Buffalo Trace

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

by Brian Donnelly

History

Buffalo Trace Bourbon, first released in 1999, is the flagship product of the newly named Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfurt Kentucky, located about an hour east of Louisville. The distillery, located on the banks of the Kentucky River in Franklin County, is one of the oldest distilleries in the United States, and one of the largest in Kentucky. The name “Buffalo Trace” pays homage to the migration trail that was formed by enormous herds of buffalo. At the site of the current distillery, the bison trail established a crossing across the Kentucky River, also known as a trace. The early pioneers would follow behind on these trails traveling west in search of more fertile land. The craft of distilling was practiced at many of these first pioneer settlements in this area.

Previously called the George T. Stagg Distillery, the present-day Buffalo Trace Distillery wasn’t built until 1857. This location has a long history of distilling, and the distillery operated under a variety of different names. Records indicate that two brothers named Hancock and Willis Lee, first begin distilling at this location in 1775. There was no permanent structure at the site until Commodore Richard Taylor built the first official building in 1792. This building was known as the Riverside House and still stands to this day. The first official distillery was built in 1812 by Harrison Blanton’s, then later sold to Edmund H. Taylor in 1870. Taylor named the distillery the Old Fire Copper (O.F.C) distillery and subsequently sold later it to George T. Stagg eight years later. Stagg made significant upgrades to the facilities, including the first steam fitted, climate-controlled warehouse for aging whiskey in the United States. The distillery was officially added to the Nation Register of Historic Places on May 2, 2001. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. The New Orleans based Sazerac Company bought the distillery in 1992, and they are currently still the owners. The distillery underwent a massive renovation and expansion in 2016.

Production

Benchmark, Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare shares the same traditional bourbon mash bill, often referred to as “Mash #1,” which has a low rye content. While the distillery does not disclose the exact recipe or gain percentage, we do know that this mash bill consists of “Yellow Dent Grade #1” corn, a small amount of rye, and some malted barley for the enzymes. A hammer mill grinds the grains into the right size for the cookers. The corn is cooked at a high temperature in a pressure cooker, while the rye and malted barley are both cooked separately. The rye cooks at 160°F (71°C), and the malted barley cooks at 155°F (68°C). The distillery operates on an enormous scale, and the grain cooking takes place virtually around the clock. Six massive grain silos allow the distillery to hold the large number of grains needed to keep up with demand.

The cooked grains are cooled down with a vacuum system, and then pumped into twelve 92,000 gallon fermentors. Each fermentor is only filled to about 88,000 gallons, which takes between four and five hours. Fermentation takes between three and five days, and the distiller’s beer is then double distilled in a traditional Beer Still with a Doubler. This column still, measures 7 feet wide and 34 feet tall, runs 24/7. Finally, the white dog, or new make spirit, is ready to be aged in new charred American oak barrels. The wood for these barrels has been seasoned for six months before being crafted into a whiskey barrel. The Buffalo Trace Distillery operates 17 rack houses filled with aging whiskey barrels. This distillery has one of the most advanced barrel management systems in the country. According to Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, the barrels lose about 3% per year due to evaporation or Angel’s Share. Buffalo Trace Bourbon is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV).

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Eagle Rare

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Eagle Rare was created in 1975 by Seagrams, and Buffalo Trace purchased the brand in the late 1980s. The brand is a ten-year-old age statement bourbon, that shows off the subtle differences that can be achieved by Buffalo Trace’s complex maturation and wood-management system. Eagle Rare shares the same low rye, traditional bourbon mash bill as both Buffalo Trace and Benchmark.

The Eagle Rare 17-year-old is the brand’s famous high mark and is one of five bourbons in the highly coveted and world-renowned Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. This rare bourbon is released in small quantities once a year in the fall. There is also a highly limited Eagle Rare 20-year-old bourbon, that is packaged in a beautifully-sculpted crystal glass Double Eagle decanter and silver box. Since very few bottled are ever produced, this makes this item a true collector’s piece. Each decanter is individually numbered with a letter of authenticity included.

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