Buffalo Trace Bottles Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak

Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its exploration into oak tree varietals with the latest release in the Old Charter Oak collection, Spanish Oak Bourbon.

Harvested from the forests of northern Spain, trees used in this year’s experiment were made into staves that were seasoned outdoors before becoming barrels used for this whiskey.

Aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery, this whiskey purposely stands out from its counterparts aged in traditional American Oak barrels. While American Oak gives a softer, sweeter taste with notes of vanilla and caramel, European Oak, including the Spanish Oak varietal, is drier, spicier and has stronger wood input, the company says. Long used for aging sherries, Spanish Oak imbues tasting notes of deep oak and dense caramel, followed by rich vanilla and dark stone fruit, finishing with notes of toasted nuts and baking spice.

“The whiskey extracts from the charred oak barrel exciting elements like eugenol, vanillin and whiskey lactone,” says Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley. “American Oak has higher proportions of vanillin and whiskey lactone, resulting in bourbon with a softer, sweeter taste and notes of vanilla and caramel. Our Spanish Oak, on the other hand, has more eugenol, meaning drier, spicier notes and flavors like clove are imparted onto the liquid. We specifically wanted to test Spanish Oak as part of this collection because of its connection to sherry, which is known to be a nuttier, fruitier spirit. We were curious how those flavors would impact the taste of whiskey, and we are very pleased with the result.”

Spanish Oak Bourbon joins four previous releases in the Old Charter Oak series, including Chinkapin Oak, Mongolian Oak, French Oak and Canadian Oak. Oak trees used each year vary by country of origin, species, or U.S. state, with some barrels made from centuries-old trees that grew between 100 to 300 years.

“A common misconception about the distilling process is that bourbon must be aged in new American Oak barrels,” Wheatley explains. “Though most bourbons mature in American White Oak barrels, federal regulations do not specify what type of oak the barrel must be, only that it must be a new, charred oak container. At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are deeply committed to honoring the traditions of our category but also embracing change and pushing the limits of innovation to see where American whiskey can go in the future. Our Old Charter Oak collection is a superb example of trying new things and offering consumers and fans more ways to enjoy our award-winning portfolio of whiskeys.”

Packaging for Spanish Oak remains consistent with the other releases. Each bottle has an oak medallion on the front depicting the Charter Oak tree.

Spanish Oak rolls out into select markets beginning Spring 2023. The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750-ml. bottle.