Old Charter Oak

Old Charter Oak is a Buffalo Trace Distillery series exploring the impact of different oak species on bourbon aging. Each expression is aged in barrels crafted from a specific oak variety: French Oak (12 years, vanilla and apricot), Canadian Oak (10 years, caramel and berries), and Chinkapin Oak (9 years, cherries, spearmint, dark chocolate) — a scholarly experiment in wood science and flavor.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chinkapin oak and why is it unusual in bourbon production?

Chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) is a North American species native to the Appalachian region and parts of the Midwest — it was historically used in cooperage before American white oak (Quercus alba) became the industry standard for bourbon barrels. Chinkapin produces a very different flavor profile from American white oak: higher concentrations of certain tannins and ellagitannins that produce dark chocolate, cherry, and minty herbal character rather than the vanilla and caramel dominant in white oak. The Old Charter Oak Chinkapin expression at 9 years demonstrates how oak species, not just time, drives flavor development. Buffalo Trace’s Experimental Collection has used Chinkapin oak in various formats over the years.

Why does each Old Charter Oak expression have a different age?

Each oak species extracts flavor compounds at different rates from the same bourbon base spirit. French oak extracts more slowly than American white oak due to its tighter grain structure, requiring 12 years to reach the same depth of wood integration that American oak achieves faster. Canadian oak falls in between. Chinkapin oak extracts certain compounds more aggressively, reaching optimal development at 9 years before the tannin structure becomes overpowering. Buffalo Trace tasted the expressions at various ages and bottled each one when the master distiller determined it was at peak flavor for that specific oak species rather than imposing a uniform age across all three.