Kosher Bourbon Requires Planning Years Ahead & Buffalo Trace and the cRc has done Just That

We taste Buffalo Trace’s three CRC certified kosher whiskeys and dig into the real reason they exist: Passover rules turn barrel aging into an ownership puzzle that has to be solved years in advance. Along the way, we compare profiles, argue about whether 94 proof is the sweet spot, and decide which bottle is genuinely worth the hunt. 
• overview of the Buffalo Trace kosher lineup and why it is released after Passover 
• what kosher whiskey means beyond ingredients like grain, water, and yeast 
• why Passover creates an ownership challenge for whiskey aging in barrels 
• how Buffalo Trace and the Chicago Rabbinical Council structure barrel ownership and tracking 
• why dedicated barrels and flushed bottling lines matter for kosher certification 
• tasting the rye recipe bourbon with caramel, cherry and a surprising dusty note 
• tasting the wheat recipe bourbon for softness, fruit, vanilla and candied toffee 
• tasting the straight rye for spice, citrus, clove and a minty finish 
• whether “normal bourbon” is already kosher and why certification is different 
• proof talk and why the rye feels like it wants barrel proof 
• final verdict on which bottles collectors and drinkers should chase 
Remember www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things. Scotchy Bourbon Boys. 
No matter whether you listen to us or you watch us, make sure you leave us good feedback. An Apple, leave us a really good review and a five-star. 

Kosher whiskey isn’t a blessing on a bottle, it’s a production and logistics problem that has to be solved years before the first pour. Tonight I crack open a sealed trio from Buffalo Trace Distillery: Kosher Rye Recipe Bourbon, Kosher Wheat Recipe Bourbon, and Kosher Straight Rye, all at 94 proof and all produced under Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC) supervision. If you’ve ever wondered what “CRC certified kosher” actually means for bourbon and rye, this story gets surprisingly practical, surprisingly nerdy, and genuinely fascinating.

We walk through the Passover challenge that makes whiskey different from most foods: bourbon matures for years, so you can’t simply adjust a recipe for one week and call it done. That leads to the core question of ownership during Passover, and the solution Buffalo Trace put in place starting in 2012, including dedicated barrels, separation and tracking in the warehouse, and bottling line flushing to avoid any contact with non kosher spirits. The timeline matters too, from early planning around 2010 to the first release in 2020, because it shows how far ahead a kosher bourbon program has to be designed.

Then we get to what’s in the glass. I compare the kosher rye recipe bourbon against standard Buffalo Trace and get hit with caramel, cherry, and a “dusty” note that feels like a throwback. The wheat recipe bourbon leans softer and sweeter with fruit, vanilla, and a candied toffee vibe, while the straight rye brings spice, citrus, clove, and a minty finish that rye fans may love. We also tackle the question everyone asks: isn’t most straight whiskey already kosher, and does knowing the process change how you value the bottle?

If you enjoyed this deep dive into kosher bourbon, Passover constraints, and Buffalo Trace tasting notes, subscribe, share the episode with a whiskey friend, and leave us a five-star review so more people can find the show.

If You Have Gohsts

Transcript

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Yeah, this is a party, party, a three-bottle party, that's for sure. This podcast. I should put that like that. And then grab this. All right, that's working good. Put that up like that. And we got our backdrop for YouTube, Facebook, everything. It was a little rough getting this baby going, but I'm Tiny, and tonight we are talking about the act Buffalo Trace kosher

