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The Single Oak Project
(Credit: Buffalo Trace)
Does the top of the tree taste better than the bottom of the tree? Buffalo Trace Distillery attempts to find out with the release of its thirteenth round of the Single Oak Project Bourbon. This release features bourbons which were all aged in barrels made from the top half of the tree, while keeping the other variables such as entry proof (at 125), and stave seasoning the same. The remaining variables, recipe (wheat or rye), grain size, warehouse type and char level vary.
If past online votes are any indication, fans are leaning towards the bottom half of the tree as their favorite, as barrel #82 remains in the lead, but with a new second place barrel coming on strong, #185, which is actually from the top of the tree.
“There are so many variables which can affect the taste of a bourbon, and no one has ever considered how the top or bottom of the tree from which the barrel is made as a factor,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director. “It’s an interesting concept to think about, and when this project is over, we may be asking our barrel manufacturer to only give us either the top or the bottom of the tree!”
It’s not too late to get in on the act and start reviewing, as three more releases will take place before this project ends in the summer of 2015. More than 4,000 reviews have been given so far on www.singleoakproject.com.
The Single Oak Project is part of an intensive research project Buffalo Trace Distillery started conducting in 1999 by hand picking 96 trees with different wood grains and then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon.
To further the variety of experiments, the barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof. And if this wasn’t enough, two completely different warehouses were used, one with wooden floors and one with concrete floors. In total, seven different variables were employed in Buffalo Trace’s ultimate experiment.
For eight years the Distillery continued with its tracking process, creating intricate databases and coming up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels!
The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months from 2011 through 2015 until all of the 192 barrels have been released. The first release hit select stores in 2011. This thirteenth release will reach stores towards the end of May. Like all the other releases, the quantities are very limited. Every case will contain 12 bottles, each from a different barrel. The twelfth release is made up of barrel numbers 11, 13, 43, 45, 75, 77, 107, 109, 139, 141, 171, and 173. All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.
At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated Single Oak Project Bourbon and make more just like it, under the Single Oak name.
