Wilderness Trail Single Barrel BAXUS Exclusive

Barrel #767775 is a BAXUS-exclusive family reserve high-rye bourbon from the Wilderness Trail distillery, bottled at cask strength of 58.5% ABV. This barrel was selected at the distillery by members of the BAXUS team, as well as two community members chosen to join the trip based on the bottles of bourbon they had listed in their collections on the app. The legendary whiskey writer David Tao also participated in selecting this bourbon, which was chosen from among seven other options as the most outstanding of the lot. This particularly small barrel yielded only 144 bottles, rather than the standard 200, further highlighting its concentrated flavor profile. It was matured for 5 years in an ISC Classic #4 charred barrel and fermented with yeast strain 927. Wilderness Trail is one of the most innovative distilleries in the world, particularly renowned for its focus on yeast due to its long history as fermentation experts. In 2006, Dr. Pat Heist and Shane Baker founded FermSolutions, a consulting firm that created unique yeast strains and provided technical assistance to distilleries and breweries across the United States. After seven years, the firm had established itself so well in Kentucky distilling circles that Heist and Baker decided to set up their own distillery. Wilderness Trail Distillery was built in 2013 in Danville, initially using a pot still before expanding twice to ramp up production. The founders initially focused on contract distillation for other brands but later began producing barrels for themselves, with varying mash bills, including a high-rye, wheated, and traditional rye mash bill. Their industry-leading experience in fermentation innovation means the yeast strain used for each mash is just as important as the grains or stills used. Whiskey is fundamentally made of water, yeast, and grain, with most modern distillers primarily adjusting the grain to create new products. Wilderness Trail's fundamentally scientific approach means these different yeast strains can create various types of spirits using the same mash bill, with one potentially being fruit-forward while another is heavier and earthier in character. Typically choosing to release their spirits around the 4- to 6-year mark, their expertise in all aspects of production has allowed them to create a flavor-first style of whiskey at a relatively young age. This innovative brilliance caught the eye of the large Italian drinks company Campari, which purchased a 70% stake in Wilderness Trail in October 2022, with the final 30% to be purchased in 2031. The deal was reportedly valued at $420 million, signifying just how valuable the new Kentucky producer has become in the market.