Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Recipe Bourbon Review

For the past few years, Buffalo Trace Distillery has annually released three “Kosher” whiskeys after the Jewish holiday Passover in partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council: Wheat Recipe, Straight Rye, and Rye Recipe. Today, we picked up a bottle of the Kosher Wheat Recipe, which Buffalo Trace notes uses the “same high quality grains” as its W.L. Weller line (however, that doesn’t mean it’s the exact same recipe).

In addition, Buffalo Trace notes that its Kosher Wheat Recipe Bourbon has been aged for seven years. So, if you’re a fan of the Buffalo Trace family of bourbons (and who isn’t?), you’re getting a 7-year-old bourbon that clocks in at 94 proof (and that’s a unique offering from Buffalo Trace in its own right), in addition to its “Kosher” designation, which you can read more about below.

Let’s pour a glass of Kosher Wheat Recipe to find out if this post-Passover sip passes muster.

At a Glance

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace
• Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 7 Years
• Proof: 94
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• MSRP: $40
• Website | Instagram

Kosher Wheat Recipe: What We Say

The nose on Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Recipe opens with light astringency, in line with its proof. Soft vanilla follows with floral wafts of rose petals, cherry blossoms, and tart raspberries and blueberries. A deeper nosedive yields a little bit of honey and light oak. The nose is light, soft, and gentle—a pleasant mix of sweetness and natural potpourri. I dig it.

On the palate, it’s super floral, like walking through a greenhouse and tasting warm, fragrant air. There are nice notes of lavender and fruit, notably strawberry and apricot, but it’s not overly sweet. Chewing brings out a hint of spice in the form of cinnamon powder and leather, with just a tick of herbal mint. Like the nose, the palate is light and airy.

The medium finish caps with just a bit of lavender, leather, and dry oak. It’s not overly sweet, not overly spicy. Just a calming, easy drinker. I’ll have another.

What Buffalo Trace Says About Kosher Wheat Recipe

Buffalo Trace Distillery produced this Wheat Recipe Bourbon in a partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc). Made with the same high quality grains as W.L. Weller Bourbon Whiskey, this Kosher spirit was aged in specifically designated Kosher barrels. In order to satisfy Passover requirements, these barrels were sold to a non-Jewish executive in a ceremony 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 non-Kosher spirits. Released after Passover each year, this Wheat Recipe Bourbon stands alone, a tribute to the legacy of America’s oldest continually-operating distillery.

Recommended Sip

You can sip this neat all day (or all night). No ice needed, unless you really like your bourbon on the rocks. And this bourbon, with its floral notes, doesn’t strike me as an Old Fashioned mixer, like Buffalo Trace’s namesake bourbon, which I love in an Old Fashioned.

Kosher Wheat Recipe is more floral than Buffalo Trace’s namesake bourbon (90 proof) or Weller Special Reserve (90 proof) and it doesn’t have the cinnamon kick of Weller Antique (107 proof). So, yeah, Kosher Wheat Recipe does bridge the gap between ’em in many ways, but it’s unique in its own right.