Distillery

Buffalo Trace whiskies

Buffalo Trace is a distillery in Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, on the banks of the Kentucky River, and one of the oldest working distilleries in the United States. It belongs to the Sazerac Company. Besides the bourbon that bears its name, some of the most sought-after brands in the world come from it, such as Blanton’s, Eagle Rare and Sazerac Rye. Its name recalls the old buffalo trail that crossed the river at that point.

Founded
Owner
Sazerac Company
Origin
Kentucky, United States
In the catalogue
8 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world map

  • Buffalo Trace distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: Jaimin Trivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Buffalo Trace distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Rich Bowen · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Buffalo Trace distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Jaimin Trivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

8 whiskies

Guide to Buffalo Trace

History

Whiskey has been distilled on the distillery’s site since the end of the 18th century, and the current complex grew during the 19th century under names such as O.F.C. and George T. Stagg. It was one of the few distilleries allowed to keep operating during Prohibition to make whiskey for medicinal purposes. At the end of the 20th century it was bought by Sazerac, which gave it its current name in 1999. Earlier, in the 1980s, the house launched Blanton’s, considered the first commercial single barrel bourbon. Today the complex is a National Historic Landmark and runs a well-known experimental maturation programme.

House style

The house style is that of a classic Kentucky bourbon: caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak and gentle spice. It works with several grain recipes, one low in rye, sweeter and rounder, and another higher in rye, spicier, as well as pure rye whiskey. The distillery’s brands differ in recipe, age and the place in the warehouses where the barrels mature.

Average flavour profile of its 8 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.4
Fresh fruit
2.1
Ripe and dried fruit
1.1
Floral and herbal
0.6
Cereal and malt
1.1
Vanilla and creamy
2.8
Oak
2.6
Spicy
2.4
Toasted
1.9
Smoky
0.1
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
3.1

Where to start

Start with Buffalo Trace, a balanced, sweet bourbon that shows the house style. If you like it, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old adds age and oak, and Blanton’s Original Single Barrel offers the experience of a single barrel. If you prefer spicy profiles, Sazerac Rye is a cocktail classic.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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