Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Baijiu
Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Baijiu is a 45% ABV (90-proof) baijiu-style spirit from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky — the 24th release in the Experimental Collection and the only baijiu-style edition the distillery has ever issued. Distilled like a whiskey but made from sorghum and peas, it aged 11 years across three separate new American oak casks — uncharred, charred, and toasted — before being married. This 375mL rarity is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV/Proof: 45% ABV / 90 proof
- Size: 375mL
- Aging: 11 years in three new American oak casks (uncharred, charred, toasted), married together
- Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
- Production: Sorghum and peas (not a whiskey mash bill); distilled like whiskey; labeled a "Baijiu Style Spirit"
Kentucky Meets Baijiu Tradition
Few Experimental Collection releases have stirred as much curiosity as the baijiu. Buffalo Trace has run more than 1,500 experimental barrels, and this 2021 bottling applied bourbon-making to baijiu ingredients: sorghum and peas, distilled whiskey-style, then aged a full 11 years in three different cask treatments. Because the mash bill is not whiskey, it is legally a spirit — a "baijiu-style spirit" — which makes it one of the strangest and most talked-about bottles ever to leave Frankfort. For collectors of Buffalo Trace oddities, this is a centerpiece bottle; explore more from the distillery at Buffalo Trace.
Tasting Notes
The brand's press release describes a rich, savory nose of chocolate, dark cherries, and stone fruit; a palate of confectioners sugar drawn from the sorghum and peas; and a sweet toffee finish. Reviewers noted dried cherries, caramelized sugar, dark chocolate, and butterscotch, with one critic finding it vegetal and lean — a genuinely divisive pour.
How to Enjoy
Neat, slowly — this is a contemplative curiosity rather than a cocktail ingredient. A few drops of water open the savory side; compare it against a standard Buffalo Trace bourbon to appreciate how far the sorghum base takes it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buffalo Trace Baijiu a bourbon?
No — it is made from sorghum and peas rather than a bourbon mash bill, so it is legally a "baijiu-style spirit," distilled like whiskey.
How long was it aged?
11 years across three different oak cask types.
Was there more than one baijiu release?
No — it was the 24th Experimental Collection release and remains the only one.
What's it worth?
MSRP was $46.99/375mL; resale typically runs into the hundreds.
One release, one experiment, never repeated — add Buffalo Trace's baijiu oddity to your collection with an online order at Del Mesa Liquor.