Buffalo Trace Kosher Whiskey
Image via Buffalo Trace
Below is my original writeup for Buffalo Trace’s Kosher Wheated Bourbon, Ryed Bourbon, and Straight Rye:
Now here’s something new! Buffalo Trace isn’t exactly known (recently, at least) for adding product lines, so any new one would be exciting. But a set of Kosher whiskies using their existing recipes? I certainly didn’t see that coming.
To answer your first question, yes, technically whiskey is inherently kosher based on its ingredients and process. There is nothing that would render it unsuitable for a kosher household barring a rabbinical seal of approval (except during Passover, when fermented grains and leavening agents such as yeast are avoided). Grains, yeast, water, oak - that’s it. So what makes this release different?
For this new, permanent line of products, Buffalo Trace partnered with the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc) for supervision, specially designated Kosher barrels, and, according to Buffalo Trace, “in order to satisfy Passover requirements, these barrels were sold to a non-Jewish executive in a ceremony witness (sic) by a representative from the cRc.” Each recipe was aged for at least seven years, and before bottling the lines were cleaned so “that no contact was made by non-Kosher spirits.”
I can’t speak to the demand for kosher-certified spirits, but coming from a Jewish family I can tell you that we drink just as much as any other religion, denomination, or group. I’ve got a query out to Buffalo Trace asking them about that demand, whether the demand was met, whether sales were what they expected, etc. I’m not holding out hope for specifics (Sazerac isn’t exactly known for being an open book), but it’s a valid question and, I think, one that could be answered without divulging anything particularly secret.
The biggest surprise in all of this - and I’m being super facetious - is that kosher-observant Jews are not the only people who were interested in this release. Weller fans went for the wheated recipe; Sazerac and Thomas H. Handy fans went for the rye; and the bourbon was compared immediately to regular Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Eagle Rare 10 Year Old. The bottles appeared on secondary almost immediately, at approximately 2-3x markups.
I held out from buying these. For one, not being kosher-observant, I felt uncomfortable purchasing a product designed and produced for a smaller subset of people. I also frankly wasn’t that interested. I have access - if sometimes limited - to all of the whiskies these were compared to, so it wasn’t like I was clamoring to get the Bourbon because I can’t find Buffalo Trace Bourbon around me (for the record, quite easy to find in and around New York City).
To be honest, the only reason I even sought out samples was to try them once enough time had passed that I felt comfortable that those for whom this was intended had had time to find it. In swoops my friend Josh from the Jews & Booze Whiskey group, and I thank him sincerely for the samples.
Overall? Not bad. I think these are clearly meant to simply be kosher versions of existing Buffalo Trace products, so if you like Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Sazerac Rye, or Weller Special Reserve, you’ll enjoy the corresponding kosher products. I looked back on my notes, and found that my ratings and tasting notes for each were pretty close. The proofs are slightly different - each of the kosher products is at 94 proof, with the other three at 90, and the “regular” products are all NAS whereas the kosher ones are age-stated at at least seven years old.
Ultimately, my feeling is this: if you really can’t find the corresponding Buffalo Trace products, these are fine substitutes (especially the rye). If the “regular” products are available, leave these for those who need a kosher certification - wouldn’t you want the same consideration if you needed it?
And so I thought…but I’m never one to shy away from being corrected!
I’ll admit, when I wrote this, I was a little saltier in the words than I was consciously. I didn’t have a particular reason, and it wasn’t directed at Buffalo Trace. Rather, it was directed at those who bought up the “Kosher Collection” because it was a novelty, making it that much harder for its intended recipients to find it.
Sometimes, the universe gives you a chance to make things right or, at least, more objective.
Enter: Joseph Zoimen and Mishpacha Magazine, whose writeup about Buffalo Trace’s Kosher whiskies was published last month (April 2022).
Joseph is an attorney in Cincinnati and someone who clearly knows and loves whiskey. His article, timed to come out after 2022’s Pesach holiday had finished, gave incredible depth and backstory to the BT Kosher line. Just a few of the corrections and additions his article gave to my writeup:
The Kosher recipes are not simply Weller, Sazerac, and Buffalo Trace designated Kosher - they are new recipes created under Drew Mayville’s supervision and with Mark Brown’s approval. Though, just as with Buffalo Trace’s main whiskies, the mashbills are undisclosed, they are different.
The Kosher whiskies are not kosher for passover. They’re permissible for consumption, ownership, and sale during the rest of the year, but during Pesach.
