By Timothy Long

Most great adventures begin with a phone call. And I had just missed this one.

Tom Gale, the Director of Operations at Virtue Feed and Grain, a great local restaurant, had called. Tom’s affectionately known in Old Town as Big T. Virtue has one of the best bourbon programs on the east coast, and Tom is the man who built it. He never calls. I usually text him when I want a table at the restaurant. What’s the sense in having friends if you can’t take advantage of them?

It must be a bourbon emergency. I listened to the voicemail.

“Why isn’t anyone answering their phone’s today? I hate voicemail. Call me back. I got something big we need to discuss.”

I called him back.

After a quick hello, Tom jumps right into the details. He had been offered the opportunity to do a bourbon barrel pick from Buffalo Trace Distillery.  Buffalo Trace is one of the best distilleries in Kentucky. It’s located in Frankfurt, KY, not far from Louisville. Tom was going to be in Louisville for the Bourbon Classic and knew that I would be there also.

A bourbon barrel pick is when a specific barrel of bourbon is chosen and bought by one person or a company. Most bourbons are made by blending whiskey from many barrels to keep the flavor consistent from batch to batch. With a barrel pick, however, a group, often a restaurant or bar, tastes samples from several individual barrels at the distillery. They select the one they like best based on its unique flavor profile. That single barrel is then bottled separately and labeled as a “barrel pick,” or “private selection.” Tom was asking me to be on a barrel pick committee to help select the bourbon he would buy. I was flattered. This was quite an honor.

It was actually a bigger honor than I realized.

“Which bourbon are we picking? Buffalo Trace?”

“We’re picking a barrel of Elmer T. Lee” he replied.

I was silent.

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here” I was in shock. “Are you kidding?”

“Nope. We’re either going to wear diamonds or go to jail. But either way it’s going to be fun!” The number of witty quips in Tom’s verbal arsenal is amazing.

Any bourbon that is hard to find is referred to as a unicorn. And Elmer T. Lee is one of the Holy Grails of the unicorns. Buffalo Trace was only releasing six barrels this year. Two of the barrels had already been purchased. We would be tasting the other four to choose which one Tom would purchase.

I loved reading adventure stories as a kid. I fought Thanos with the Avengers, crossed Middle Earth with Frodo and Samwise, and sat at the baccarat table with James Bond. I have also been on several fun real adventures; my Oktoberfest articles offer proof. But this one was a dream come true. I was about to jump into the bat mobile and go on a bourbon adventure with Batman.

My wife Leigh and I arrived in Louisville on Thursday night. At nine thirty the next morning, we were in a car and headed to Buffalo Trace with Tom, his wife Lisa, and Emily Bisset, Virtue’s Event Coordinator.

During the ride, Tom explains that he prefers doing a barrel pick in the winter. The colder air causes more of the bourbon to come out of the wood. This affects the flavor profile. There is nothing wrong with making a barrel pick in the summer. The winter just produces a different profile. As with many other things in life, it’s a matter of preference.

Upon arrival, we are greeted by Freddie Johnson, Buffalo Trace’s Global Whiskey Ambassador. Freddie is not only a legend at Buffalo Trace, but across the entire bourbon world. Freddie is the third generation of his family to work at the distillery. He’s 80 years old but bounces around the grounds of the distillery like he is 30. His enthusiasm for bourbon is contagious. Freddie will be guiding us on a VIP tour of the distillery, and through the barrel pick.

Three other barrel pick committee members now join us for the tour: Shawn Golden, Virginia State manager for Sazerac, the company that owns Buffalo Trace; Clay Smith, Virtue Feed & Grains Bourbon Steward; and Maggie Kimberl, Whiskey Writer and Content Editor for American Whiskey Magazine.

As we walked together, I mentioned to Maggie that this was my first time participating in a barrel pick. She no doubt detected my rookie excitement, smiled at me, and said, “It’s the best way to ruin the rest of your day.”  I chuckled. Nothing could have ruined this day for me.

Freddie took us through the entire process of making bourbon. The delightful aromas of sweet corn, porridge, and fresh bread dough filled the air as we walked the grounds. Those aromas remained until we were standing by the fermenter, then my nose detected not just the expected alcohol, but malt, and fruity smells of ripe banana, green apple, and apricot. This was an experience for the eyes and the nose.