Setting Up The Buffalo Trace Trio

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whiskeys, their bourbon rye, and the story behind the process. Tonight's bottles I'll go into real quick before we do a little promo for the Skatchy Bourbon Boys. We have Buffalo Trace kosher rye recipe. Wait, right here, we got the kosher rye recipe, the Buffalo Trace kosher wheat bourbon recipe, and the Buffalo Trace straight rye. Oh, that's we got the bourbon, rye bourbon, and then the straight rye whiskey right there. All three recipes. Nothing's been opened. So I was able to obtain these three bottles through the courtesy of Steve Czech. He was became the Scotchy Bourbon Boys sixth member of the Crystal Glenn Karen Club at our tasting almost two weeks ago. And when he came, he brought these three bottles. He was able to obtain a couple sets, so I was able to do it. And I thought this is a podcast that lots of people would want to know about. And so that's why we're doing it tonight. And I've got the I've got the comments on Facebook and YouTube. I'm here by myself, no guests. So tonight I will be able to keep answering as we go about this. I will answer the questions. I see okay, Randy Prassey, welcome. And then we got Greg here. Randy came on, and Greg said he's looking forward to being at KBF with four branches. And then Randy's talking about 23 days till Kentucky Bourbon Festival opens and 15 days till he starts the build. And we are getting close. We definitely are. We only have one more week at uh we've this week we have on Thursday coming up, we have Rebecca and Royce Neely from Neely Family Distillery. They will be at the at the at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. They have a a lot of stuff planned, and we will be talking about that on Thursday. Some cool things. This will be the first podcast with them as our sponsor. And then the following Thursday, which will be the last. I think the following Thursday. I want to say next. This Thursday is the 19th. Yeah, the then that, and then there's another week with that following Thursday after this Thursday. We have Bourbon on the Banks, and then we have one week before we go. We leave on a Saturday. So we'll have the first week of September leading into the first first weekend. But the Monday, the first Monday is Labor Day, which I believe is the seventh. That week we have we'll have a couple planned, but then we hit our new season. September starts our new season. So we'll be starting that right from the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, like we always do. Remember www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things. Scotchy Bourbon Boys. We miss you too, Anne Marie. So I hope you're gonna be at Anna Marie. I hope you're gonna be at Kentucky Bourbon Festival this year. This would be fun. It was always good to see you there. And then also remember www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things, Scotchy Bourbon Boys t-shirts and glens. We got those. And then also we have on there. We gotta make bourbon balls. Roxy's not she's she's coming out of it finally, hopefully in the next what then we're gonna have to put some bourbon balls together for the festival. We it's been a rough couple weeks. Her granddaughter um got us this cold kind of thing, and this one hit Roxy pretty hard. So, and then also remember we're on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X, along with Apple, iHeart, and Spotify. I mean, I have that so down that I didn't even have to think about that. But whether you watch us or you listen to us, make sure you leave good feedback, become members on YouTube. There we have different levels of membership, but all of that support goes back to everything that we do. So, and then also if you're listening on Apple at any time, please, anybody out there, just go leave a good Apple review for us because good Apple reviews means way more listeners as we go about doing so much more. Now, Goberham Bowers, he's got two of the kosher bourbids. But with that said, let's we got all that out of the way, and let's see what we got tonight overall. Oh, let's see, what did he say? Watch listening to Cubs game, Randy. Yes, I'm sure you are. I mean, paying it, I have no the Cubs in the Brewers are just going at it, it's having great years. So this it's an exciting year for baseball for especially us brewer cub fans. I mean, I I've always been a cub fan and a brewer fan. So when they go together, I'm usually lean to the brewers and Randy leans to the cubs. But overall, we'll see what happens. Alright, so the three bottles I got here, and I gotta open them up. We're gonna taste them, but tonight's bottles are Buffalo Trace currently lists three CRC certified kosher whiskeys. There's the Buffalo Trace kosher rye recipe bourbon, which would be this one right here. Straight rye, kosher rye recipe bourbon. It's 94 proof. It's a rye-based bourbon recipe. Buffalo describes it, Buffalo Trace describes it as balanced, smooth, and complex. The second one is their wheat recipe bourbon. 94 proof also. It's the wheated bourbon recipe. Buffalo Trace describes subtle sweetness with fruit and vanilla. And then the third one is the Kentucky Strait Rye Whiskey 94 proof, 47 ABV, lists as rye spice, citrus, and clove as its primary flavor profile. All three are produced under the supervision of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, CRC. All right, so what does kosher whiskey actually mean? So it's like kosher essentially means that a food or beverage complies with Jewish dietary law. Kashu. Kashmot. That's what it was. I I mean I I had it even say it to me. Kashroot. That is their dietary law. For whiskey, the ingredients themselves aren't necessarily the biggest issue. Whiskey is primarily grain, water, and yeast. The interesting complication comes from Passover. During Passover, observant Jews have restrictions

