The Stunning 2025 BTAC Releases from Buffalo Trace Distillery

For those of us who spend our working lives around whisky, tasting the annually released Buffalo Trace Antique Collection remains a rarity. It is cited regularly, chased relentlessly and yet rarely seen. Bottles appear in specialist shops on release and disappear almost instantly, later reappearing at auction with price tags that bear little resemblance to their intended purpose (to be drunk). Tasting even one of them is unusual. I have never managed to. Tasting all six in a single sitting is almost unheard of.

That opportunity came last week at the Savoy, timed to coincide with a significant moment for the distillery. The 2025 release marks twenty five years of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, first introduced in 2000 and now regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated American whiskey series. This is the first year in almost two decades that the Antique Collection welcomes a new addition: E H Taylor Bottled in Bond Bourbon.

I had already booked tickets to a concert that evening, but the importance of an invitation to taste the full collection on such a milestone year made the decision very simple. I changed my plans without hesitation. Instead of dressing down for a riotous punk duo, I pushed my sartorial limits as far as I could without stepping into full black tie. I had invited my friend, and widely respected writer, Neil Ridley to the gig as my guest and felt awful cancelling on him. I need not have worried, as he was at the dinner as well. The stars appeared to align for both of us.

The Beaufort Bar, with its familiar art deco glamour, had been reimagined for the evening. The lights were lowered, the tables dressed, and a long communal table replaced the usual bar layout. Fresh flowers lined the centre and each place held a flight of six whiskies on custom made wooden staves, the brand name charred into the recess.

Before the tasting began, there was a moment to reflect on the significance of the evening. Each whiskey in the Antique Collection pays tribute to the people who helped shape Buffalo Trace (the worlds most award winning distillery) since distillation first began at the site in 1775. Harlen Wheatley, Master Distiller, described the series in the press release as “a reflection of precision, patience and the distillery’s motto to honour tradition and embrace change. For twenty five years, the collection has brought together the most coveted bourbons and ryes in the Buffalo Trace portfolio, and it continues to do so through long maturation and the influence of seasoned oak and the Kentucky climate”

Taking our seats, after a welcome cocktail and canapes, I glanced at the menu which, this being the Savoy, was never going to disappoint. It remains one of my favourite places to dine. Sophisticated, elegant, modern yet traditional. By this I mean plates that offer more than a token mouthful, do not rely on tweezers to create beauty, and place flavour at the centre.

The food could wait. The Antique Collection could not.

E H TAYLOR BOTTLED IN BOND BOURBON

The evening began with a whiskey that carries more than just a name. Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Junior is not simply a historical figure on a label. He is one of the central figured in the story of American whiskey. By beginning with the new E H Taylor Bottled in Bond release within the Antique Collection, Liam Sparks, their Brand Ambassador, set the stage for the entire tasting.

Taylor bought what would become the Buffalo Trace distillery in 1869. He invested heavily in the site, building warehouses, improving equipment and obsessing over quality at a time when there were very few rules around what bourbon should be. His most important contribution came in 1897 with the Bottled in Bond Act. This law created a legal definition for bottled in bond whiskey and helped protect drinkers from poorly made or adulterated spirit.

To qualify, the whiskey must come from one distiller, at one distillery, in one distilling season. It must be aged for at least four years and bottled at exactly one hundred proof, which is fifty percent alcohol by volume. More than a century later, those requirements still stand, and every E H Taylor Bottled in Bond continues to bear his signature and the familiar yellow label.

The Antique Collection expression takes that history and places it in a very specific location. The whiskey is drawn largely from Warehouse C, Taylor’s favourite warehouse, which he had built and which remains central to the distillery site. On the lower floors it is cool, dark and steady. This environment suits long maturation and allows the spirit to move slowly into seasoned oak rather than being overwhelmed by it.

This release is fifteen years and four months old, an age that is still rare in bourbon. On the nose, the influence of Mash Bill One is clear. Corn brings caramel sweetness and vanilla, while the rye contributes spice. There are touches of maple sugar, gentle oak and dried fruit. At fifty percent, it is firm but not aggressive.

