Will Barton 18-Year Reach BuffTurkey-Level Crazy? It Depends

As BuffTurkey barrels dwindle, the frenzy around the various bottlings from non-distilling producers (NDPs) is cooling. (Though some Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey frankenbourbon remains aging in barrels, expected to be released at 17 or 18 years.) The market seems ready for the next hype train. What will that be? Potentially Barton 18 year old.

Just starting to sell now, Barton 18 year bourbon arrives both as age-stated blends—notably, Calumet 18 year old Centennial Release—and single barrels, selected by clubs, groups or individuals, various NDPs, and some retailers. Early feedback is generally positive, though mixed. One certainty: It’s not cheap. Bottles of Barton 18 start with a suggested retail price of $400, and of course, rise from there.

Let's dive into what we know about Barton 18, how it was made, what the current market reaction is, what to expect about future Barton 18 releases, and what you should know if you’re looking to buy a bottle.

What Is Barton 18?

As with BuffTurkey, non-disclosure agreements prohibit details about Barton 18 from being disclosed, but we know some things. The bourbon was distilled in 2007 at Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. (Two years later, Barton’s then-owner, Constellation Brands, would sell the distillery to Sazerac.) That 2007 production run was for a contract distillation client, not for the distillery itself, and the whiskey was ultimately sold to a number of companies and barrel brokers. Some barrels went to Western Spirits, which blended and bottled it through Three Springs Bottling Company as Calumet 18 year old. Other barrels went to Bluegrass Distillers, which offered a chunk as single barrels through its Elkwood brand.

Barton 18’s production run is estimated to be 150 barrels in total—far smaller than the 600-barrel total for BuffTurkey. Western Spirits is said to have received its portion first, a few years back, while the remaining Barton 18 barrels were sold more recently—and not by Western Spirits. The Barton 18 mashbill is 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley. Proof-wise, none of the releases are reported to be at hazmat levels, but a few are in the high 120s or low 130s.

What Does Barton 18 Taste Like?

Calumet 18, which I sampled for this story, is quite good. With a very effervescent, peppery, and oak-prominent nose; one whiff of this 118-proof bourbon transports you instantly to a dusty rickhouse. Cherry, vanilla, caramel, tobacco, and cinnamon arrive upon sipping, but oak dominates the palate; it’s a hair away from being overly tannic, but somehow pulls it off in the glass.

As for the single barrels, Prav Saraff, owner of 1 West Dupont Wines and Liquors, says of the several samples he’s tried, “I really enjoyed it. The barrels are tasty; surprisingly, it’s not like licking an oak tree.” Ross Gregerson, a realtor who runs a national barrel club that does more than 30 picks per year, tasted a few single barrels and found them, “very oak forward without being over-oaked, having good flavor, and a really great long-lasting finish.”

“I get burnt cherry, toasted brown sugar, a lot of tobacco and vanilla, and a nice spice note,” says Sam Rock, co-owner of Bluegrass Distilling and Chevalier Casks, a wholesale brokerage for bulk spirits. Rock’s outfit bought at least 30 Barton 18 barrels, most of which have been sold to various retailers and clubs, though Rock’s tried many of the barrels. “It’s a soft drinker for the proof; it drinks closer to 105 or 110. I like the mouthfeel. Nothing hits sharp or hot. Not a lot of ethanol. Oaky, but not too oaky,” he says.

Bourbon forum commenters are mixed. One declares anything Barton 18 “overhyped already, to be honest.” Another says the lot is, “Very hit or miss, but when they hit, they’re fire.” That’s echoed by another comment: “They’re excellent when they’re on. On the pricier side but well worth it for a good barrel.”

One taster, who bought a Barton 18 barrel, said “it’s amazing,” likening it to what he imagines a 1792 BTAC offering would be like: “It’s everything I love about 1792 cranked to 11, with all the hot mess that is so prevalent in 1792 Full Proof removed.” (Barton 18 and 1792 are rumored to share the same mashbill.)

What Does Barton 18 Cost?

The cheapest Gregerson has seen is $300 per bottle, though most come in far higher. Rock’s Elkwood is aiming at $399 a bottle, though notes it can range, since barrel yields swing wildly between 40 to 120 bottles per barrel. “We set the price based upon what we believe the average will be,” says Rock, “and we sometimes eat the loss on a short barrel.” Meanwhile, Calumet 18 retails for $499. If Barton 18 takes off the way BuffTurkey did, expect to see all the prices jump up to what the market will bear.

So Will Barton 18 Be the Next BuffTurkey?

Saraff believes BuffTurkey at retail is great, but not all bottles are worth secondary prices. “BuffTurkey was selling when there was less market fatigue,” Saraff says. “That craze was, in part, driven because buyers could get BuffTurkey for $300 and flip it for more than $500 on the secondary market. Now, there’s a dip in the market and those bottles are moving less.”

Early picks have a higher chance of being better, argues Gregerson, so those may command higher resale values. “But I don’t see it hitting the same level of [BuffTurkey] hype,” Gregerson says. “People will be hesitant at these higher prices, sit on the sidelines and wait. Top barrels will always excel, but I don’t think the bulk of the field will.”

“I hope it’s like BuffTurkey,” says Rock. “I think these are as good or better tasting [than BuffTurkey]. There’s a dynamic now with these hero barrels; people have a reason to look for them, there’s a story, it’s ambiguous, mysterious, and the whiskey is good. It ticks the boxes for the collectors and connoisseurs.”

Whether Barton 18 catches like wildfire remains to be seen. Will we see people trying to flip a $500 bottle for $800 or $1,000? Definitely, but ample doubt exists surrounding prolonged success in that model. More signs point to these being drinkers instead of commodity bottles.

How to Buy Barton 18 Bourbon

You can still buy Calumet 18 through retailers, so that’s one option. You can try Elkwood’s tasting room, particularly toward the holidays, when Rock hinted there would be more released. Otherwise, you can try the NDPs and retailers who picked early barrels. A few examples include New Era Whiskey and Spirits, River Roots Barrel Company, Seelbachs, and Justins’ House of Bourbon.

You can try asking local picking groups if they know anyone getting a barrel and seeing if they have extra bottles for sale. Regardless, Gregerson’s advice should be heeded: “Chase the picker, not the source. Find a palate you align with and go after those bottles instead of blindly trying to find any Barton 18. You’re more likely to be happier with your bottle.”