The fall whiskey releases have been rolling in at a steady clip, but news about one collection that whiskey fans most eagerly anticipate has finally arrived. Buffalo Trace announced the details of the 2025 Antique Collection today, and this new series stands out for a few reasons, including the addition of a brand-new expression and George T. Stagg bourbon reaching a hazmat level of alcohol.
The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, or BTAC as it’s referred to by whiskey fans, first arrived a quarter of a century ago in 2000. There were only three whiskeys in the lineup then—Sazerac 18, Eagle Rare 17, and William Larue Weller 19. George T. Stagg was added a few years later, and in 2006 the lineup of two ryes and three bourbons was finalized—Sazerac 18, Eagle Rare 17, George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and Thomas H. Handy.
This year, a sixth bourbon was added, Colonel E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond. That brand is already part of the Buffalo Trace portfolio, but this BTAC version is much older than what you’d typically find. “Created in his honor, every sip of E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon offers more than exceptional flavor,” said Buffalo Trace global brand director Andrew Duncan in a statement. “It’s a taste of history and reminder of his strict tenets that have safeguarded America’s world-leading whiskey quality standards for nearly 150 years.”
I got to taste through the new BTAC collection last night, so here is my ranking from best to… least best (none of them are actually bad), along with some details about each.
- Sazerac 18: Like last year, this whiskey is my favorite once again. Regular Sazerac is a great cheap rye bottled at 90 proof (although there was an excellent 100 proof version that was recently released). The BTAC expression was aged for 18 years and five months, and bottled at the original 90 proof, revealing rye spice along with notes of oak, herbs, vanilla, leather, and a slight menthol bitterness.
- E.H. Taylor Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon: The newest member of BTAC made a big impression on me. 15 years and four months old and bottled at 100 proof, this bourbon meets the requirements of a bottled-in-bond whiskey. It was distilled from Buffalo Trace’s sour mash recipe and has notes of vanilla, oak, baking spice, and caramel on the palate, along with some green apple and sour cherry.
- Eagle Rare 17: This is the much older version of Buffalo Trace’s core Eagle Rare bourbon, bottled at a higher 101 proof (the same as the original Eagle Rare when it launched in 1975 as a direct competitor to Wild Turkey). This year’s release is actually 18 years and four months old, and has notes of leather, cherry, oak, roasted espresso beans, and vanilla on the palate.
- Thomas H. Handy: Made from the same mashbill as Sazerac but bottled at barrel strength and at a much younger age, this is the other rye in the collection. This year’s release was matured for about six years and clocks in at 129.8 proof, which is strong but manageable. Look for oak and fruit notes balanced by vanilla and spice.
- George T. Stagg: This barrel-proof bourbon was named after the man who acquired the O.F.C. Distillery from Colonel Taylor in 1878. This year’s expression was aged for 15 years and four months, and ranks as one of the highest proof editions to date at 142.8 proof. That means it’s firmly in hazmat whiskey territory (above 140 proof), so don’t bring this on any airplanes and feel free to add some water if your mouth is on fire. To be honest, this is a bit too hot for my liking, but high-proof fans will geek out on this.
- William Larue Weller—the wheated barrel-proof bourbon entry in the collection was my least favorite of the bunch. Barrels were filled at 114 proof and aged for 14 years, resulting in a 129-proof whiskey with notes of vanilla, maple, and tobacco on the palate. There’s a bit too much fruit notes and kind of a younger whiskey feeling to WLW this year, although out of the context of the entire collection this is not a bad pour at all.
The BTAC whiskeys are sold separately and will be available starting this month with a suggested retail price of $150 per bottle. But promptly flush that number out of your mind and never think of it again, because you will never find one of these bottles at that low, low price. If you’re a diehard collector, you might be able to score the entire set, but be prepared to pay as much as $10,000 (or more) for all six bottles.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
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