On the palate, that combination of sweetness and structure becomes more obvious. It begins with corn driven notes, then moves into rye spice and finishes with what Liam described as seasoned oak. This is quite different from the raw wood bite often found in young bourbon aged high in a hot warehouse. Here the wood has taken its time. The oak arrives at the end, tidy and controlled, leaving a dry, moreish finish.

Tasted first in the line up, E H Taylor sets the reference point. It shows what long aged Bottled in Bond bourbon can be and why Warehouse C holds such an important place in the Buffalo Trace story.

WILLIAM LARUE WELLER KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON

If E H Taylor represents structure and standards, William Larue Weller represents a change in approach. Where many bourbons rely on rye as the secondary grain, Weller famously replaced rye with wheat. The result is a style that is softer in texture, with sweetness more obviously on display.

Liam traced the story back to the late eighteenth century, when the Weller family arrived in Kentucky as farmers. With crops to preserve and surplus grain on their hands, they began to distil. Over time, William Larue Weller came to appreciate what wheat could bring to a mash bill. By removing rye and using wheat instead, he created a different kind of bourbon, one that let corn express itself more freely.

The Antique Collection bottling that bears his name is a wheated bourbon that shows this idea at full strength. This year it is twelve years and seven months old and bottled uncut and unfiltered at 64.5 percent. Wheat is handled differently at the distillery from the outset. It comes off the still at a lower strength and goes into barrel at around 57 percent, below the legal maximum entry strength. This gentler entry allows a slightly different relationship with the oak as the years pass.

On the nose, the William Larue Weller feels familiar to anyone who knows the broader Weller range, yet more intense. There is vanilla and maple, but also a distinct sweet tobacco note. Liam likened it to opening an old tobacco pouch, a scent wrapped up in family memory and time spent with his grandfather. 

The palate is rich and enveloping. The absence of rye means that any spice you find is coming from the barrel rather than the grain. At this age, that spice is gentle and threaded through a core of caramel, toffee and sweet tobacco. The high strength gives it presence but not harshness. A few drops of water bring out more detail. Dried fruit, toasted nuts and a faint savoury edge begin to appear.

EAGLE RARE SEVENTEEN KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON

Eagle Rare as a brand has quietly become one of the key pillars of Buffalo Trace. The standard ten year old bottling is widely regarded as a benchmark sipping bourbon. Eagle Rare Seventeen takes that idea and stretches it across nearly two decades.

Liam positioned Eagle Rare as the distillery’s global focus in terms of premium bourbon, especially when it comes to expressing age. Mash Bill One, the same as E H Taylor and George T Stagg, appears again here, but the way it behaves at this age is quite different. A previous release went over nineteen years, the oldest ever for this label. The 2024 bottling sits at eighteen years and four months and is bottled at 101 proof, which is 50.5 percent. That strength is the same as the original Eagle Rare release in 1975.

On the nose, the extra years in oak are immediately clear. The corn sweetness is still present, but the fruit notes have deepened. Liam picked out black cherry, comparing it to the cherry jellies he ate as a child. That dark cherry character appears often in aged Mash Bill One and has become something of a signature for mature Buffalo Trace bourbon. Alongside it are tobacco, leather and polished oak.

The palate is broad and composed. After the intensity of the William Larue Weller at 64.5 percent, Eagle Rare Seventeen feels measured and calm, even though the alcohol level is still substantial. Caramel and cherry lead, followed by leather and tobacco, then a firm grip of oak on the finish. There is an almond like dryness that gently strips moisture from the tongue and leaves a slightly bittersweet echo, similar to the effect of strong tea.

Liam remarked that this makes an extraordinary Old Fashioned, which is easy to believe, although most people fortunate enough to own a bottle are unlikely to sacrifice it to a mixing glass. Still, the comment says something useful about the flavour profile. This is a bourbon with enough depth and structure to carry sugar and bitters without being lost, and that is a strong measure of character.

