The News
Buffalo Trace Distillery announced two new bourbon releases in April 2026. The releases are Single Oak Rye Bourbon, which is the winning Barrel #80 from the Single Oak Project, and Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, the 28th release in the Experimental Collection. The Single Oak Project began in 1999 and involved 192 unique bourbon barrels tested for various variables affecting bourbon flavor.
Buffalo Trace Distillery has launched two new bourbon expressions—Single Oak Rye and a Low‑Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon—to showcase the brand’s willingness to experiment with mash bills, entry proofs, and aging times before adding them to its core lineup.
The $46.99 price for the 375‑ml Low‑Entry Proof bottle translates to roughly $94 per 750 ml—nearly twice the 2025 premium bourbon average of $58.40 reported by Food & Wine. The 62 % evaporation loss recorded during its 15‑year aging, well above the industry norm of 30–50 %, underscores the high concentration that justifies this premium pricing.
Single Oak Rye comes from Barrel #80 of Buffalo Trace’s 1999 Single Oak Project. Bottled at 90 proof after eight years, the 375‑ml bottle retails for $74.99 and is available in limited quantities through the gift shop and a national distributor network. Premium, limited‑run products may sell out quickly..
Low‑Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon is the 28th barrel of the Experimental Collection. Bottled at 107 proof after an extended aging period, its 105 entry proof—below the contemporary 114–120 range and reminiscent of pre‑1960s federal limits—was chosen to study how reduced barrel entry affects wood interaction over time. The 62 % evaporation loss on this release illustrates how high concentration can support premium pricing.
With more than 30,000 experimental barrels aging across its warehouses, Buffalo Trace far exceeds the typical craft distillery’s capacity, allowing rapid iteration and testing of new variables. This scale gives distributors a clear view of the brand’s commitment to innovation and its potential impact on portfolio diversification.
Original Press Release
The releases include Single Oak Rye Bourbon – the winning Barrel #80 from the Single Oak Project – and the 28th release in the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection: Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
FRANKFORT, KY (April 7, 2026) – Two of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s most ambitious and long-running experimental programs – the Single Oak Project and Buffalo Trace Distillery Experimental Collection – are debuting new releases this spring: Single Oak Rye Bourbon and Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey. More than a decade in the making, these releases reflect the Distillery’s long-standing commitment to studying the variables that shape bourbon’s flavor as they “Honor Tradition, Embrace Change” in pursuit of creating the “world’s best whiskey.”
The Single Oak Project began in 1999, marking the Distillery’s first and most comprehensive experiment to date as it explored the impact of seven variables including mashbill, entry proof, aging location and barrel construction. The experiment comprised 192 unique bourbon barrels, each crafted from specific sections of hand-selected oak trees and filled with either a wheat or a rye recipe before undergoing varied maturation approaches. Consumers were invited to taste and evaluate the resulting bourbons, ultimately selecting Barrel #80 as the standout expression in 2011.
Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery builds on this landmark experiment with the introduction of Single Oak as a permanent, continuously released whiskey brand. Its inaugural release, Rye Bourbon, faithfully recreates the precise mashbill and barrel aging conditions that defined the celebrated Barrel #80, offering enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the result of one of the industry’s most extensive bourbon studies to date.
The Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, first introduced in 2006, will debut its 28th release with Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey. This innovation explores how lower barrel entry proof influences wood interaction over extended aging, with the wheated bourbon distillate entered at 105 proof – noticeably lower than its traditional 114 proof. Inspired by historical records indicating that pre-Prohibition barrel entry proofs were often lower than modern standards, it represents a clear example of how the Distillery honors tradition while embracing change.
“Experimentation has always been at the core of what we do at Buffalo Trace Distillery,” said Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “These releases represent years of patience, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to learning. From the Single Oak Project, where we studied every detail of oak to better understand maturation, to our exploration of entry proof in the latest Experimental Collection, each experiment helps us further our understanding of how individual variables shape flavor and push the boundaries of what bourbon can be. We’re excited for fans to experience the results.”
More about Single Oak Rye Bourbon
The Single Oak Project began in 1999, when 96 oak trees were hand-selected from the Missouri Ozarks. Each tree was cut into a top and bottom section, yielding 192 unique pieces of wood that were transformed into 192 individual barrels.
Seven variables were intentionally manipulated to study their impact on the final whiskey:
Mash bill (wheat or rye recipe)
Entry proof (105 or 125 proof)
Stave seasoning (six or 12 months of air drying)
Wood grain size (tight, average or coarse)
Barrel char level (number three or number four char)
Tree cut (top or bottom half)
Warehouse type (wooden rick floor or concrete floor)
Single Oak Project Barrel #80 entered the barrel at 125 proof and was aged in oak harvested from the bottom half of the tree, featuring average grain wood, staves seasoned for 12 months and charred at a level four. The bourbon was aged in a concrete floor warehouse for eight years before bottling at 90 proof.
For the inaugural release of the Single Oak Collection, Rye Bourbon opens with a delicate yet expressive nose of caramel and vanilla, layered with light baking spice, toasted oak and subtle hints of orchard fruit. The palate is rich and beautifully balanced, unfolding in layers of toffee, vanilla cream and honeyed sweetness, accented by seasoned oak and baking spices. The finish is long and elegant, lingering with warm oak, soft spice and a mellow caramel sweetness.
Each 375ml bottling of Single Oak Rye Bourbon will be available in limited quantities through Sazerac’s national distributor network as well as the Buffalo Trace Distillery Gift Shop as of April 2026 at a suggested retail price of $74.99 (local taxes and fees apply).
More about Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection: Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery has several thousand experimental barrels that are currently aging at the Distillery. In keeping with its commitment to crafting fine products, only the most compelling results are selected for bottling and released periodically in limited quantities. The 28th offering in the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey represents a first-of-its-kind innovation, examining the impact of barrel entry proof on flavor development.
While previous Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection releases present at 90 proof, Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 107 proof to better capture and highlight the bourbon’s complex flavor profile. The nose features rich layers of caramel and warm brown spice that are balanced by subtle leather and tobacco notes. The palate delivers full-bodied flavors of oak, earth and dried fig, mingling with a leathery depth and rounded sweetness. The finish is long and warming, where spice and fig linger alongside a grounded, oaky character.
Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection: Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey will be available through the Buffalo Trace Distillery Gift Shop in limited quantities beginning in April at a suggested retail price of $46.99 (375ml; taxes and fees vary by market).
Sources consulted (web research):
- Bevnet site
- Foodandwine site
- Vinepair site
- Breakingbourbon site
- Distiller site
- Fb101 site
- Gobourbon site
Source: BevNET