The history of Buffalo Trace whiskey can be traced all the way through American history, all the way back to 1771. That was when Daniel Boone (yes, the Daniel Boone) passed through Lee’s Town on Buffalo Trace. A few years later, Leestown North was founded by Hancock and Willis Lee, which is now the home to the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Official website: buffalotrace.com
In 1792, a small stone house was built on the site, followed by a 3-story warehouse in 1811. This warehouse was used to store many barrels of whiskey; these barrels were shipped along the Kentucky River to cities as far away as New Orleans. However, an actual distillery did not appear on the property until 1858. This distillery was small, but it was very modern at the time.
That small distillery was bought in 1870 and renamed to O.F.C., which stood for “old-fashioned copper,” which referenced the copper stills that were used in the distillery. It was sold again eight years later, and over the next 50 years, the distillery went through many changes, including additions, fires, and name changes. In 1919, with the onset of Prohibition, the distillery was one of the few in the country to receive a permit to produce medicinal whiskey.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery has flourished, producing over seven million barrels since the end of Prohibition! There have been several additional warehouses added to the property and numerous awards won by the whiskey produced there. In fact, Buffalo Trace Distillery has won more than 40 awards since 2000 alone! The name was changed to Buffalo Trace in 1999, and the distillery continues to attract many visitors every year.
In 2018, Buffalo Trace Distillery won both the “Distiller of the Year” and the “Icons of Whiskey” awards and honors for top whiskey of the year. Buffalo Trace also won the “Icons of Whiskey” award the year before. In 2014, Buffalo Trace was named the “Whiskey Distiller of the Year.” In the past 10 years alone, these many awards are quite an accomplishment among distilleries!
The Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The distillery and all the warehouses take up a whopping 130 acres. It is the oldest continuously operating distillery in all of America! With its rich history and delicious whiskey, you will want to go ahead and get yourself a bottle or two. Let’s take a look at some of the bottles offered by Buffalo Trace.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon is one of the better-known whiskeys that Buffalo Trace Distillery makes. This beautifully colored whiskey will give you a sweet taste of brown sugar and spices, which will be followed by more flavors, such as toffee and oak. Your nose will thank you for the delicious smells of vanilla, molasses, and mint.
Another famous bottle of whiskey from the Buffalo Trace Distillery is the Sazerac Straight Rye. This whiskey is both sweet and spicy and will delight you without a doubt. This rye whiskey is filled to the brim with flavors: pepper, cinnamon, mint, molasses, vanilla, and oak are all flavors that are present in this delicious bottle of Sazerac Straight Rye.
Do you follow a Kosher diet? Not a problem! Buffalo Trace Distillery wants everyone to be able to enjoy their whiskey, regardless of dietary or religious restrictions. That is why they made their Kosher Wheat Recipe Whiskey. This whiskey was made to satisfy Passover requirements. With hints of fruit and vanilla, you will be happy to be able to enjoy this bottle of Kosher whiskey!
Throughout its over 200 years, Buffalo Trace Distillery has seen its fair share of legendary Master Distillers. Some of these Master Distillers have left behind a legacy in the shape of a whiskey bottle. Elmer T. Lee was one of these Master Distillers, and we can taste his signature style in Buffalo Trace’s Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel whiskey. This whiskey gives off smells of leather and vanilla, and you can taste hints of honey and fruit. A man who really knew and understood his craft made this delicious whiskey.
More than 20 years ago, Buffalo Trace Distillery began experimenting with different barrel treatments and recipes. This distillery has over 30,000 barrels of this experimental whiskey in its warehouses! Components of the distilling process that are altered in these barrels include types of wood, mash bill, and many more. Since each of these barrels is unique, you never know what tastes and smells you might get, which is part of its fun! This whiskey is only bottled and sold on a limited basis, so you will have to keep an eye out and be ready to purchase it quickly before it sells out.