What Kosher Whiskey Actually Means

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concerning chemets, leaven products made from the five grains traditionally identified under Jewish law. Those include grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats. That's obviously important when you're talking about whiskey. Whiskey is a grain-based spirit, and it can sit inside a barrel for many years. So you get a fascinating question. Who owns that whiskey while it's sitting in the warehouse during Passover? Because I don't know why, but Jewish people during Passover cannot own the whiskey. And that's the heart of the Buffalo Trace kosher story. Why Buffalo Trace had a special problem and why anybody has a special problem. Buffalo Trace began working with the Chicago Rabbinical Council around 2010 to develop a solution to this. Buffalo Trace says it wanted to create what it believed would be an authentic kosher whiskey. The issue wasn't simply our corn, rye, wheat, and barley kosher. There was another issue involving ownership during Passover. According to Buffalo Trace's explanation of the program, kosher law meant the whiskey could not remain Jewish owned during Passover. That created a fascinating logistical challenge. You can't simply make bourbon after Passover and bottle it before the next Passover. And Buffalo Trace wanted those these barrels to mature for years. So Buffalo Trace and the CRC developed a special system. This is the cool part. Selling the barrels 2012. This is one of the best stories there is. So under the supervision of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, new American oak barrels designated for the kosher project were sold through a contract to Buffalo Trace's president Mark Brown, a non-Jewish executive. The barrels were then filled with whiskey. They were specifically identified as kosher whiskey barrels. Those barrels were kept separate and tracked as the whiskey matured. The CRC therefore had oversight over the ownership arrangements so that the whiskey would not be Jewish owned during Passover. This wasn't something they did right before bottling, it was planned years in advance. That is an important

Passover Ownership And Barrel Contracts

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distinction. The project required Buffalo Trace to think about the whiskey's kosher status while it was still being produced and matured. It was eight years in waiting. The original barrels were filled in 2012. The first Buffalo Trace kosher whiskey wasn't released until 2020. That's roughly eight years of maturation for that original release. Think about the commitment involved. They weren't taking existing Buffalo Trace barrels and saying, let's certify these kosher. The barrels were specifically designated and the ownership arrangement established before years of maturation. That's why the original release was such an interesting whiskey project. The kosher process doesn't stop when the barrel reaches maturity. Buffalo Trace said that before bottling the whiskey, the distillery bottling lines were completely flushed. Why? To make sure the kosher whiskey wasn't exposed to potentially non-kosher spirits or residue from the products previously running through the equipment. So think of the process as dedicated barrels, controlled ownership, years of maturation, Passover consideration, cleaned flushed bottling equipment, and CRC supervision certification. That's a lot more involved than simply putting kosher certification on the label. So why is it released after Passover? Well, notice Buffalo Trace specifically describes these whiskies as being released after Passover each year. That's intentional. Passover usually falls during March or April, depending on the Jewish calendar. Once Passover has concluded, Buffalo Trace can proceed with its annual kosher whiskey release. This connects the release calendar directly back to the religious requirements that created the project in the first place. I mean, that pretty much answers what they're doing. Now, on the back of each one of these, and I will switch over to doing something so that I can actually they have a description of what each one is, and I'm gonna take the weeded one. So Buffalo Trace produced this wheat recipe, bourbon, in partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council, made with the same high-quality grains as William LaRue Weller bourbon whiskey. This kosher spirit was aged in specifically designated kosher barrels, although not kosher for Passover, in order to avoid issues of Jewish ownership over Passover. These barrels were sold to a non-Jewish executive in the ceremonially witnessed by a representative from the CRC. After aging for seven years, this wheat recipe bourbon was bottled at 94 proof after ensuring the bottling lines were cleaned beforehand and that no contact was made with no kosher spirits released after Passover with with made with with no with non-kosher spirits. Released after Passover each year, this wheat recipe bourbon stands alone, a tribute to legacy of America's oldest operating distillery. The subtle sweetness of this wheat recipe bourbon is complemented by hints of fruit and vanilla. So bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfurt, Kentucky. So honestly, that is a process that they've gotten down. And this this this this years is cool. It looks like to me. Alright, let me see if I can. What it's got a foil top. Are they screw tops? Is the question. I don't know. We're about to find out. Come on, I know how this works. I've done this many times. I don't think so. I think it is a cork. Alright. So I've got this. Now that was a good good thing. We're gonna put this wheat first. I'm excited about the wheated recipe now. I'm gonna do four because I'm gonna pull and put regular. We're gonna do one thing. I'm gonna put regular buffalo trays, which has improved immensely, and I got this 375 bottle. Just here we go. Here's the straight rye recipe. This is the Kentucky Straight Rye. I'm scared to do this one. But I'm you know, what is buff I don't think there is a buffalo trace rye. I know there's Ph Taylor rye, and there's rye, the wheat, and let's open the last one, which is the rye recipe, which is the bourbon. Now each one on the back says basically the same thing, but says what kind of grains were used. And I'll even on this one, I'll I'll even tell you. It says on the rye recipe the same grains as Buffalo Trace Bourbon, the same high quality grains as Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey. So that one was Weller, and this one was Buffalo Trace at seven. So this is a kosher version of the Buffalo Trace. So what you would put up against that one, this is fun. I'm having a good time. Yeah. Let's see. I gotta see if I have any more. All right, cheers from Durango, Tim Dant, Randy. Excellent job by Sam Lacey and Sydney Jones yesterday hosting the presenting the Bourbon Diplomat class. Awesome. That was cool. Sipping Redwood Empire for Kirk. I don't see Kirk on YouTube. I think it's all working though, which is good. So we'll put these back kind of out there. Alright, I can make a little hole there. And then hopefully I'm not completely burying myself. I think I am. There we go. Let's do it that way. So I'm not completely burying myself. I can still see. Alright, so we got those. And now let's just pull out the little fun that I have because it's right over here. There it is. And this one, I mean, it's funny because this is Buffalo Trace in a 375. And I'm gonna put it in this crystal so that I and this crystal Middle West Spirits. We'll put it in there. We'll even compare the the darkness of it. This is what you can do. You can put this one to this one. Yeah, they're looking about the same. That's what I would say. Alright, so all right. Buffalo Trace kosher rye recipe bourbon proof. Don't let the name confuse you. When it says the rye recipe, they're talking about one of the recipes they have at Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace does not disclose their mash bills. They tell you what kind it is, but they do not get into the detail. The rye recipe means rye is the flavoring secondary grain in the bourbon recipe. It still must satisfy the federal requirements for bourbon, but Buffalo Trace describes this expression as this is what Buffalo Trace is saying. Wasn't aware of the ownership prohibition. I wonder if the Orthodox Jewish drinkers preferred to bottle kill or give away. That would be an interesting that honestly, Walker, is bottle kill or give away