The tour ended at the famous Warehouse H. This is the warehouse where they store Blanton’s and other rare bourbons. This warehouse is not part of most tours. The other members of the committee were standing out front waiting for us. Adam Wilkins, Senior Brand Manager at Buffalo Trace; Matt Pittman, CEO of the Meat Church, a great BBQ company out of Texas; and Ciara Lesko, Senior Associate Brand Manager at Buffalo Trace.

In the front is a rather rustic tasting room; in the back is where the bourbon is stored. The only four barrels of Elmer T. Lee available in the world were displayed before us. The four barrels that we would be tasting. I paused and took in the moment.  Tom walked up beside me.

“We’re making history today.”

Eight tables were set up for us with tasting sheets, pens, water, and four glasses of Elmer T. Lee bourbon, one from each barrel. The glasses are labeled A, B, C, and D, as are the barrels.

Freddie begins to lead us through the tasting. We sniffed the contents of our four glasses. He has us use one nostril, then the other. Did you know that you have a dominant nostril? Humans have a nasal cycle, where airflow alternates between nostrils approximately every 2 to 6 hours. My left nostril was the dominant one.

Freddie had instructed us not to add water to the glasses. The bourbon in the glass was not to be contaminated. We tried each glass neat, no ice or water. The bourbon was barrel strength and proofing at around 126. So, it was a tad hot, but you could still detect flavors.

Freddie then had us put and hold water in our mouths, then taste the bourbon. It was another new experience. But the bourbon opened right up in my mouth.

After about 20 minutes of tasting and note taking, we took our first vote. Barrels A and B were eliminated. They were not bad barrels. We just preferred barrels C and D.

After another round of tasting, Freddie sequestered us in the back of the warehouse. He then switched some of our two remaining glasses. So, when we came back, we had no idea if he had switched our glasses or not.

We tasted them again. Then Freddie had us take both glasses in our hands and turn around and face the wall.  He asked us to hold up the glass we chose and turn back around. The vote was six out of eight. Barrel C won. Freddie had written the letter of his favorite barrel on his hand. He held it up to reveal a letter C. The main deciding factor is that it had a longer finish. It laid on the tongue the way a good bourbon should.

The bourbon from barrel C will be proofed down to 90, bottled, and be available in the restaurant in either June or July. Virtue will be the only restaurant in the world with bourbon from that particular barrel of Elmer T. Lee.

In 2024, Maggie Kimberl wrote an article, Hidden Gems:  Virtue Feed & Grain, in American Whiskey Magazine praising the restaurant and its whiskey selection. Offering barrel pick bourbons is a big part of the reason why Virtue is a hidden gem.

I’m honored that Tom asked me to be part of this amazing adventure. Taking whiskey from a barrel to taste is known as “thieving” it. The instrument used, a type of syphon, is called a whiskey thief. So maybe Tom and I are more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid than Batman and Robin. A couple of thieves on an adventure with the Wild Bunch riding with us. Either way, we wore diamonds instead of going to jail.

I can’t wait to taste the results of our labor. Cheers!

About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com. Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that fly doing in my soup? http://whatflyinmysoup.com

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

Old Forester “The 117 Series” Prohibition Era Still Proof

You may have to go to Louisville, KY to find this one. But the trip is worth it. On your nose, it’s bold and nostalgic, you get dark caramel, molasses, charred oak, and baking spices. On the palate it delivers deep flavors of toffee, burnt sugar, black pepper, and cinnamon. The finish is long and warm with lingering spice and just a touch of dark chocolate bitterness. If you’re in the mood for something unapologetically big and historically inspired, this one really delivers. But be careful, its smooth taste hides the fact that it’s a 130-proof bourbon.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender

This cigar is wrapped in an all-natural smooth, oily Ecuadorian Habano leaf over Dominican binder and filler. From the first draw, this full-bodied cigar delivers a rush of pepper and earth, with rich notes of leather, cocoa, and espresso that give it an almost chewy profile. By the final third, the strength ramps up, delivering a crescendo of baking spices, oak, and lingering leather with just enough sweetness to keep it from going over the edge. Enjoy.

This cigar, and many other fine cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% off the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.