One of the most telling quotes from Zoimen’s article explains how Mayville and Brown approached the “your whiskey isn’t really Kosher” question:
There were lots of options to move forward — such as selling the whole factory for Pesach as another distillery nearby has been doing for years. But Mark and Drew wanted something different and unique, a kosher product they would create from the beginning. It would’ve been simpler to take the popular Weller recipe or another bourbon already in existence and steal away a few of those barrels to mark as kosher. Instead, they decided to create a whole new bourbon called the “Kosher Experiment” and have specific casks be earmarked as kosher, sold to a non-Jew before its first Pesach, and aged until they were ready, which can take up to seven years.
Buffalo Trace took this seriously - Mark Brown took a DNA test to ensure he was 0% Jewish, for example. Following Pesach 2021, where consumers took selfies and photos with the bottles popping the corks for the holiday, the label was clearly rewritten to forbid its consumption and purchase on Passover. To minimize chometz (any food or beverage not permitted for consumption during Passover, during which Jews cannot benefit from or own them either) issues, Buffalo Trace sells the next year’s batch right after the holiday, giving Kosher consumers a full year to purchase from their liquor stores.
There’s much more to Joseph’s article, including a new take (directly from Drew and Mark, no less) on why George T. Stagg wasn’t released last year, and I encourage you to read the entire thing for a deeper understanding of the complexities involved with creating, producing, and marketing a truly Kosher product that stays that way until it reaches its intended consumers.
And, as always, if you find something factually incorrect in my writings or something correct that needs more information, never hesitate to reach out as Joseph did!
Buffalo Trace Kosher Bourbon: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed Rye-d Bourbon
Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Age: 7+ Years Old
Location: Kentucky
Buffalo Trace Kosher Bourbon Price: $40
Buffalo Trace Kosher Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Pure amber. Bleeding thin rims and droplets hanging on.
Nose: Mild - charred cornbread, sweetened. Smells like bourbon that’s been slightly watered down. Burnt caramel, some rye spice popping out at the end.
Palate: Spice builds very slowly, like cinnamon spice drop candies. Sweet corn, expired baking spices. Noticeably higher spice than the wheat, yet feels less flavorful overall. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, still lacking some flavor, with spicy clove and black pepper and a nice coating that dries on the palate.
Finish: Classic Buffalo Trace to a T. Yes, it tastes slightly watered down from 90 proof even though its at 94, but basically it’s Buffalo Trace Bourbon in profile.
Overall: Fine, an equal to basic Buffalo Trace, can’t say much more than that. Better mouthfeel than the wheated recipe, if less flavorful.
Final Rating: 5.4
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Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheated Bourbon: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed Wheated Bourbon Mashbill
Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Age: 7+ Years Old
Location: Kentucky
Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheated Bourbon Price: $40
Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheated Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Brand new pennies. thin rims and droplet legs.
Nose: Sweet wheat. Not a powerful nose, but definitely has the softer wheat notes I get in a Weller Special Reserve. A gentle cinnamon and custard scent, with vinous astringency and oak building.
Palate: Creamy cinnamon custard, some lemon zest, with a touch of proof but nothing too hot. Tobacco leaves drying, black licorice way in the background. Mouthfeel is light and silky, very little tingle, more oak and corn opening on the chew. Semisweet chocolate rounds out the palate.
Finish: Slowly becomes more chocolatey, though it doesn’t go too dark. Charred casks and a bit of oak astringency.
Overall: A solid starter wheater - I’d put it alongside Weller Special Reserve any day, but needs a bit more proof to get to an Old Weller Antique level.
Final Rating: 5.8
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Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed Rye Mashbill
Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Age: 7+ Years Old
Location: Kentucky
Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye Price: $40
Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Golden caramel. Thin rims, syrupy legs.
Nose: Rich and sweet, some spice, slight proof heat. Spice drops, cinnamon candies, definitely a rye if also definitely on the sweeter side for the nose.
Palate: Holds back at first. A little vinous, still quite sweet, though some herbaceous dill rolls in, too. Astringent yet not oaky. The wine notes continue at a pleasant level throughout. Mouthfeel is a little thin, but gelatinous, like fatty chicken soup. Coating, a touch of clove and cinnamon spice, hot caramel.
Finish: Turns a bit woody, but overall stays true to the palate and nose. Less sweet. Short-to-medium length.
Overall: Easily the best of the three for me - a pleasant sipper that also wouldn’t disappear in a cocktail. Wouldn’t mind having this on my bar if I could only choose one.
Final Rating: 6.4
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Has Promise But Needs Work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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