Tasting The Kosher Rye Recipe Bourbon

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the whiskey prior to the pad. Now that is interesting. Interesting, very interesting. All right. So just they they this one is smooth, balance, complex, things to look for in the rye recipe. What I'm is caramel vanilla, rye spice, oak, baking spice, fruit, sweet. Versus spice. Now, it's this is the question that ChatGP told me to ask. Does this remind you of regular Buffalo Trace? Well, guess what? I have regular Buffalo Trace, and I will tell you. So let's start off this right here. I had this in the past, a bottle of the kosher. And I think I actually ended up giving that away because I wasn't impressed. The kosher wasn't, in my opinion, as good as. Oh, there we go. Hey Kirk, thank you for the super chat. And it says, Cheers, everyone from Montana. All right. That's awesome. I'm gonna love that. I'll just hit the love. There we go. I'm showing Kirk some love. Thanks for that, man. Cheers from Montana. Cheers from Canton, Ohio. All right, so let's just the nose is pretty darn good. Now, before the oak was very overpowering in the kosher. Not so much this in this case. There's a lot of caramel. And a little bit in honestly, the the fruit is cherry. It's honestly this is this is delicious. Alright, let's take a little sip. Let's see what this 94 does in the glen as far as how it holds up on the glass thickness. Oh wow. And I'm I and you everybody knows my opinion. Okay, I'm making sure I don't lose my everybody knows my opinion on this is that I really believe that the bourbon aging in Kentucky and Ohio, Indiana, that the the weather has been so conducive to aging fantastic whiskey. I think that I've noticed a difference in everything going forward. Craft distilleries, the general, everything seems to be better and better, better, sweeter, richer, less let less time in the barrel to get those flavors, which means that your oaky woody flavors are kept to a minimum. I remember when I first started, there was a lot of leather and there was a lot of tobacco. And in most cases, the leather and tobacco are at the minimal of what what what I taste today. All right, here we go. Interesting. Very interesting. Where did that? I picked up a dusty flavor. Wow. Holy shit. I'm gonna say that's a special bottle. Honestly. Let's see what it compares to. I don't think the flavors on. Nope. Not close. That is Buffalo Trace is gotta this sweet flavor. I gotta I gotta come up with the note. Oh, what is the note? Brad Bonds would love this. He absolutely would love this. This tastes like a very, very so if you're gonna say that the Dusties from the 70s and the 80s have a flavor that's consistent amongst them, I don't know how they're doing it, but this is the flavor. The only other time I tasted this on a new bourbon was, I believe, the Heaven Hill release, where they had taken the fire whiskey at 12 years old and kept it in a bear a steel barrel for 13 years. So it was 25 years old in existence since it was done. But they released it at it had it was a a 12-year-old whiskey. That's how long it was in the barrel, but it's in a steel container for another 13. And it had a dusty flavor, also. I'm impressed with that. You don't get that, you do not get this on. This is more standard. I would say this is more of a standard whiskey. Gosh. Here we go. I enjoyed that. Alright, so now we are gonna try the wheated. Are we going to the, yep, we're going to the number two, Trace's kosher wheat recipe 94. This is where things become especially interesting for Buffalo Trace fans. Instead of rye as a secondary flavor grain, this bourbon uses wheat. The same wheat they use for Weller, William Luru Weller, you know, William Luru Weller, Weller Special Reserve, Weller 107, and Pappy Van Winkle. Buffalo Trace's official profile emphasizes wheat, fruit, vanilla, subtle sweetness. Buffalo Trace has a long history with wheated bourbon through the Weller family of whiskeys. This isn't marketed as a Weller. It's not a kosher wheat recipe of Weller. It's

Tasting The Kosher Wheat Recipe Bourbon

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so I'm gonna give this one a nose. I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping. Let's see what happens. These barrels are gotta be phenomenal. That's unbelievable. That is a a smoother, but it's still picking up that flavor. Transferred over. Whatever the barrels they use, the oak barrels, those flavors are in both. So it's the way I could tell the difference between this, the two, is that the overall weeded, it's exactly what a weeded bourbon is, as far as when you think about it, it's smoother or softer. Let's say softer. It's not as what would you say? There's not as much of a bite. It's an easier pour. The caramel vanilla. I taste the wheat. It's more you don't usually with Weller pick up the wheat wheated thing. This is this is a high wheat bourbon. The the in my opinion, the mash bill has to be a higher wheat to corn ratio. The corn ratio is probably sitting in the 50s, and the wheat is in the 40s. So we're probably, you know, 53, 53 and 40 is 90, maybe 37, 53, 5, 53, which takes me to 58. If I do 5% barley, uh whatever. And you pick up the little bit of oak, and it's fantastic. Not I'm a fan of both of these right off the bat. I think the buffalo trace, the rye one, is special. All right, now tiny is good. I'm not just everybody know I'm not a fan of Sazerac rye. I think EH Taylor rye is okay. I've had that before, and usually I believe EH Taylor rye barrel-proof, but this is 94, so it's scary for me because rye's, when they're proof down for me, don't, what would you say, necessarily, they're not the it's not the greatest. So I'm excited to try this rye. Let's see what they were able to come up with in the kosher form of buffalo trace. There is no buffalo trace. These these products are specific to this, and it's kind of cool. So let's do the kosher straight rye. It's 94 approved again. This is one fundamental fundamentally different from the rye recipe bourbon. This is one, this one is fundamental, fundamentally different from the rye recipe bourbon. This is actually straight rye whiskey. Buffalo Trace official tasting profile, rye citrus clove. Look for clove, citrus, herbal notes, vanilla, grape. I I could probably, I don't think I got it, but I sometimes keep that Sazerac rye bottle. I might have, it's it's a cool bottle. So usually I don't think I ever gave it away, but I don't, I'm not gonna compare it. I I had the Thomas Handy, and I don't like that, and I've

