Posts Tagged bourbon whiskey

Third Annual Bourbon Supply Update From Buffalo Trace

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 13, 2015) There’s good news and there’s bad news coming from Buffalo Trace Distillery in its third annual bourbon inventory update.  The good news is that supplies of fully-aged whiskey at the 225-plus-year-old Distillery continue to increase and Buffalo Trace is making more whiskey than ever. The bad news is that demand continues to outstrip its available supply, which means all of the Distillery’s whiskey brands remain on allocation.

“This annual update relates to Buffalo Trace Distillery specifically, and is not intended to speak for the bourbon industry as a whole, or other distillers,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director.  “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear from fans asking why they can’t find their favorite whiskey at the local liquor store, so we are offering an annual update to inform people where we stand, and ensure fans we are distilling more whiskey and planning for the future.”

Since demand continues to outstrip supply, brands such as Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms, Van Winkle, and the Antique Collection (George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Sazerac 18, Thomas H. Handy, and Eagle Rare 17) will continue to be on strict allocation and hard to find for the foreseeable future.

Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Weller, Sazerac Rye, Stagg Jr., and E. H. Taylor, Jr. will continue to be in short supply, but will benefit slightly from increased production more than a decade ago. “Although we can’t guarantee that every fan will find Buffalo Trace or Blanton’s every time they visit the liquor store, things are starting to look up, and overall our inventory is in a better place than it was a year ago. We are very appreciative that fans like our whiskey and thankful for all of their continued patience,” added Comstock.

A few things that Buffalo Trace Distillery will NOT do:

  • Buffalo Trace Distillery won’t lower their quality standards or alcohol by volume (ABV) just to sell more whiskey.
  • The suggested retail pricing will not be raised, just to take advantage of the high demand. (Note, although some stores may charge a premium for Buffalo Trace’s limited brands, the Distillery is not asking them to do so.)
  • Brands won’t be discontinued. All bourbon brands will continue to be produced and allocated each year, with a focus on quality and making more.

In addition to the previous improvements announced in 2014 such as distilling more whiskey, adding more bottling lines, and hiring more people, Buffalo Trace is taking additional steps to prepare for a growing future.  The Distillery recently purchased an additional 300 acres of farmland adjacent to its current land where it intends to grow its own grains for a farm-to-table bourbon, plus potentially build more barrel warehouses. Additionally, former barrel warehouse buildings repurchased a few years ago on the main campus of Buffalo Trace are being re-ricked and used again as barrel storage warehouses, and plans are in the works to re-rick additional buildings on site in the next few years.

The innovation Buffalo Trace is so well known for is being enhanced as the Distillery expands – its experimental warehouse, Warehouse X, has had nearly one year of barrels aging in it, yielding data with very interesting results; more than 3,000 barrels of experimental whiskies are currently aging on the Distillery’s grounds; and research on DNA fingerprinting is taking place as well.

The whiskies from Buffalo Trace are benefiting from resurgence in the category as a whole.  According to Nielsen, bourbon and whiskey grew at 6% for the 52 weeks ending 3/28/15, with premium volumes up 6.2% and ultra volumes up 19%.

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Wild Turkey’s Take on Three Iconic Whiskey Cocktails

Wild Turkey has put its unique take on three of the most iconic whiskey cocktails–the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Whiskey Sour–to commemorate National Bourbon Heritage Month.

The three classic drinks can be made with any type of whiskey, but require one that has full flavor as a suitable match for the robust ingredients used in the drinks. Rye, with its drier and spicier flavor profile, has once again become the preferred choice of bartenders, but its increasing popularity has made it difficult to obtain in parts of the country.

Most bourbons are too sweet to stand up to the ingredients of the cocktails, so Wild Turkey Bourbon, at 101 proof, is the perfect choice. The higher proof delivers a deeper, richer flavor that fits perfectly with the drinks below. Each cocktail evokes the perfectly balanced profile that has made these drinks real classics, while tweaking them just enough to pleasantly surprise even the most seasoned cocktail enthusiast.

The Manhattan 101

Ingredients:

1 3/4 ounces Wild Turkey Bourbon

1/3 ounce dry vermouth

1/3 ounce sweet vermouth

1 thin slice fresh ginger

3 mint leaves

1/2  tsp powdered sugar

Dash aromatic bitters

Muddle ginger, mint, powdered sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon, vermouth and ice. Shake and strain into a chilled glass.

The Old Fashioned 101

Ingredients:

1 1/3 ounce Wild Turkey Bourbon

1/2 ounce apple cider

3 sage leaves

1 pinch of saffron

1 tsp brown sugar

2 orange twists

1 tsp orange zest

1 fresh cherry

1 ounce Amaretto

Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Amaretto. Muddle cider, sage, saffron, brown sugar, orange twists and zest together in glass. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon and stir. Strain and serve over ice, garnish with Amaretto-soaked cherry.

The Whiskey Sour 101

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Wild Turkey Bourbon

1/2 ounce fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 ounce honey

1 fresh cherry

1 ounce Wild Turkey American Honey

Dollop of egg white

Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Wild Turkey American Honey. Combine Wild Turkey Bourbon, grapefruit juice, lime juice and honey in a cocktail shaker.  Froth egg white and add a dollop to the mixture.  Shake and serve over ice.  Garnish with Wild Turkey American Honey-soaked cherry.

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