Compared with E H Taylor, which sits a few years younger and leans more toward bright caramel and spice, Eagle Rare Seventeen feels more reflective. The wood has moved to the foreground, but not in a harsh way. It is a study in how far you can push Mash Bill One before the oak begins to dominate, and in this case it remains on the right side of that line.

GEORGE T STAGG KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON

Every release in the Antique Collection has a role, but George T Stagg is the one that carries the weight of expectation. It is the bottling that collectors chase, and the one that often defines the entire BTAC for a given year. Its personality is unmistakable. It is bold, structured and powerful, yet it remains balanced enough to reveal layers when you spend time with it. That tension between intensity and finesse is what gives it such an enduring reputation.

The 2024 release sits at a mighty 71.4 percent. Figures like that can alarm those unfamiliar with high strength bourbon, yet the number alone never tells the full story. High strength spirit can be fierce when it is young or poorly managed. Stagg is not that. This year’s release is fifteen years and four months old, the same age as the E H Taylor within the collection, and that maturity tames the alcohol. It still has force, but it is controlled.

On the nose it begins with dark cherry and tobacco, two notes that have become signatures of aged Mash Bill One. Behind them is a dry earthiness, reminiscent of dried leaves in autumn or a warehouse floor that has seen decades of evaporation. The alcohol is present but not overwhelming.

On the palate, the structure is immediate. There is an initial surge of warmth, followed by rich fruit, vanilla and seasoned oak. The flavours feel concentrated yet accessible, and adding a small drop of water slowly opens the whiskey. Liquorice, roasted nuts and a hint of cocoa begin to appear.

The finish is long, steady and confident. Tobacco returns alongside cherry and gentle dryness, and the flavours linger. It is easy to imagine exactly what Liam described, sitting by a fire with a glass of Stagg and gradually adding water through the evening, watching it move and change with each adjustment.

The man behind the name is woven into that character. George T Stagg bought the distillery from E H Taylor in 1879 and moved it into a new phase. Where Taylor was outward facing and animated, Stagg was quieter and more reserved, focused on building and strengthening. 

When tasted alongside E H Taylor and Eagle Rare Seventeen, the role of George T Stagg within the Antique Collection becomes clear. All three share the same mash bill. All three spend long years in oak. Yet Stagg feels like the most uncompromising expression of what Mash Bill One can become when heat, time and careful cask selection all push in the same direction.

SAZERAC EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE

Rye whiskey still sits slightly apart from bourbon in the minds of many drinkers. It is often described as spicy, which can be enough to put off those who are unsure what that actually means. The Sazerac Eighteen year old shows that rye can be as graceful and layered as any well matured spirit, and it does so with remarkable clarity.

The mash bill is the mirror image of the bourbons that precede it. Here, rye takes the lead at a minimum of 51 percent, with corn as the secondary grain and malted barley in support. That shift has a significant impact on both aroma and structure. Where Mash Bill One moves from sweetness into spice, rye is expected to lead with spice and then resolve into sweetness.

This year’s Sazerac Eighteen is around eighteen years and five months old and bottled at 45%. After George T Stagg, it feels almost gentle, but that relative softness is where its charm lies. The nose opens with marmalade, soft sweets and a subtle herbal lift. Liam mentioned a link to confectionery, and there is something of that here. A sense of fruit jellies, orange peel and a faint hint of dill that occasionally appears in rye whiskey.

On the palate, the spice is present but refined. The texture is smooth and persistent, with flavours unfolding in stages. There is depth, but it is expressed with understatement.

Aged rye is very rare. Rye is difficult and messy to distil. It behaves like porridge in the still house and is hard on equipment. Many producers either release it young or avoid it altogether. Seeing a rye at eighteen years, especially at this level of quality, is unusual. That rarity is part of the appeal, but the real interest lies in the way the spirit has evolved. The wild, sharp edges of young rye have been worn down over time, leaving a wonderful rye, full of elegance and flavour.

THOMAS H HANDY SAZERAC KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE

If Sazerac Eighteen is rye in a tailored suit, Thomas H Handy is rye with its sleeves rolled up. It is younger, stronger and far more direct, and that is exactly the point. 