Tasting The Kosher Straight Rye

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had the Sazer the Handy 16 year, that was horrible to me. So Sazerac rise, not the best. I mean, it's their rise, I don't know. I have no idea, but that's okay because I like everything else from Buffalo Trace and Sazerac. Just not the rye. Let's see what this comes down to. We'll see. The kosher rye changes my mind. No. Seagrass. That one. Oh my god. I won't say so. My palate is obviously evolving. Let me Oh, that's a scary one. I think a rye lover would love this. There's no dill. There's no there was dill, this would not work. There's a little little bit of menthol at the end on the finish. I don't despise it like I do the other I I I can I can get through this. Do I like it? There's too much. That's the I mean, the rye spice, this is I mean a rye, you guys, you rye lovers will love this. This is this this is fun. I could see someone, this is the first rye rye in this category where there's the grassy, lemongrassy flavor that's in there that I don't usually like because it goes to like spoiled grass clippings. There's a smell when you put your grass clippings at the end of the drive and they sit there in 90 degree heat for three, four days before the garbage man comes and gets them. I would say that it tries to go there, but it doesn't because it pulls out a mint and a sweet. I'm gonna try and tell this. This is a comp this is complex. I don't want to love it. But maybe it's the evolution of my my palette. Out of the three, it's not the best, but that's that that I can't say if you like rye, you need to. Yeah, if you like rye, you need that one. You need this one. Maybe somebody should talk to me about it. Because like I explained, I found rye, Mikter's rye, cast strengths, I like Mikter's, most of Mikter's rice. But when I come down here, my whole thing is there's not a rye that that I've tasted yet that beats a bourbon. And so if I'm gonna drink something off podcast kind of nights or whatever, where it's more if I'm gonna have a pour that is one of the few pours that I have in the month, I usually am not going to a rye. So a lot of times I'll give up my rise. Now, I might not give up these because this is a collection and this collection is pretty fantastic. So it was I think that this should we could blind this, but if I I I'm 100%. Okay, so the Buffalo Trace we'll review real quick. So these are all put out at ninety-four proof. And I believe Buffalo Trace is put out at ninety-four proof. So I would say that's where it's coming from. I s so it's an interesting sweet spot. It's high enough to carry considerable flavor and structure without pushing into barrel proof territory. Would they benefit with more proof? Well, definitely the rye would. Yeah, all I in my opinion, all of the Buffalo Trace. It would be cool if someone came out with the Buffalo Trace barrel proof. But I'm sure Buffalo Trace barrel proof is something in the Buffalo Trace lineup. And that's just there's so many different things that happen. So here's some questions, and this is where Greg comes in. And I'm doing all right, I'm almost to the 45-minute part, and that's kind of what I wanted to do tonight. Is it normal? Isn't normal bourbon already kosher? And so this deserves discussion. Many straight American whiskeys containing nothing obviously problematic from an ingredient standpoint, and kosher authorities published guidance about which whiskeys may be acceptable without specific certification. But kosher friendly ingredients and specifically kosher certified whiskey aren't necessarily the same thing. Buffalo Trace's line has something very specific behind it. CRC supervision and certification. The Chicago Rabbinical Council's current liquor guidance

