Whisky or Whiskey? I don’t care. Just as long as I have it on hand.
I was already well hooked on Buffalo Trace when we moved to Shanghai. Unfortunately its influence had not made it here back then. So what I had is what I could bring with each trip, 2 liters/person, and so I treated it like gold and drank very sparingly.
Then a few years back, Buffalo Trace started showing up on various online stores, some reputable, others not so much. But it was nearly twice the price as sold in the US and it was different. Only 80 proof instead of 90, and 700ml instead of 750. Then after I bought a few bottles from a supposedly reputable dealer, I noticed the amount in each bottle was different! Off as much as 10ml. It also didn’t seem as smooth….
Was I risking blindness drinking this?
So I emailed Buffalo Trace Distillery. No response. So I posted my concern on their Facebook page. That got their attention. And it got me a ‘canned’ response, which went something like this (paraphrased): We are complying with local government regulations on the import and sale of our liquor.
And various members of that site assured me there was nothing to worry about with the uneven quantities in each bottle.
My BS alarm was wailing away. I highly doubt that liquor bottlers would just willy-nilly fill their bottles with “about” the right amount of liquor. And seeing as other imported whisky was 750ml and 90 proof really caused me pause.
Still, China was a new market to Buffalo Trace, so maybe they weren’t selling their ‘best’ version overseas (yet). Looking at you Guinness Beer. Everyone know you hoard the best for the natives!
Shortly afterwards, 750ml 90 proof Buffalo Trace bottles started appearing locally and the price dropped significantly. From a high of nearly 350¥ ($54USD) down to a short bounce low of 165¥ ($25USD) per bottle. Along with that, a new Chinese label was being slapped on these: DXCEL. So I coyly asked Buffalo Trace distillery who their official distributor in China was. Their response: DXCEL. (I should also point out that other sellers were still peddling the 700ml 80 proof ‘versions’, usually at higher prices, and without the DXCEL label)
This renewed my confidence in what I was buying. So I bought a few. Compared them to the old 700ml/80proof, and it tasted better. Compared to US bought and it was identical. So I bought more.
And More.
And More.
The price jumped to ~300¥ during the height of Covid, mid 2020, which was another reason for stocking up earlier. Now its settled down to a reasonable 190¥. So for the past couple of years, my Buffalo Trace addition is only surpassed by my Coffee (Espresso) addiction (but that’s another story). And I must have 1 shot a day lest I transform into a pulsating mass of necrotic debris.
So, which Bourbon do I think is better than Buffalo Trace? Eagle Rare, of course. Google it and you’ll understand why…
