For its latest release, Buffalo Trace Distillery went into the history books.
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Amaranth Bourbon Whiskey, available late July in limited quantities, is the first bourbon made with amaranth in the mashbill. Known by its progenitors as huaútli, amaranth was once a foundational foodway of the Aztec empire, used in everything from dinner to religious ceremony. Today, it’s popular in gluten-free baking.
For Buffalo Trace, the use of an unconventional grain represents the distillery’s commitment to experimentation. Amaranth is a close relative to wheat, but it carries more protein, fat and fiber than common whiskey cereals, such as wheat, rice or corn. When used in a mashbill, the distillery says it plays the roll of wheat — softening the palate — while imparting different notes, namely butterscotch, spearmint, pecans and dark berries.
Amaranth Bourbon Whiskey falls in line with other limited, experimental expressions under the E.H. Taylor collection, including Cured Oak, Four Grain, Seasoned Wood and the infamous Warehouse C Tornado Surviving bourbon.
As with all E.H. Taylor bottlings, the release will be Bottled-in-Bond, though this one has juice aged more than a decade, making it significantly older than the statute’s required four years. Buffalo Trace has not specified the exact case or bottle counts, but it’s a limited, one-time release — meaning, if you find a bottle at its prescribed $70 retail price, you should scoop it up.
