EP 12: All in the Family

The Friskey Whiskey Podcast

Join MikeD and TI as we discover the flavors of the Sazerac family of whiskeys. Tonight we sip on some of the popular whiskeys; Buffalo Trace, Weller Special Reserve and Eagle Rare.

Buffalo Trace:
History: Buffalo Trace bourbon is a premium bourbon whiskey produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. The distillery has a long and storied history, dating back to 1773 when a distillery called the Leestown Distillery was established on the banks of the Kentucky River. Over the years, the distillery changed hands several times and underwent various renovations and expansions.

In 1857, the distillery was purchased by E.H. Taylor Jr., a prominent businessman and distiller who is often credited with revolutionizing the bourbon industry. Under Taylor's ownership, the distillery was renamed the O.F.C. Distillery and a renewed focus was placed on producing high-quality bourbons.
In 1870, the distillery was purchased by George T. Stagg, who continued to produce some of the finest bourbons in Kentucky. Stagg also introduced several innovations to the distilling process, including the use of steam power and the introduction of copper fermentation tanks.

Over the years, the distillery changed hands several more times, but the focus on producing high-quality bourbons remained the same. In 1999, the distillery was renamed the Buffalo Trace Distillery, and a renewed emphasis was placed on producing premium bourbons.

Today, Buffalo Trace bourbon is produced using the finest ingredients and traditional distilling methods. The whiskey is made from a mash bill of corn, rye, and barley and is aged for a minimum of eight years in charred oak barrels. It is bottled at 90 proof and has a smooth, complex flavor profile with notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Tasting Profile: vanilla, mint, molasses, notes of brown sugar, spice, oak, toffee, dark fruit and anise.

Weller Special Reserve:
History: William Larue Weller was born in 1825 in Nelson County, Kentucky, and grew up in a family of distillers. In the mid-19th century, he began experimenting with different bourbon recipes and eventually developed the wheated bourbon recipe that would become the basis for Weller bourbon.

Weller, a pioneer in the bourbon industry who is credited with creating the first bourbon recipe that used wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain. Weller's wheated bourbon recipe was a departure from the traditional bourbon recipe. He believed that wheat produced a smoother, milder flavor profile than rye and that it was better suited for aging in oak barrels. His wheated bourbon recipe was an instant success and quickly gained a reputation as one of the best bourbons in Kentucky. At some point he also hired Julian Van Winkle a.k.a Pappy.

Weller continued to distill bourbon until his death in 1899. His legacy lived on, however, and his distillery W.L. Weller & Sons was merged with A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery to become the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. The Stitzel-Weller Distillery produced Weller bourbon for many years, but eventually went out of business in the 1990s. Today, the Weller brand is owned by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which acquired the recipe and the brand in the 1990s

Weller Special Reserve is essentially the same whiskey as Pappy Van Winkle in recipe. It is most closely related to the Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year, however it is aged in a different location from Pappy. Also, Buffalo Trace will not confirm how long it is aged for. This means that for a fraction of the cost you can get a very similar nose and flavor as the Pappy line.

Tasting Profile: Caramel, honey, butterscotch, soft woodiness, and honeysuckle.

Eagle Rare:
History: In 1975, Eagle Rare Bourbon was introduced by Four Roses (owned by Seagrams) and Master Distiller Charles L. Beam. Beam was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame posthumously in 2010. Eagle Rare was created in part to compete with another bird-themed bourbon which also happened to be distilled to ER’s original proof: 101. It was distilled at the Old Prentice Distillery in Lawrenceburg, which later became and is currently the home of Four Roses.

In 1989 Sazerac purchased the ER brand and bottled whiskey they sourced for a few years (possibly from Heaven Hill) before they bought the Buffalo Trace distillery (then known as the George T. Stagg Distillery) in 1992. During this era, many of the Eagle Rare labels had a location listed as New Orleans because Sazerac was headquartered there, although that does not mean the product was actually bottled in The Big Easy. The last labels with New Orleans listed on them were likely bottled around 1997.

In 2005, Buffalo Trace discontinued the 10-year old, 101 proof expression, along with the older bottles and label, in favor of a 10-year-old, 90 proof single barrel offering that you find on shelves today. The recipe is part of the Buffalo Trace mash bill #1, a low rye mash bill that is also used for bourbons like Buffalo Trace and E.H. Taylor Small Batch.

Tasting Profile: Toffee, hints of orange peel, herbs, honey, leather, oak, dry, candied almonds and rich cocoa.