🥃 Buffalo Trace
Bourbon and distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky; production on this land since 1775; current name since 1999; Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon is 45% ABV.
Buffalo Trace is both a distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and that distillery's flagship bourbon. The official website traces the history of the site to 1775, and it has carried the name "Buffalo Trace" since 1999. The flagship Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is 45% ABV and is aged in new charred oak barrels.
History. According to the distillery's website, in 1775 Hancock and Willis Lee founded Leestown here on the Kentucky River. In 1870 Colonel E. H. Taylor Jr. built a new distillery, in 1904 it was renamed George T. Stagg, and since 1999 it has carried its current name. In 2013 the site was designated a National Historic Landmark. The name comes from the buffalo trails, the "traces", along which Kentucky's herds crossed.
How it is made. The barrels are made from white oak that is 70–80 years old and are charred before filling. According to the website, the grain comes from farms in Kentucky and Indiana, and the Mash Bill #1 recipe has not been officially disclosed. The whiskey is aged in century-old warehouses.
The range. Besides Buffalo Trace, the distillery makes Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller, E.H. Taylor Jr., Blanton's, Sazerac Rye and other brands; there are more than twenty.
Why this matters to you. Under US rules, bourbon must contain at least 51% corn and mature in new charred barrels; "straight" means at least 2 years of ageing. The name of a distillery does not guarantee the same taste across all its brands. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1775 (Leestown, Hancock and Willis Lee); 1870 — E. H. Taylor Jr.; 1999 — Buffalo Trace |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (USA): bourbon, straight whisky |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | corn (at least 51% under US rules), rye, malt; Mash Bill #1 not disclosed; grain from Kentucky and Indiana |
| Cask type | new charred white oak barrels |
| Minimum maturation | straight — at least 2 years; no age statement on the Buffalo Trace Bourbon label |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 45% ABV (90 proof) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Buffalo Trace → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Sazerac Company
- Packed in
- 🐝 American white oak, 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Blanton's, 🥃 Penderyn, 🥃 Blanton's Gold Edition, 🥃 Blanton's Original Single Barrel, 🥃 Blanton's Special Reserve, 🥃 Blanton's Straight From The Barrel, 🥃 Elijah Craig, 🥃 Jim Beam, 🥃 Michter's, 🥃 Old Forester, 🥃 Kentucky Bourbon
Frequently asked questions
Is Buffalo Trace really America's oldest bourbon distillery?
The website itself says so: "the oldest continuously operating". This is the company's claim; we did not verify it independently.
What does the name Buffalo Trace mean?
The trails, the "traces", along which Kentucky's buffalo migrated, including the crossing of the Kentucky River.
What is the strength of Buffalo Trace Bourbon?
45% ABV (90 proof) for the flagship version.
What is known about the grain recipe?
Officially it is only known to be Mash Bill #1. Under US rules, bourbon must contain at least 51% corn.
What other brands does the distillery make?
Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller, E.H. Taylor Jr., Blanton's, Sazerac Rye, Traveller and others.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
- 🥃 Jim Beam — Brand of Kentucky straight bourbon from Clermont, Kentucky; the Beam family's distilling dates from 1795; owned by Suntory.
Similar
🥃 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey · 🥃 Seagram's Seven Crown · 🥃 George Dickel · 🥃 Maker's Mark · 🥃 Midleton Very Rare · 🥃 Glen Moray
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Buffalo Trace Distillery (official): Our Distillery (Leestown 1775, E.H. Taylor Jr. 1870, George T. Stagg 1904, Buffalo Trace 1999, National Historic Landmark 2013, Frankfort, Kentucky)
- Buffalo Trace Distillery (official): Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (45 % ABV, 90 proof, new charred oak, Mash Bill #1)
- 27 CFR § 5.143 (US): standards of identity for whisky: bourbon (min. 51 % corn, new charred oak, distillation up to 160 proof, entry up to 125 proof), straight whisky (min. 2 years)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)