Buff Turkey is a term that has been gaining a lot of attention on the secondary market and with bourbon aficionados in recent months. Various NDP’s or “non-distiller producers” those who don’t make their own juice but rather purchase from others and sell under their own brand name, have been pushing out sourced bourbon that is around fourteen to sixteen years old with barrel labels that, rather confusingly look like this one below.
Yes, indeed, that is a barrel label that states the distillery is Wild Turkey, but the spirit’s name is Buffalo Trace. This odd juxtaposition isn’t your eyes playing tricks on you, it’s a unique and interesting nuance that we’ll dive into a bit more in today’s post.
Buff Turkey bourbon is fourteen- to sixteen-year-old bourbon that was produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery for Wild Turkey. If you think back, in 2009 the Campari Group acquired the Wild Turkey Distillery from Pernod Ricard, and in 2011 invested $50 million to expand the distillery. It was during this time of expansion that concerns about being able to produce enough bourbon arose and from that concern, an unlikely partnership with Buffalo Trace to make bourbon for Wild Turkey was formed.
Buffalo Trace produced the bourbon using the typical Wild Turkey mashbill of 75/13/12 (corn/rye/barley) and then Wild Turkey aged those barrels. Given that the juice was so far afield from anything else that Wild Turkey has done (or Buffalo Trace for that matter), they didn’t want to use it and sold off those barrels, being gobbled up by numerous NDPs who have been more than happy to parse it out to eagerly waiting Bourboneur’s. These barrels have varying flavor profiles, but across the lot you can expect a common thread of sweetness.
As mentioned, these barrels have now made their way to private bottlers and are being released under various brands. Below are some of the ones that we’re aware of so far.
Founded in 2012 on a 62-acre farm near Lexington Kentucky, Bluegrass Distillers does indeed make their own juice, with a self-contained “grain to glass” operation which began production just recently so clearly this single barrel fifteen-year offering didn’t come from them! I have a SP from their single barrel program that’s tasty AF that I nearly polished off in my garage bar last night. According to the Bourbon Blue Book® you’re looking at $322 for a single barrel or $350 for a single barrel store pick as of writing.
Magnolia Distillers, also known as S.N. Pike’s Magnolia has a rather interesting history that dates back to 1849 when it was first established in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ceasing operations during Prohibition, the brand was revived in 2021 when Ed Carey a retired commercial real estate developer re-established the trademark. The current Bourbon Blue Book® value for this bottle is $700, a bit higher than the average buff turkey’s going rate but this particular bottling is from a short barrel, yielding only 56 bottles.
The inaugural release from this somewhat unknown NDP, comes with unique branding, an interactive label. The label isn’t just for looks, for those who enjoy a challenge, you’re supposed to solve the puzzle, snap a pic, and tag New Era Whiskey and Spirits for a chance to win a prize. These retailed for $290, and according to the Bourbon Blue Book® you’re looking at just a bit over that at $350 to add it to your shelf – provided you can find one.
Originally owned by New Riff Distilling, and picked up in 2020 by two Cincinatti entrepreneurs, OKI sources much of its whiskey from Midwest Grain Products. This bottling has a different origin story however! Just hitting the secondary bourbon pages in the last number of weeks, according to the Bourbon Blue Book® you’re looking at $533 on average to have one of these showing up at your door.
Seelbach’s, a brand that’s dedicated to “unlocking craft spirits” has now released two batches of their 15-year bourbon which is a confirmed Buff Turkey bottling, not a single barrel, but rather a blend of barrels. Batch 1 is currently trading hands for $378 while the more recently released Batch 2 is fetching $337 according to the Bourbon Blue Book®.
River Roots has released several varied bottlings of Buff Turkey barrels recently, with my friends at BRBNFNDR just rubbing it in that they’re working on their own Buff Turkey barrel pick from this NDP. The pictured bottling, I was able to snag recently from one of their notifications, and I have another from the always impressive ROC Elite Barrel Pickers. Pricing varies, but for the bottle pictured the going rate on the Bourbon Blue Book® is $533 and is at the upper end of the age range at nearly 16.5 years.
In summary, the emergence of Buff Turkey bourbon represents a fascinating chapter in the world of whiskey. Born from a unique collaboration between two iconic distilleries—Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace—this bourbon has found its way into the hands of various non-distiller producers, captivating bourbon enthusiasts with its intriguing backstory and diverse flavor profiles. As these rare bottles continue to surface and gain popularity, they offer a remarkable opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs alike to savor a truly distinctive spirit.
Data matters and having up-to-date and reliable information to make informed decisions about buying, selling or trading coveted bottles of brownwater is critical. The secondary market doesn’t stand still and neither do we in cataloguing and providing the web’s most accurate, reliable and up-to-date pricing around. As new bottles hit the market, their pricing changes daily…finding a ceiling, and eventually a floor. The market shifts up and down, commensurate with the economy – with the bourbon secondary market down just over eleven percent over the past fourteen months. If you’re looking for a resource that’s based on real data, grounded in actual verified sales on the secondary market, is updated regularly, and has values for over 6,000 bottles and growing at your fingertips, you need to look no further than the Bourboneur App for iOS and Android. The app does require a paid subscription, only $3 per month or $25 a year, which easily pays for itself!
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