Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Fire Pot Barrel Aged Bourbon Whiskey 375ml

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Fire Pot Barrel is a Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. This 2006 release is one of the three inaugural Experimental Collection bottlings, drawn from a single barrel of BT Rye Mash #1 distilled in February 1996, with the barrel itself prepared using an unusual fire pot treatment - dried at 102°F for 23 minutes before being brought to a #4 char.

The Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection launched in 2006 as the distillery's ongoing program of small-scale bourbon and whiskey experiments. Over 30,000 experimental barrels age in Buffalo Trace's warehouses, each crafted with unique variations in mash bill, wood type, barrel toasting, char level, and aging conditions. Selected experiments are bottled and released in limited quantities in 375ml "lab-style" bottles, each labeled with detailed production notes - a direct window into how master distillers Harlen Wheatley and the BT team push the boundaries of American whiskey-making.

The fire pot treatment changes how the wood caramelizes during charring, drawing out different flavor compounds from the oak than a standard char alone. Whisky Advocate rated this expression as a notable example of how barrel preparation alone can reshape bourbon character.

After 10 years of maturation and 33.5% evaporation, the single barrel was emptied in February 2006 and bottled at 90 proof. It drinks well neat or over a single large cube.

• Size: 375ml
• Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
• Age: 10 Year Old
• Origin: Frankfort, Kentucky
• Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery