Anyone who has ever attended an organized tasting of any sort will remember being told “you taste what you taste… there are no wrong answers, etc…” and anyone who has even slightly read up on whisk(e)y will remember the part about each barrel being unique, thus the need for blending and so on. It really brought me back to basics, and perhaps for the first time in my career, firmly hammered those basics down. Even more dazing, was the distinction in the palates and preferences of the members of the group. It was so amazing to see the variance in these whiskeys that were, in every way the same, except for the wood. This part of the selection process was easily the most exhilarating and educational, as we each went back through the whiskeys, scribbling away on our notepads, while engaging in friendly argument. Bill was in love with Barrel III, and did his best to persuade us to enjoy this “delicate old lady of a whiskey,” while Martensen and myself were really digging the versatile balance of barrel IV, and so on. The group unanimously agreed on barrels I and II as being the all-around best in the room, but that’s where the harmony ceased. And that’s exactly what we did, but when we finished, the results were astounding. Our strategy, we decided, was to individually work through the tasting silently while taking notes, without discussing our thoughts until we had all finished. The glasses were being filled straight from the barrel. (That wood by the way, is tightly controlled, meeting Buffalo Traces specific guidelines of being “center ring,” from trees 70 to 80 years old, with a 55 second burn). These barrels, by the way, were all filled on the same day, aged in the same rick or row, on the same floor, of the same warehouse, for the same length of time, and are in every possible way the same- except for the wood. It was quite the palate priming for the tasting that awaited us.įrom the lab, we moseyed on over to Bonded Storage BLDG H, where 6 barrels of Buffalo Trace awaited us. Those same guys let us see what that job was like, as we tasted our way through the prized Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and any and every experimental bourbon that they had on their shelves. At the tasting room, we met the guys who, arguably, have the best job in the spirits biz- sit around, taste whiskey all day and get paid for it. We were rapidly whisked away on an insider’s tour of the highest order which led us through bonded warehouses, bottling lines, the distillery and on to the “lab” and tasting room. (I can still almost taste the air as it was that morning, sitting now, three months later in muggy Houston, in front of my computer). Upon our arrival at the Nation’s oldest distillery, I was instantly confronted by over two hundred years of bourbon history along with that sweet, chewy aroma provided by the Angel’s share emanating from the aging warehouses that litter the small city of a distillery. Yes, I was “that guy.” The hour or so drive to the distillery gave me plenty of time to clear my head and gather my thoughts as I snapped pictures of the beautiful rolling hills and antique, rust-hued ‘truss’ style bridges that span the valleys. Okay full disclosure: they rose early, and I slept in a little, to be awakened by the repeated calls from the front desk. The next day we woke early at Louisville’s Hotel 21C, grabbed coffee at the breakfast bar, then hit the road. Our group spent the first night exploring “Derby City’s” gastronomic offerings. Over the following weeks, details of the trip became clearer, yet I was still unprepared for the life-changing day that lay ahead. What I didn’t realize that day in the walk in, was that this year, the scope of the project had quadrupled, and I would be visiting the historic Buffalo Trace distillery with four of Texas’ leading barmen- Dallas’ Michael Martensen of Cedars Social, San Antonio’s Jeret Peña of Esquire Tavern, Austin’s David Alan of Tipsy Texan and USBG Austin president and Bill Norris of Alamo Drafthouse and the High Ball. A few of those limited “Anvil Selection” bottles even made their way onto backbars around the city. You may remember, about a year ago, when Bobby and Kevin selected a single barrel to be bottled and shipped to the Houston market. Sometime last July, while changing a keg in Anvil’s walk-in, I was presented with the chance of a lifetime by my boss and mentor, Bobby Heugel – to go to Kentucky, attend a private barrel tasting and select whiskey to bring back to the state. TEXAS BARTENDERS BUFFALO TRACE SINGLE-BARREL SELECTIONSĪ post from Anvil Bar & Refuge bartenders, Alex Gregg
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