Early experiments focused on ageing whiskey in used wine barrels and giving the bourbons chardonnay or zinfandel finishes. Now experiments range from ageing bourbon in small barrels for six years to bourbon made with barley and bourbon aged in barrels made with sour wood.

Harlen Wheatley, master distiller, said: “It’s important to learn from your mistakes too. We learn as much from our failures as our successes, so that’s why we want to keep a record of them so we have them for future research.”   

Buffalo Trace Distillery will continue to release its experiments a few times a year and its next experiment results will be coming out this spring.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an award-winning American family-owned company known for producing bourbon, vodka and rye on its site based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky, which dates back to 1773.