Buffalo Trace Sister Distillery Barton 1792 Released Two New Whiskeys
We cover a lot of Buffalo Trace whiskey releases here, and for good reason—they are often excellent and sometimes highly collectible. But Buffalo Trace has some sister distilleries that are owned by parent company Sazerac that are also worth considering, including A. Smith Bowman and Barton 1792. The latter just announced the release of two new whiskeys, and both are worth tracking down based on their uniqueness and high quality.
Barton 1792, named after the year Kentucky became a state, is located in Bardstown and is part of Barton Brands, which is owned by Sazerac. The core expression is 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey, and there are some other more limited expressions in the lineup as well like Full Proof, High Rye, and Port Finish. All the whiskey made at Barton has been bourbon—that is, until now, because the first new expression is 1792 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, the very first straight rye to be included in the 1792 portfolio.
According to the distillery, the whiskey is made using the same distillation and barrel-entry proof as the core bourbon, but then deviates from there. First of all, master distiller Ross Cornelissen decided to use the distillery’s bourbon yeast strain instead of a neutral yeast during fermentation to add more fruit flavors to the whiskey. Also, the rye grain, which is obviously a majority of the mashbill (the exact proportions are not revealed), was sourced from Canada, Europe, and the northern U.S. The Canadian rye is said to contribute floral notes, the American rye provides peppery spice, and the European rye adds bready, herbal depth.
The whiskey was bottled at 100 proof, which Cornelissen believed provided the most balance. “Many seasoned bourbon drinkers turn to rye when they’re ready to explore something new,” he said in a statement. “With 1792 Bourbon’s high-rye mash bill, this release offers fans a familiar spice profile with a recognizable rye character.” We got to sample the whiskey and it is very good, with just enough spice and fruit to make it recognizable as a rye, but ample notes of oak, vanilla, and maple to balance out those sharper flavors.
The second new whiskey is called 1792 XV, the oldest age statement bourbon in the lineup at 15 years old, and the first cask-strength expression bottled at 124.2 proof. “This release wasn’t part of a planned experiment in barrel-proof whiskey,” said Cornelissen. “We noticed that several of our oldest barrels were developing extraordinary characteristics, with flavors and nuances that stood out on their own. That discovery inspired us to do something special, which ultimately led to the creation of XV.” This is a strong bourbon that doesn’t drink overly hot, and there are nice notes of licorice, grape soda, dark chocolate, toasted peanuts, and caramel sundae on the palate.
1792 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (SRP $40) is available now in select markets around the country, while 1792 XV (SRP $250) is limited to global travel retail and can be found at airports like L.A.X., S.F.O., and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport (I.C.N.).
