Buzzard's Roost Whiskey just dropped something interesting for bourbon drinkers looking for something different. The Kentucky-based operation announced a limited-edition release that takes four different grains and runs them through their double oak aging process. It's called Buzzard's Roost Four Grain Double Oak Bourbon, and it represents another step in the distillery's ongoing experiments with how wood interacts with whiskey.
The whiskey itself came from a distillery in Ohio that Buzzard's Roost has worked with before. The grain recipe breaks down to 73% corn, 16% wheat, 6% rye, and 5% malted barley. After the initial aging period, Buzzard's Roost took the bourbon and finished it in their own specialty barrels - specifically ones with a light char and what they call precision toasting. The result is a 5-year-old bourbon bottled at 100 proof.
According to Judy Hollis Jones, who co-founded the company and serves as CEO, the project came from curiosity about how various grain combinations behave when exposed to fresh oak. "We've always been fascinated by how different grain combinations interact with new oak," Jones explained in a statement about the release. "The Four Grain recipe offers a beautiful balance of sweetness and spice. Our double oak process enabled us to amplify the vanilla and baking spice notes, resulting in a bourbon that is both complex and incredibly smooth."
The double oak process Buzzard's Roost uses involves taking whiskey that's already been aged and putting it into a second set of barrels. These aren't just any barrels though. The company seasons their oak for 18 months before using it, which they say intensifies the flavors that get pulled from the wood. They also use a low-char, high-toast approach designed to extract multiple layers of flavor rather than just surface-level notes.
For this particular release, those secondary barrels were the lightly charred, precision-toasted variety. The idea is that the four grain bourbon would pick up additional vanilla and baking spice characteristics on top of whatever flavor profile it already had from its original aging.
The four grain mash bill itself is worth noting. Most bourbons stick with three grains - typically corn, rye, and malted barley. Some swap wheat for rye. But using all four is less common. The high corn content provides the sweetness that defines bourbon. The wheat adds a softer, rounder character. The rye brings spice notes. And the malted barley serves both as a fermentation aid and contributes its own subtle flavors.
Buzzard's Roost made the bourbon available online starting February 5, with bottles appearing at their own distillery location on Louisville's Whiskey Row two days later on February 7. The suggested retail price sits at $79.99. Later in February, allocated bottles will show up in stores across the country, though quantities will be limited since this is a special release.
For those in the Louisville area on February 7, Jones and her co-founder Jason Brauner planned to be at the Buzzard's Roost Distillery and Tasting Room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. signing bottles. The distillery and tasting room is located at 624 W. Main Street in downtown Louisville.
Buzzard's Roost has built its reputation around this double oak methodology. Unlike most whiskey makers who age their spirits once and call it done, Buzzard's Roost operates as what's known as an independent bottler and blender. They source whiskey from various distilleries, then apply their own finishing techniques before bottling. All their whiskeys go through second-barrel aging, and the actual bottling happens at Bardstown Bourbon Company.
The company positions itself as a woman-led business in an industry that's historically been dominated by men. Their products are currently available in 25 markets around the country, plus online and at their Louisville tasting room.
Their approach to barrel treatment sets them apart from standard finishing operations. The 18-month oak seasoning period is longer than what many distilleries use. The low-char, high-toast barrel preparation is also distinctive. Traditional barrel making relies heavily on charring - burning the inside of the barrel to create a layer of charcoal that filters the whiskey and adds color. Toasting, which involves heating the wood without igniting it, brings out different compounds and flavors from the oak. By minimizing the char and maximizing the toast, Buzzard's Roost is going after a different set of flavor molecules.
The Four Grain Double Oak Bourbon represents an intersection of several variables: the grain recipe, the age of the base whiskey, the initial maturation in standard barrels, and then the secondary maturation in those specially prepared oak barrels. Each component influences the final product.
At 100 proof, the bourbon sits at a sweet spot that many enthusiasts prefer. It's strong enough to carry robust flavors and stand up to ice or water if someone wants to dilute it, but not so high-proof that it's overwhelming straight from the bottle.
The limited nature of the release means bottles probably won't sit on shelves forever. Buzzard's Roost doesn't produce their own distillate yet - they source it and apply their finishing process. That means each batch depends on what they can acquire from partner distilleries and how much oak barrel space they have available for secondary aging. Limited editions like this one give them a chance to experiment with different base whiskeys and finishing techniques without committing to large-scale production.
For bourbon drinkers who've been following the craft whiskey boom over the past decade, Buzzard's Roost represents a particular niche: independent bottlers who add value through finishing rather than distillation. It's an established model in the Scotch industry but less common with American whiskey. The approach allows smaller operations to create distinctive products without the capital investment required to build and run a full distillery.
Jones and Brauner's willingness to explore different grain combinations and oak treatments shows they're not content to find one formula and stick with it. The Four Grain Double Oak Bourbon joins other experimental releases in their lineup, all unified by that signature double oak process but each with its own character depending on the base whiskey and specific barrel treatment used.
Whether this particular release becomes a recurring part of their lineup or remains a one-time offering depends on how it's received and whether they can source similar four grain bourbon for future batches. For now, it gives bourbon enthusiasts another option to explore, especially those interested in how secondary maturation affects spirits that start with less conventional grain recipes.
