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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBuffalo Trace announced two limited-quantity whiskeys on April 7, 2026, from separate experimental programs. The $46.99 suggested retail price is for Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey; the inaugural Single Oak Rye Bourbon was announced at $74.99. Those are suggested prices, not guaranteed shelf prices or proof that either bottle is currently available.
What Buffalo Trace announced
The releases explore different questions. Single Oak Rye Bourbon recreates the mash bill and aging conditions associated with Barrel #80, the consumer-selected result of Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project. Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is the 28th release in the distillery’s Experimental Collection and tests lower barrel-entry proof.
| Release | Program and experiment | Published specifications | Announced price and initial channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Oak Rye Bourbon | Inaugural release in the continuously released Single Oak brand; recreates key conditions associated with Barrel #80. | 375 ml; entered the barrel at 125 proof; aged eight years; bottled at 90 proof. | $74.99 suggested retail; limited quantities through Sazerac’s national distributor network and the Buffalo Trace Distillery Gift Shop, starting April 2026. |
| Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey | 28th Experimental Collection release; examines the effect of lower entry proof on wood interaction during extended aging. | Wheated distillate entered the barrel at 105 proof rather than the stated traditional 114 proof; bottled at 107 proof; 375 ml. | $46.99 suggested retail; limited quantities through the Buffalo Trace Distillery Gift Shop, starting April 2026. |
Prices and initial channel details are from Buffalo Trace’s April 7, 2026 announcement. Local taxes and fees may vary. The announcement does not establish present-day stock or availability in any particular state or store.
What the experiments are testing
Single Oak: revisiting Barrel #80
Buffalo Trace began the Single Oak Project in 1999. The distillery says it used 96 hand-selected oak trees, divided into top and bottom sections to produce 192 unique bourbon barrels. It varied seven production factors: mash bill, barrel-entry proof, stave seasoning, wood grain size, char level, tree cut and warehouse type. Consumers tasted the results and selected Barrel #80 in 2011, according to Buffalo Trace’s 2026 release notice.
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#1 Best Overall
- Plump dried raisins, lightly charred oak and vanilla are all front and centre in palate
- Vanilla, light tobacco, leather and white pepper start the finish
- Soft mouth-feel that turns into subtle spices of pepper and tobacco
- Butterscotch, caramel, warmed baked multigrain bread and hints of liquorice and dried raisins on nose
Barrel #80 used oak from the bottom half of a tree, average-grain wood, staves seasoned for 12 months and a level-four char. It entered the barrel at 125 proof, aged eight years in a concrete-floor warehouse and was bottled at 90 proof. The new Single Oak Rye Bourbon is described as recreating the mash bill and aging conditions associated with that barrel; the release notice does not say that the new whiskey is the original barrel or an exact duplicate.
Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak project page summarizes the work as 192 bourbons, seven critical variables and 1,396 possible taste combinations. These are the distillery’s figures, not an independently verified count.
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Experimental Collection: lowering entry proof
The wheated bourbon belongs to a separate program. Buffalo Trace says the Experimental Collection began in 2006 and identifies this bottle as its 28th offering. The specific variable is entry proof: the distillate went into the barrel at 105 proof, compared with the distillery’s stated traditional 114 proof. Buffalo Trace says historical records of lower pre-Prohibition entry proofs inspired the experiment.
The question is how that lower starting strength affects interaction with the wood during extended aging. The announcement gives the entry and bottling proofs but does not report a controlled comparison’s measured results, so those figures alone do not establish how the change affects flavor.
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How to read the prices and availability
The headline’s roughly $47 figure refers only to the wheated Experimental Collection bottle. Single Oak Rye Bourbon was announced at $74.99 suggested retail. Both prices were published in April 2026 and should not be treated as guaranteed prices at a retailer: actual shelf prices, taxes, fees and stock can differ. The release notice described limited quantities and initial sales channels, not ongoing inventory.
The Experimental Collection’s official page says more than 30,000 experimental barrels are aging in Buffalo Trace warehouses and that selected experiments are bottled periodically in limited quantities. That figure appears on the page without a publication year. It describes the broader program, not the number of bottles available for either release.
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Buffalo Trace’s tasting descriptions
The following are the distillery’s own tasting notes, not independent tasting findings or a blind comparison.
Single Oak Rye Bourbon
- Nose: Caramel, vanilla, light baking spice, toasted oak and orchard fruit.
- Palate: Toffee, vanilla cream, honeyed sweetness, seasoned oak and baking spices.
- Finish: Long, with warm oak, soft spice and mellow caramel.
Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
- Nose: Caramel and warm brown spice, with subtle leather and tobacco.
- Palate: Oak, earth, dried fig, leather and rounded sweetness.
- Finish: Long and warming, with spice, fig and oak.
What the announcement does—and does not—tell buyers
The release notice gives useful specifications and a clear distinction between the two programs, but it does not establish current local availability, resale value or an independent consensus on how either whiskey tastes. Buyers comparing bottles should check current retailer listings and local pricing rather than assume the announced suggested retail price or April 2026 distribution details still apply.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