Certification Questions Proof And Preferences

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specifically lists Buffalo Trace kosher bourbon rye recipe and kosher bourbon wheat recipe among certified bourbons. That certification is part of what makes this project different. So, why Passover makes whiskey so interesting? Here's a simple way to explain it. Bourbon takes years to mature. A bakery can potentially change production for Passover. Whiskey producers can't simply say, we'll make this whiskey next week. The liquid has already been sitting in barrels through multiple Passovers. Therefore, Buffalo Trace and the CRC had to solve the problem years before anyone would drink the whiskey. That's what makes this project particularly interesting from a whiskey production standpoint. So the timeline was 2010, Buffalo Trace begins working with the Chicago Rabbinical Council. 2012, new American oak barrels designated for kosher whiskey are placed under a special ownership arrangement overseen by the CRC. Whiskey goes into the specifically identified barrels. The barrels mature while their ownership status is maintained according to the arrangement. 2020, Buffalo Trace releases the first three kosher whiskeys, rye, wheat, recipe, and straight rye. Today, Buffalo Trace continues to offer the three expressions kosher whiskey range and describes them as produced under Chicago Rabbinical Council supervision with annual releases tied to the period of Passover. So there you go. There's the timeline. Now, this is something that's unique in the way when you think about it, right? Is the fact that who else is doing this? I don't think anyone else is doing it. So to have a kosher buffalo trace, this one collectors like to pick it up. That whether they're Jewish or they're not, two, this is something that is specifically made and acknowledges the Jewish religion, and that is something special. Buffalo Trace really, when you think about it, the commitment that they make to this, along with doing everything else, is kind of cool. It's something I that goes down in history. I mean, just think, you know, what's one of these bottles going to be worth in a hundred years? It's not something they produce as much of, it's a special process, and they're getting so not only do they produce this and it's something that the Jewish community can consume, but also they're doing something with whiskey, and it's an experimental way that is producing some fantastic whiskey. So when you think about that, that's pretty cool. So Straighten out the question for the okay. If you didn't know these were kosher whiskies, would anything about the taste tell you? No, I mean honestly, there was a dusty flavor to it, but if you gave this to me under the maybe now that I've tasted it, nope, nope. If you just put this out here, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be able to tell you that it was kosher. There's nothing in the taste that tells me it's kosher, that's for sure. There's you know, the thing that tells me it's kosher is the packaging, the the the explanation on the back. Does knowing the additional production requirements change your appreciation of the whiskey? Absolutely. That's what I mean. Once again, everybody knows that's why I'm in this. I'm in it for everything. I'm in it for the people, I'm in it for the process, I'm in it for somebody who commits to quality, somebody who commits to a pro to how they go about doing things. That's what this is a commitment. And I'm into packaging and I'm into different ways to produce different tasting whiskies, and this is everything that I'm into. There's no doubt about it. What recipe versus rye recipe bourbon? Which grain works better? Wheat recipe versus rye recipe. Oh, I would say the wheat was good, but the rye overwhelmed it. So let's see. Peerless is doing it, but not as often and not at a scale. Thank you for that, Walker. What state did you get? Uh let's see. I'm missing this part. BT. Oh, Buffalo Trace is 90? Are you sure? I I always think it says 94, but I could be wrong. Thanks, John. I'm gonna look. You're right, 45. 90. So Buffalo Trace comes in at 90, but I'm telling you, the flavor that I'm picking up off of this compare comparatively, I loved the rye recipe. That's a special. This is this right here, this bottle here is a special bottle. If you see it, you need to get it. This bottle is good, but if I had to pick between the two, I'm I'm I'm going after. I mean, most of the time with Buffalo Trace, I love the carameliness of it. I mean, there's no doubt. This is good. I love I love Buffalo Trace right now. From when I first I I've done we've done tastings throughout this these podcasts, and Buffalo Trace has been has picked up a caramely aspect of bourbon that when you hear the story told by Greg Schneider about when Buffalo Trace in the early 2000s, when Booker and Jimmy Russell tasted it, it's come a long way. I guarantee it. I mean, I uh Buffalo Trace right now, what's in the bottle is fantastic, and you can't deny it. But all right. Does 94 proof feel right? 94 proof feels right on the wheat and the the rye bourbons, but it doesn't feel right on the rye. The rye could use a I I would like to taste that on Buffalo Trace at barrel proof because barrel proof is how I like rye. And that one, it survived me not wanting to spit it out or not, you know, it's something that I can palate, but it it needs to be barrel proof. Would you like Buffalo Trace to release barrel? Would you like Buffalo Trace to release barrel proof versions? I mean, who doesn't want barrel proof of something that they like because uh barrel proof always picks up it picks up flavors that 94 just doesn't, and there's a richness, and if you're talking in the 120s, I I'm in on the barrel proof. So if they ever if Buffalo Trace comes out with barrel proof kosher, I'm in. I I'll say that to you, Steve. Check if you ever see that. No, the wheat whether the wheat wheat recipe has nothing to do with Weller. I mean maybe it has to do with Stitzel Weller's when when Stitzel Weller was making Weller in the Big Giant, but but I mean that's that's right now that's in the glass for a little bit. And there's a candied toffee flavor on that, along with the dusty flavor, and it's fantastic. So we already talked about how the rye compared against the buffalo trace. I'm gonna I'm going with the kosher rye over buffalo trace uh hands down. Whatever they're doing, whatever they did to pick up that, that's that's fantastic. And then how does the straight rye compare with sazerac rye? I don't like sazerac rye, and I I could palette the the the straight rye. So straight rye kosher wins. Would these bottles still be worth hunting if they didn't say kosher on them? Absolutely, but they do say kosher on them, but they're worth hunting if I don't know what they would call it. I don't, but it's so everybody, you know, let's just summarize up. It's not about this, you know, kosher in this case is not about somebody blessing a bottle of bourbon. Buffalo Trace and the Chicago Rabbinical Council planned this whiskey years before we could drink it. Special barrels were designated for it. Ownership of these barrels were structured around Jewish law and Passover. The whiskey aged for years under that arrangement, and the bottling equipment was prepared so the whiskey wouldn't be contaminated with non-kosher spirits. That what makes this project so interesting. Now, I will tell you, it's probably pretty cool that Buffalo Trace gets to clean their equipment to do this, and it's probably a one once-a-year thing when they do the bottling, and that's something that they probably plan out and when they plan to clean the equipment, which is probably pretty good for maintenance purposes, right?

