What's Inside

. . . IN PROGRESS . . .

Natural Light/UV

The goal of this experiment is to determine what effect natural light has on the aging of bourbon. This is a minimum two year experiment. The barrel breezeway will hold the control barrels, with chamber one operating at 0% light and the external temperature and humidity the same as the control barrels. Chamber two will be at 0% light and the control barrels' internal liquid temperature will be mimicked by experimental barrels in this room. Chamber three will be at 50% light and the external temperature and humidity will be the same as the control barrels. Chamber four will be at 100% light with the temperature and humidity constant.

Fall 2014

Temperature

The goal of this experiment is to determine what effect temperature has on the aging of bourbon. This is a minimum two year experiment. The barrel breezeway will hold the control barrels, with chambers one and two operating at 10° and 20° cooler, respectively, than the control barrels, and chambers three and four operating at 10° and 20° warmer, respectively, than the control barrels. The temperature will be measured in Fahrenheit and the humidity levels in each chamber will match the control barrels.

Spring 2015

Humidity

The goal of this experiment is to determine what effect humidity has on the aging of bourbon. This is a minimum two year experiment. The barrel breezeway will hold the control barrels, with chambers one and two operating at 10% and 20% higher humidity, respectively, than the control barrels, and chambers three and four operating at 10% and 20% lower humidity, respectively, than the control barrels. The temperature levels in each chamber will match the control barrels.

Fall 2016

Air Flow

The goal of this experiment will be to determine what effect air flow has on the aging of bourbon. This is a minimum two year experiment. The barrel breezeway will hold the control barrels. Chamber one will have no (or very low) air flow. Chamber two will have constant low air flow. Chamber three will have constant medium air flow, and Chamber four will have constant high air flow. The room temperatures and humidity levels in each room will match the control barrels.

Crafting the Perfect Environment

Warehouse X is the first new building Buffalo Trace Distillery has constructed in more than 60 years.  Created with independently operating chambers, the experimental warehouse is studying how different atmospheric environments affect bourbon while it ages. We are testing the following four variables in consecutive experiments.

  1. Natural Light/UV
  2. Temperature
  3. Humidity
  4. Air Flow

A series of experiments are planned over the next 20 years, including several lasting two years each, followed by some six-year experiments based on the best results from earlier tests.

The warehouse chambers are relatively small, with each holding a maximum of 30 barrels on ricks.  In addition to the four chambers, there is an open breezeway that also has the same barrel capacity. Visitors can walk around Warehouse X and learn about the current experiment occurring inside.

In addition to our experiments aging inside of Warehouse X, we will continue to monitor our other whiskey experiments underway and come up with even more ideas on our search for the Holy Grail!