Buffalo Trace is a Kentucky distillery in Frankfort, recognized as the oldest continuously operating distillery in America and a National Historic Landmark. From the site E.H. Taylor and George T. Stagg built, it survived Prohibition on a medicinal permit and, under the Sazerac Company since 1992, has become one of the most awarded distilleries in the world. This page is the gateway to the whole Buffalo Trace family — the flagship bourbon and the brand collections built on the distillery's four mash bills, each linked below.
- Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, on the spot where the buffalo migration "trace" crossed the Kentucky River.
- Recognized as the oldest continuously operating distillery in America; a National Historic Landmark since 2013.
- Built up by Colonel E.H. Taylor as the O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) Distillery, then named the George T. Stagg Distillery in 1886.
- Stayed in production through Prohibition on a federal medicinal-whiskey permit — an intact example of a distillery operating before, during and after Prohibition.
- Bought by the Sazerac Company in 1992; renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999, when the flagship Buffalo Trace bourbon launched.
- Master distiller Harlen Wheatley leads production today.
- Among the most awarded distilleries in the world — the first American distillery to win Whisky Advocate's "Distillery of the Year."
Buffalo Trace stands on a site that has made whiskey for more than two hundred years, where the buffalo's overland trace met the Kentucky River. Colonel E.H. Taylor modernized it as the O.F.C. Distillery after the Civil War; it later took the name of George T. Stagg, who built the country's first climate-controlled aging warehouse here. Through fire, flood and Prohibition — which it survived on a medicinal permit — the distillery never stopped, and in 2013 it was named a National Historic Landmark.
Almost the entire Buffalo Trace lineup comes from four recipes. The low-rye Mash Bill #1 is the backbone of Buffalo Trace itself, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor and George T. Stagg. The higher-rye Mash Bill #2 gives Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee and Rock Hill Farms their spice. A wheated recipe — wheat in place of rye — is the secret to W.L. Weller and Pappy Van Winkle. And the rye mash is bottled as Sazerac and Thomas H. Handy. Once a year, the distillery's oldest and most prized barrels become the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
The Families, by Mash Bill
Explore each corner of the distillery:
| Mash Bill #1 — Low Rye | |
| The flagship Buffalo Trace bourbon | Kentucky straight bourbon · 90 proof |
| Eagle Rare | Single barrel · aged 10 years and up |
| The E.H. Taylor Small Batch | Bottled-in-Bond · and the wider Taylor line |
| The George T. Stagg family | Barrel proof |
| Mash Bill #2 — Higher Rye | |
| Blanton's single barrels | The original single-barrel bourbon |
| Elmer T. Lee | Single barrel · named for Blanton's creator |
| Rock Hill Farms | Single barrel · 100 proof |
| Wheated | |
| The W.L. Weller range | Wheated bourbon |
| The Van Winkle bottlings | Wheated · long-aged |
| Rye & the Annual Release | |
| Sazerac & Thomas H. Handy | Kentucky straight rye |
| The Antique Collection | Allocated · released every fall |
Collector Note
No distillery is more central to American whiskey collecting than Buffalo Trace. Its everyday bottles — Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 10, Weller Special Reserve — are bargains when you can find them, while the allocated tiers (Blanton's, the older Wellers, E.H. Taylor's special releases, the Van Winkles and the Antique Collection) trade well above retail and sell out on release. Because so many releases are single-barrel or batch-specific, the exact expression, proof and condition all matter.
Production Methodology
Buffalo Trace distills on the banks of the Kentucky River from a handful of mash bills — two bourbon recipes (a low-rye "Mash Bill #1" and a higher-rye "Mash Bill #2"), a wheated recipe that replaces rye with wheat, and a rye mash — then ages the whiskey in new charred oak across dozens of historic warehouses, including the metal-clad Warehouse H and the brick warehouses E.H. Taylor built. The same recipes, aged differently and selected at different points, become the distillery's many brands. Master distiller Harlen Wheatley oversees production. Proof, age and mash bill vary by bottle and are confirmed on each product page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Buffalo Trace bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see the authentication process, vault storage and the concierge desk, and common questions about sourcing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buffalo Trace Distillery?
Buffalo Trace is a Kentucky distillery in Frankfort, recognized as the oldest continuously operating distillery in America and a National Historic Landmark. It traces back to E.H. Taylor's O.F.C. Distillery and the later George T. Stagg Distillery, was bought by the Sazerac Company in 1992, and was renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999 — after the buffalo migration path that crossed the Kentucky River. It operated through Prohibition on a medicinal permit and is among the most awarded distilleries in the world.
Which brands does Buffalo Trace make?
Buffalo Trace produces its flagship Buffalo Trace bourbon plus many of the most sought-after names in American whiskey, organized by four mash bills. The low-rye Mash Bill #1 includes Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor and George T. Stagg; the higher-rye Mash Bill #2 includes Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee and Rock Hill Farms; the wheated recipe is behind W.L. Weller and Pappy Van Winkle; and the rye is used for Sazerac and Thomas H. Handy. Its most allocated bottles are released each fall as the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.