The 2024 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Is Here, and Weller is the Star of the Show
The 2024 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection has been unveiled. (Photo: Buffalo Trace/Sazerac)
Buffalo Trace announced on Monday the return of the hotly-anticipated Buffalo Trace Antique Collection for 2024, and the Weller expression is currently positioned as the one to watch, according to the brand. Sazerac shared that 2024 marks the 25th anniversary the brand acquired Weller, making this year a particularly significant one.
The collection includes the standard five Buffalo Trace Antique Collection offerings: Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon, George T. Stagg Bourbon, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey and William Larue Weller Bourbon.
The bottles are sold individually with a suggested retail price of $149.99, though one can expect to pay significantly more on the secondary market.
“William Larue Weller Bourbon shines among the collection this year with its caramel notes and long, creamy finish,” Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a statement. “For more than two decades, we’ve worked hard to craft the signature flavors that whiskey enthusiasts love, both within the Weller brand and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Our commitment to tradition is stronger than ever, and we look forward to carrying it well into the future.”
An Inside Look at 2024’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
William Larue Weller Bourbon
2024’s William Larue Weller spent over 12 years aging on the lower floor of Buffalo Trace’s rickhouses after entering the barrel at 114 proof. The bourbon is made from its classic wheated bourbon recipe and was bottled by hand at 125.8 proof. Sazerac shares this bourbon possesses a nose that boasts aromas of new leather, light pipe tobacco and caramel coupled with warm marshmallow sweetness and ripe fruit. On the palate, William Larue Weller possesses toffee and caramel aromas interlaced with fruit.
Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon
The 2024 edition of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old bourbon was bottled at 101 proof as an homage to its original proof during its launch in 1975. The brand shares Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old bourbon’s nose possesses top notes of caramel-drizzled oak, with base notes of vanilla. The palate offers up a nice contrast, according to Sazerac, with some rye spice and tobacco. This year’s Eagle Rare 17 finishes with caramel, pepper, leather and oak. The whiskey is 17 years and 4 months old.
George T. Stagg Bourbon
2024’s George T. Stagg is bottled at 136.1 proof, a small bump up from last year’s, which clocked in at 135 proof. Buffalo Trace first launched George T. Stagg Bourbon in 2002 after consumers requested an extended-aged, barrel-strength whiskey. The brand shared it boasts a “bold character” that mirrors Stagg’s persona. George T. Stagg purchased the O.F.C. Distillery, which is now known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Buffalo Trace shares it possesses a potent nose, coupled with richly aged wood, dark cherry and spices. The brand says on the palate, aromas of oak and caramel interlaced with some cinnamon are present, and the finish is warm and lingering.
Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye Whiskey
This 18-year, 5-month-old rye whiskey takes its name from New Orleans’ official cocktail. According to Buffalo Trace, Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye Whiskey boasts aromas of ripe black fruits like plum, rye grain and an earthy base note, while the palate boasts rich rye spice, licorice and smoke, interlaced with black cherries.
Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey
This year’s Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey was barreled at 125 proof over six years ago, according to Buffalo Trace. It was bottled uncut and unfiltered at 127.2 proof. Buffalo Trace shares that this rye whiskey is “bold and invigorating” with aromas of snappy black pepper and cinnamon. This spicy rye whiskey has flavors of oak, and the finish goes on for ages with cinnamon, pepper and clove aromas.
The 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection was released in October 2023 and featured the oldest expression of Eagle Rare ever released, with an age statement of 19 years and 3 months.
If you want to see what our thoughts were on last year’s collection, check out the below video from Bottle Raiders’ Youtube Channel:
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