If you give Buffalo Trace credit for nothing else (which would be silly), one has to credit them with being innovative.

In its latest of many wood-related experiments, Buffalo Trace Distillery is testing barrels made of 300-year-old wood. The goal of this experiment is to understand the effect that age has on the resulting bourbon.

While rare, the already-harvested 300 year old trees were made into staves, seasoned, then built into barrels by East Bernstadt Co.

“It’s a unique opportunity to be able to experiment with a variable that is even older than our Distillery, which is 244 years old,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “We are really looking forward to seeing how extremely old wood might affect the taste of the bourbon, and hopefully will make some interesting observations along the way that will be useful going forward.”

The barrels made from the 300 year old wood were filled and transported to a warehouse to begin the six year or more aging process. BTD’s distillers and tasters will check the barrels regularly until ready for release.

These barrels join the more than 14,000 experimental whiskey barrels aging at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the largest number of experimental barrels ever held in inventory at the National Historic Landmark Distillery.