We were rather large Buffalo Trace bourbon fans already, but in a few weeks’ time it’ll be possible to experience Kentucky’s finest as part of a three-course pairing dinner in London. With two dates scheduled at two different venues, read on to find out where you can roam with the Buffalo this autumn – this is the kind of safari we can definitely get behind…
As well as a cocktail on arrival followed by a delicious three-course dinner with whiskey parings, the experts from Buffalo Trace will be on hand to guide you through a bourbon-tasting journey. Square Meal readers can attend for just £55 each or £100 for a pair – register for tickets at buffalotrace.co.uk/buffalotrail.
Barbecoa, City
When: Tuesday 6 October
Where: 20 New Change Passage, EC4M 9AG
Library private members’ club, Covent Garden
When: Wednesday 7 October
Where: 112 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4AZ
Part of a nationwide programme of events, the Buffalo Trail, you can find out more about these dinners and register for tickets at buffalotrace.co.uk/buffalotrail.
To whet your appetite, read more about Buffalo Trace below
It takes an extraordinary place to create extraordinary bourbon; a place steeped in tradition and with a history spanning centuries. On a striking stretch of land beside the Kentucky River, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon has made its home – in fact fine whiskey has been made here for over 200 years.
We have the buffalo to thank for this unique location, at least in part. Before there was ever a distillery here, these formidable animals carved paths (known as ‘traces’) through the wilderness, until they reached this particular spot in Franklin County, where they were able to cross the Kentucky River.
The passage of so many buffalo created a clearing that made an ideal location for settlers. And this is where the nation’s oldest continuously operating distillery, the Buffalo Trace Distillery, was born in 1787 and where it has continued to produce some of the world’s best whiskeys to this day.
Pioneering spirit
As you can imagine, whiskey production has taken many forms over the years, and the distillery has been responsible for a number of important developments and innovations in that time. These technological leaps, like the pioneering use of steam power in the 1850s, only served to improve the whiskeys made and aged here.
When Prohibition hit in 1919, the distillery’s existence was spared as one of the lucky few in the US to be granted a permit, allowing it to continue to produce bourbon for medicinal purposes until the ban was lifted in 1933. It was one of only six distilleries left standing in the country at the time.
Today the Buffalo Trace Distillery spans an impressive 149 acres, with its four-storey still house holding three stills. American family-owned to this day, the distillery and its whiskeys have pulled in over 500 accolades, both national and international, and more than any other North American distillery since 1990. What’s more, it’s been named Distillery of the Year an impressive and unmatched seven times.
Of course, you don’t get that acclaim without producing some pretty incredible whiskeys. Take the signature Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which made its first appearance in 1999, and can be seen as the culmination of the distillery’s rich and varied history.
This exceptional spirit is made from the finest Kentucky and Indiana corn, rye and malted barley. It then spends between eight and ten years in new oak barrels in century-old warehouses until it’s perfectly matured. Described by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible as “one of the world’s great whiskeys”, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon has received high praise indeed from the bourbon critics, winning a number of gold and double gold medals in competitions around the world.
Easy style
So what’s the best way to enjoy this excellent bourbon, with its hundreds of years of heritage and history? Fortunately, the answer’s easy: any way you’d like. This is a perfectly rounded spirit with the ultimate blend of all four taste sensations you’d expect from a bourbon: sweet, smoky, spicy and smooth.
We love sipping Buffalo Trace on its own in a tumbler, with or without ice, allowing you to savour the taste and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the making of this delicious spirit. It’s the best way to show off its generous sweetness and that characteristic touch of spice.
But it also mixes beautifully in cocktails. Try a Buffalo Trace Mint Julep, a Kentucky favourite where the bourbon works harmoniously with those refreshing, sweet mint aromas. If you’re in the market for something stronger – a drink that’s a bit more Mad Men – there’s the Buffalo Trace Manhattan, a classic mix with sweet vermouth and a few dashes of bitters to really bring out the character of the bourbon.
Finally, what better way to reward yourself after a hard day’s work than with a Boilermaker – Buffalo Trace served neat alongside your favourite beer. Simple and unpretentious, there are few better ways to celebrate the unique and venerable distillery that has brought us this mighty fine bourbon.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon is available from Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and many other fine retailers, priced at £20.
This article was published 17 September 2015