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Koopers Whiskey Releases 10-Year-Old Rye Aged in Buffalo Trace Barrels

other · 2026-05-31

So, there’s this Texas-based blending house called Koopers Whiskey, which was started by Troy and Michelle Kooper in 2012. They just released a 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey that has been finished in a barrel from Buffalo Trace. The whiskey was initially distilled at Koval in Chicago, using a mashbill made entirely of rye. After spending nine months in new charred oak barrels in Ledbetter, Texas, it was transferred in 2016 to a used Buffalo Trace barrel that previously aged bourbon for seven years. Nearly a decade later, it developed a rich flavor with notes of pepper, oak, and more. Just 231 bottles were released earlier this month and sold out fast, praised for its complex character.

Key facts

  • Koopers Whiskey was founded in 2012 by Troy and Michelle Kooper.
  • The new rye whiskey is 10 years old and finished in a Buffalo Trace barrel.
  • The distillate was sourced from Koval in Chicago, Illinois.
  • The mashbill is 100 percent rye grain.
  • Initial aging was in 15-gallon new charred oak barrels for nine months in Ledbetter, Texas.
  • In 2016, the whiskey was transferred to a used Buffalo Trace barrel that held bourbon for seven years.
  • The whiskey is 100 proof.
  • Only 231 bottles were released and sold out.

Entities

Institutions

  • Koopers Whiskey
  • Koval
  • Buffalo Trace
  • Robb Report

Locations

  • Ledbetter
  • Texas
  • United States
  • Chicago
  • Illinois

Sources