Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak Bourbon is the latest whiskey from Buffalo Trace. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)

On Wednesday, Kentucky whiskey producer Buffalo Trace announced the latest release in its Old Charter Oak collection, Spanish Oak Bourbon.

The barrels the bourbon was aged in were made from oak trees harvested from northern Spain. The wood was made into staves that were seasoned outdoors before being made into barrels.

“A common misconception about the distilling process is that bourbon must be aged in new American Oak barrels,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a news release. “Though most bourbons mature in American White Oak barrels, federal regulations do not specify what type of oak the barrel must be, only that it must be a new, charred oak container.

“At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are deeply committed to honoring the traditions of our category but also embracing change and pushing the limits of innovation to see where American whiskey can go in the future. Our Old Charter Oak collection is a superb example of trying new things and offering consumers and fans more ways to enjoy our award-winning portfolio of whiskeys.”

Spanish oak is commonly used for aging sherry.

“The whiskey extracts from the charred oak barrel exciting elements like eugenol, vanillin and whiskey lactone,” Wheatley said. “American Oak has higher proportions of vanillin and whiskey lactone, resulting in bourbon with a softer, sweeter taste and notes of vanilla and caramel. Our Spanish Oak, on the other hand, has more eugenol, meaning drier, spicier notes and flavors like clove are imparted onto the liquid.

“We specifically wanted to test Spanish Oak as part of this collection because of its connection to sherry, which is known to be a nuttier, fruitier spirit. We were curious how those flavors would impact the taste of whiskey, and we are very pleased with the result.”

Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak was aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Bottled at 92 proof, Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak will be available this spring in select U.S. markets at a suggested retail price of $69.99.

Buffalo Trace’s Old Charter Oak collection celebrates the role of oak in making whiskey by experimenting with the taste profiles different types of oak contribute. To this point, the series has only used oak from different countries. In the future, however, Buffalo Trace plans to expand the collection by using oak of various species, from different centuries and from different U.S. states.

Spanish Oak Bourbon is the fifth release in the Old Charter Oak series, following Chinkapin Oak, Mongolian Oak, French Oak and Canadian Oak.

Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskies and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of whiskey in your morning email, sign up for our Daily Dram Gram