Barrel Picks

What can be a challenge in the barrel pick game as of late is exceptional bourbon that doesn’t break the bank. We had tried a different barrel of this a few years ago and thought it was fantastic yet opted for the 10.5yr Armagnac instead.

On this pick trip we’re in need of something economical to round out the selection PLUS we have a couple other French Oaks dropping and this gives members the perfect way to compare how 2 different houses take a similar MGP 36% rye and toast it up

 

🛢️- Dark Arts French Oak Crème Brûlée
Mashbill: 60 / 36 / 4
Age: 7yr+
Proof: 112.42
Sourced: MGP
Price: $99.75 (after discount)
Yield: 120 Bottles

First…this is the darkest American Light Whiskey I’ve seen, of course it’s a short barrel with only 60 bottles, and 🤏 under a hazmat

While we limited these to one bottle PP, I’m sure as you can guess this sold out ridiculously fast.

For a light whiskey this has an incredible nose and mouthfeel that I’ve never had in an ALW. If you’re not aware of what makes this legitimately special; it’s the hands of Greg Metze at Seagrams who distilled, barreled, and aged this. Likely one of the last items from his time at Seagrams

Seriously a special barrel Pablo & Pete, well done.

 

🛢️- Rare Character 20L: “The Dumpster Fire”
Mashbill: 99/1
Age: 21yr 1mo
Proof: 139.82
Sourced: Seagrams
Price: $123.49 (after discount)

Buzzard Roost invited Chasing Bourbon back to “experiment” outside their standard re-barrel product.

First things first – I think it’s incredibly important to understand how a Buzzard Roost comes to be.
✔️ They source either 36% rye or 21% rye bourbon from MGP
✔️ They re-barrel it in an ISC barrel with a custom toast profile that hits on particular flavor notes
✔️ These toast profiles are called the “BZ” number.

My point is that all Buzzard Roost is going to be a bit different unless you know what the base bourbon was and the toast profile

For the record my first was a 36% with a BZ12 toast at 7 years

So, back to the experiment. We tired some “new” things they were working on. Specifically a French Oak and the “wave stave”.

French Oak was fantastic. Wave Stave was completely my jam BUT potentially too sweet….so I asked Jason and team to French oak the wave stave and let’s see how it evolves over the summer

The result is off the chart.

Legit should NOT be a $70 bourbon and probably shouldn’t be a $99 bourbon. Punches way above it’s price category for flavor experience

Total winner. If you have the chance to try one…take it

 

🛢️#1 Buzzard Roost French Oak aka Buzzard Roost 2.0
✳️115.8 proof
✳️ 234 Bottle yield
✳️ Distill Date – Aug 2019
✳️ 60 / 36 / 4 MGP in ISC barrel
✳️ Re-barrel into WAVE stave barrel – Sep 2023
✳️ Re-barrelInto French Oak  – Aug 2025
✳️ Dump/Bottle Date – 10/29/25
✳️ Technically a Tripple Oaked Bourbon
✳️ Price $66.49 (after discount)

One of the Chasing Bourbon members won the Sazerac Barrel Select drawing and gifted his allocation to Chasing Bourbon

Late January 2025 we took a trip to Kentucky to pick a barrel and April was the giant flood that hit and Buffalo Trace was literally underwater

I don’t think too much about Buffalo Trace picks, however being at Buffalo Trace and hand selecting the barrel, I knew this was going to hit different.

If this was given to you at a bar you’d probably never guess it was Buffalo Trace

🛢️#2 Buffalo Trace
✳️ Gifted to Chasing Bourbon by Joe Kolarz
✳️ Distilled – 12-15-2016
✳️ Dump/Bottle Date 08-23-2025
✳️ Yield – 204 Bottles
✳️ Price $33.25 (after discount)

I chose to follow up the Old Louisville 18yr American with this spectacular Light whiskey from Bull Run. I took a trip to Portland, Oregon met with some great members and we’re at it!!

Like many of these aged stock from Seagrams now MGP the magic in this I believe is honestly the experience from Greg Metze while he was at Seagrams

Bull Run has a ton of unique finish options and plenty diluted to 110 proof to increase yield and reduce price. After trying 10-12 and not being impressed enough to put my name on any, I asked if Lee had any 18-19yr and if so does he have 4-8 barrel we can try?

He pulled one to give me see what I thought, I asked for more to compare, and I instantly knew we’d find one.

 

🛢️#1 – Bull Run: 19yr American Light Whiskey – Cask Strength; Uncut / Unfiltered

“American Whiskey Tango 2”

Details- Distilled and barreled by Greg Metze when he was at Seagrams.

Mashbill: 99/1
Age: 19yr+
Proof: 132.42
Sourced: Seagrams
Price: $79.99 (before discount) + $30 shipping up to 6 bottles
Yield: 120 Bottles