Final Takeaways Collecting And Closing

SPEAKER_01 53:31

All right. So straight rye is half the price of the wheat. So you so Kirk, you're saying the bourbon, the rye bourbon is half the price of the wheat bourbon. I don't I don't know. When I bought this, I bought this on a purple I divided the price by three. So I mean, honestly, if I was gonna break these down, but I I I keep uh the the rye I keep out of the equation. The rye stays out of the equation. And if I broke these two down, they'd be very close, but definitely the body on the that's another podcast. I'll put these two together and do another podcast. But for right now, we are the last question I have, and then I'm gonna finish this up and throw it out to you guys. I'll bring you on because I'm having a great time. This this is right up my line. Thanks to Steve Czech for doing this. But if Buffalo Trace whiskey, is Buffalo Trace kosher whiskey simply a religiously compliant version of great American whiskey, or did the unusual process produce three whiskeys that deserve attention from every bourbon and rye drinker? I would say that the process itself changed what Buffalo the I I it's this is not anything like what I tasted on the kosher before, and it's nothing like I taste on any other Buffalo Trace products. The the rye is probably similar to some of the rye, but I don't like Buffalo Trace rye for the most part. Even picked up a Colonel Taylor barrel-proof rye, and I picked it up. I could have had it for myself, but I picked it up for Super Nash because that's what he wanted. So you know, same thing here. The rye isn't something I'm gonna pick up, but it's better than all the ryes I've tasted from. It's better than all the ries I've tasted from Buffalo Trace or Sazerac. So with that said, I believe the the weeded one and the the the but I did enjoy, and and it was a surprise because I was thinking when it comes to Weller, I I love their weeded bourbons at at Buffalo Trace. So there you go, everybody. So let's finish this up and we'll get everybody on in a couple minutes. So www.scotchyburbonboys.com for all things scotchy bourbon boys. Make sure that you check us out on the web, see all the stuff, see how you can get to us, listen to us continually. Those are all $50 bottles, all good in their own ways. And what would you say? Okay, thanks, Matt. I'd like to, I'm glad that you did that. I buy new releases like this. Okay, so we got that. And no matter how you watch us, remember www. I did that, and then I said Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, along with iHeart, Spotify, and Apple. No matter whether you listen to us or you watch us, make sure you leave us good feedback. An Apple, leave us a really good review and a five-star. That that helps out a lot. And then also membership on YouTube, check us out there, and you can leave so many things. Just make sure that you support us however you can. Facebook has a way to go further, YouTube has a way to go further. Apple has everywhere everywhere that you turn, check out our Patreon. There's some cool stuff. Just like the painting that only I, super and and super Nash and Fred and Fred No have, just like that. That is something that you can get on Patreon. But check us out on all those areas and support us. We appreciate it. And remember, everybody, good bourbon equals good times. And I'm gonna throw this back out there because I can't wait to talk about this with everybody. Good bourbon equals good times and good friends. Make sure that you don't drink and drive. Drink responsibly and live your life uncut and unfiltered. And AI. My favorite song. Seriously, sometimes I find myself listening to this in the car. Here we go.