The name reaches back to New Orleans in the nineteenth century and the Sazerac Coffee House, where the Sazerac cocktail was first served. The original drink used cognac as its base. When phylloxera devastated French vineyards and cognac became scarce, bartender Thomas Handy switched the drink to rye whiskey. That change stuck. To this day, if you order a Sazerac in a serious bar, you are often asked whether you prefer cognac, rye or a split of both. The BTAC bottling honours the bartender who made that decision.

Thomas H Handy is essentially Sazerac Rye in its most unrestrained form. The standard Sazerac Rye on the back bar is around six years old and bottled at a comfortable strength. The Antique Collection version is six years and three months, but bottled uncut and unfiltered at 64.9 percent. It is young for a BTAC whiskey, yet that youth is its strength.

On the nose, the difference from Sazerac Eighteen is immediate. The aromatics are brighter and sharper. There is still marmalade, but it sits alongside green apple, fresh citrus and a striking hit of rye spice. Liam talked about being able to smell the spice even before tasting, and that is no exaggeration. The aroma suggests movement and intensity.

The palate delivers exactly that. White pepper is there immediately, followed by sweet citrus, apple and vigorous grain character. The alcohol level carries those flavours with real impact. 

This is a whiskey that bartenders enjoy working with. In cocktails such as the Manhattan or the Sazerac, it has more than enough presence to stand up to vermouth, bitters and sugar. At the same time, it can be an engaging sipper when approached with a little care. A few drops of water soften the initial impact and allow more of the fruit to emerge, while still preserving the rye driven intensity.

Thomas H Handy and Sazerac Eighteen together show two distinct faces of rye. One is subtle, patient and layered. The other is vivid, youthful and assertive. Both have a rightful place in the Antique Collection, and both underline Liam’s point that rye deserves more attention than it often receives.

I was completely drawn in by these bottles, their backstory, and the place they occupy on the world stage. The managing director of Buffalo Trace’s UK importer was at the dinner, yet even she was tasting them for the first time, which says everything about their scarcity. Over the weekend I spotted a bottle of the 2024 Thomas H Handy online and bought it on the spot. I would happily buy the entire 2025 collection, to drink rather than to stash, if I ever came across them. I doubt I will be in the right place at the right moment. Then again, that uncertainty and that quiet hope each time you walk into a specialist shop is part of the appeal. The chase is half the thrill.

As we concluded the tasting, it became clear why this collection has earned such global regard. It is not simply about strength or age, but about character shaped through time, climate and careful selection. Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director, described this 25th anniversary as a defining moment for Buffalo Trace in the United Kingdom, and it is easy to see why.

For drinkers wishing to explore the series themselves, Buffalo Trace will host an exclusive consumer tasting this December at Buffalo Trace Distillery London in Covent Garden, with complimentary tickets available through an Instagram competition. The Antique Collection will also be available from selected retailers including Harrods, Hedonism and Fortnum and Mason at a recommended price of £150.

For those who are not fortunate enough to secure a bottle, the regular Buffalo Trace Bourbon is a superb alternative to the two J’s (Jack and Jim) and remains one of the only bourbons I keep on my shelf at all times. The other is also from Buffalo Trace, the Eagle Rare 10. We are exceptionally fortunate to see it so widely available in supermarkets, because in the United States it is on allocation and highly sought after. It is also priced very keenly, making it an everyday sipper, which only adds to its appeal.

I was completely drawn in by these bottles, their backstory and the position they hold on the world stage. The managing director of Buffalo Trace’s UK importer was at the dinner, yet she was even tasting them for the first time, which says everything about their scarcity. Over the weekend I found a bottle of the 2024 Thomas H Handy online and bought it immediately. I would gladly buy the entire 2025 collection, to drink rather than an investment, if I ever come across them. I doubt I will be in the right place at the right moment. Then again, that quiet hope each time you enter a specialist shop is part of the appeal. The chase is half the thrill.