Although this year is not like any year we’ve lived through before, some traditions do remain intact. Like previous years, September is the time for the announcement of the 2020 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and today’s the day! Of course, like years past, these whiskeys will be extremely limited and difficult to obtain. This is coupled with the fact that many bars are operating at diminished capacity if at all throughout the US. This makes hunting for these whiskeys even more challenging.
Furthermore, whiskey festivals for the season have been cancelled or postponed which marks another closed avenue which has taken these whiskeys out of your hands. Your best bet this year will be to put yourself on a lottery list and hope for the best. That said, if you are fortunate to come across the 2020 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, you can rest assured that they are worth the effort. Limited availability begins in late September or early October with a suggested retail price for each listed at $99 a piece—a price you most certainly will NOT pay.
The details of each release are listed below.
George T. Stagg Bourbon
George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2020) is an uncut, unfiltered Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. For the 2020 release, barrels were filled in spring 2005 and were picked from barrels which matured in Warehouses L, K, and Q. The evaporation for this batch was 59%. It was bottled after 15 years and 4 months of aging at 130.4 proof.
William Larue Weller Bourbon
William Larue Weller Bourbon (Fall 2020) is an uncut, unfiltered wheated Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. For the 2020 release, barrels were filled in winter 2008 and were picked from barrels which matured in Warehouses I & C. The evaporation for this batch was 73%. It was bottled after 12 years and 6 months of aging at 134.5 proof.
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye (Fall 2020) is an uncut, unfiltered Kentucky straight rye whiskey. For the 2020 release, barrels were filled in spring 2014 and were picked from barrels which matured in Warehouses K, M, and N. The evaporation for this batch was 32%. It was bottled after 6 years and 2 months of aging at 129 proof.
Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon
Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon (Fall 2020) is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. For the 2020 release, barrels were filled in spring 2002 and were picked from barrels which matured on the first floor of Warehouse P. The evaporation for this batch was 59%. It was bottled with chill filtration at 101 proof after 18 years and 3 months of aging (although the stated age is 17 years).
Sazerac Rye 18 Year
Sazerac Rye 18 Year (Fall 2020) is a Kentucky straight rye whiskey. For the 2020 release, barrels were filled in spring 2002 and were picked from barrels which matured on the third floor of Warehouse K. The evaporation for this batch was 76.9%. After 18 years and 4 months of aging, it was chill filtered and bottled at 90 proof.
Ready to grab a bottle from the 2020 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection?
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