Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

Released after Passover annually, Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon is made with the same high quality grains as W.L. Weller.  As it is kosher, it is only run after all other non-kosher spirit has been cleaned from the line, and then barreled in specific kosher barrels. The whiskey is aged for 7 years, and bottled at 94 proof.  The result of all this work with the Chicago Rabbinical Counsel (cRc) is a bottle that retails near $40, and is immediately horded in the current bourbon community.  So is it worth the hunt?

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

• Age: 7 Years
• Proof: 94 (47% A.B.V.)

Sight:  Chestnut Oloroso Sherry

Smell:  The nose starts with a well rounded mix of cherries slathered in caramel sauce and dripped with a bit of vanilla whipped cream.  It gives way to a mix of baking spice and stone fruit with a touch of toasted croissant.  There’s a little twinge of heat, but it’s more of a brightness than a hotness.  Subtle touches of marmalade and berries are in the background with a slight musky note.

Sip:  The body starts off light and smooth, before building toward a more moderate, slightly warm steady point.  A ton of baked cherries and vanilla come out with a nice amount of caramel.  There’s some spice that comes in here, more general cinnamon with light clove, and a good amount of toasty oak.  Touches of almond get involved with a bit of pastry marzipan thing.

Savor:  The ending carries forward the cherries, toasted oak, slight almond, and a good hint of spice.   The finish lingers pleasantly without being aggressive.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat is really delightful, with a beautiful emphasis toward the cherries, vanilla, and caramel notes.  The touches of almond and toasty oak keep things mellow and still delivers a ton of flavor.    The easy going nature means you’re not fighting the proof to enjoy the underlying flavors.  While it isn’t overly complex, it feels elegant and well balanced.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan it provides some really beautiful soaring caramel and vanilla creme notes that open up into preserved cherries and hints of blackberry.  Plum skin and spice join in, and give it a bit of a kick.   Pastry crème and almond round out the background and finish with a little hint of oak. The flavors are clear, concise, and inviting.  The drink ends up being a bit more elegant than many barrel proof fans will enjoy, but will lend itself to more vermouth choices.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon Compared to Old Weller Antique

While Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon is obviously proofed down, this gives it a little more room to open up to fruitier notes (more stone fruit / marmalade) and more of the floral vanilla / caramel. It still has spice there, but it’s not the dominating cinnamon that W.L. Weller Antique sometimes gives off. This is a much more gentle, subtle, inviting pour on initial impression.

Looking at the side by side, the W.L. Weller Antique screams caramel, cherries, and cinnamon out loud, and then likes to keep the flavor turned up. It has some more fig and dark fruit notes than the Kosher. The finish takes that cinnamon and just keeps it going, where the Kosher is a little more toward the caramel and vanilla notes with a bit of almond.   Overall, both are good, but I’d give the edge to the Kosher Wheat, depending on my mood and activity based.

In Review – Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

As a seasonal release, Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon really doesn’t have an ordinary spot on your bar.  Given it’s slightly unique pedigree, you can probably supplant it with normal Buffalo Trace or Weller Special Reserve / Antique, which you probably have to do unless you’re stockpiling it between seasons.   That said, I think it is slightly better than either Weller and Buffalo trace for what it offers, but not enough so to justify the mark ups that connect to these Kosher bottles.  At $40, this feels about right.  At the $90 it can command in the secondary, it’s just beyond the pail for anyone but the most ardent of Buffalo Trace enthusiasts.