to 300 years.
“A common misconception about the distilling process is that bourbon must be aged in new American Oak barrels,” Wheatley continued. “Though most bourbons mature in American White Oak barrels, federal regulations do not specify what type of oak the barrel must be, only that it must be a new, charred oak container. At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are deeply committed to honoring the traditions of our category but also embracing change and pushing the limits of innovation to see where American whiskey can go in the future. Our Old Charter Oak collection is a superb example of trying new things and offering consumers and fans more ways to enjoy our award-winning portfolio of whiskeys.”
Buffalo Trace Distillery Old Charter Oak Collection’s Spanish Oak Bourbon is $69.99.
