12th August, 2015 by Amy Hopkins

Buffalo Trace’s experimental Warehouse X is already yielding “interesting insights” one year into operation, the Bourbon distiller has said.

The Sazerac-owned group officially opened the warehouse, which allows distillers to experiment with the affect environment has on maturing whiskey, in November 2013.

Warehouse X is comprised of four independently operating chambers that allow specific variables – including natural light, temperature, humidity and airflow – to be tested.

Containing around US$1 million worth of monitoring and reporting technology, the warehouse is able to send daily reports to the Buffalo Trace team, and even text messages to master distiller Harlen Wheatley should something go wrong, or an intruder be detected.

The first experimental barrels of Bourbon have now been resting in Warehouse X for a full year, and Buffalo Trace claims they have already provided “interesting experimental insights”.

The first experiment currently being conducted is measuring the natural effects of sunlight on ageing Bourbon barrels.

Distillery experts are measuring the temperature and humidity inside each of the four chambers and breezeway, as well as inside one barrel in each chamber and the breezeway. They are also measuring the temperature and humidity outside of Warehouse X.

Just within the last year, the Distillery has recorded 40,000 different data points and registered temperatures ranging from 105 degrees down to -10 degrees.

This specific experiment will run for two years from when the first barrels were rolled into the warehouse in June 2014.

Buffalo Trace said the new results have assured tasters that the large-scale experiment is on track to deliver further “valuable knowledge”.

“We’re only one year into this experiment and we already have lots of information to analyze,” master distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “Findings to date have assured us that we’re on the right path to some enlightening discoveries.”

Earlier this year, Buffalo Trace revealed plans to launch a stand-alone single estate Bourbon brand with the acquisition of a further 282 acres of land adjacent to its Kentucky distillery.

A few weeks later, the firm opened a new US$20 distribution centre, said to be one of the most technically advanced in the business.