When the Buffalo Trace store opened in Covent Garden back in 2023 it was a let down for UK bourbon enthusiasts. Unless you wanted some homeware, apparel or an overpriced Buffalo Trace bottle with a special label on it, there was little reason to visit. The tastings were advertised by the enthusiastic staff as premium and exclusive, only later to be revealed as starring Eagle Rare and E. H. Taylor as the highlights, both of which are readily available and often heavily discounted in the UK.

However, the store has continued to get rave reviews from the general public with a near perfect rating on Google. The tastings, whilst uninspiring for bourbon nerds, are proving affordable and delightful for casual fans and curious folks strolling in off of Long Acre. With the huge tasting area at the back now open and an actual premium tasting for seasoned Buffalo Trace fans we’ve returned for another look at this famed distillery’s London home.

This experience for the bourbon fans sounds opaque at first: Sazerac Barrel Select Experience isn’t the most obvious name. To clear things up, here’s what the team told us. Their intention is to create a simplified version of Sazerac’s own barrel pick program for Buffalo Trace. This is where stores, bars or private individuals visit the distillery and pick their own barrel to bottle. Three barrels, referred to as A, B, and C have been picked, bottled at 45% ABV rather than the UK’s usual 40% and shipped over here for exclusive use in this tasting experience. 

Your £60 ticket gets you a sample of these three barrels as well as the standard 45% Buffalo Trace from the USA. These three samples are all noticeably distinct from the standard bottling and from each other. Even the bourbon novices in the tasting were able to differentiate and create unique tasting notes for each. Whoever picked these barrels at Sazerac selected a broad range of the spirit. Each barrel is detailed in a supporting booklet with exact age, fill strength, location within the rickhouse and more so you can better understand how these small differences result in big changes to the liquid even if the mash bill is the same.

In the tasting experience you can go through the four samplings at any pace you want but the actual teaching and discussion will be done at a pace suitable for novices who may have never even tried bourbon before. Martin, who led our tasting, was a delightful host and gave a charming crash course in distilling and Buffalo Trace history complete with learning materials like grains to show mash bills and cut-through barrels to explain the angel’s share. It’s all delivered with enthusiasm and questions from beginners and bourbon nerds alike were fielded well.

Once all the samples were tried it was time to pick our favourites followed by a short and secret process copied from the Sazerac picking experience to ensure we are confident in our choices. The team were happy to top up samples that we’d drunk through too, this is a generous tasting that matches the premium price tag. At our tasting one barrel was no one’s favourite and the other two split the room 50/50. Once you’re done you’re handed your bottle so you can check it matches the barrel number, take any pictures you want, and finish your samples. On the way out the team will also gift wrap your bottle if you like.

Back in the store there’s time to make purchases if you like. Yes, the merchandise is expensive but the tasting ticket gives 20% discount and brings everything down to a price that’s reasonable if you compare it to distillery shops or similar drinks experiences. The quality of the items we’ve purchased (baseball caps and glassware) is great and the brand’s green and beige dominate the apparel and homeware colours so if you’re into your earth tones you’ll be extra happy. Whilst there’s no discount on the drinks the store does offer miniatures at the US ABV of 45% for sale so you can take the standard profile home to compare with in future. 

Taking home a full 700ml bottle of single barrel Buffalo Trace is what makes this tasting worth the £60 price tag. Most single barrel bottlings in the UK cost around £50-£55. This experience gives you a guided tasting on top, plus the advantage of picking your favourite rather than hoping whichever store or bar you’re buying from has the same tastes as you. The team have confirmed they intend to run this tasting again during 2025 with new single barrels once the first batch has concluded meaning this is an evergreen experience Buffalo Trace fans can repeat if they wish. Whilst all of us enthusiasts are still chomping at the bit for a Weller or Antique Collection experience this is a worthy middle ground that we think will satisfy most bourbon fans who visit.