Buffalo Trace Review

I discussed the Buffalo Trace distillery and its history here. Now, I'll review one of the several products it makes.

Buffalo Trace bourbon, taking its name from its mother distillery, is a dull orangy brown like a well used copper pot. Not too dark. Its nose is robust; layers of oiled leather and sweet vanilla mix together while notes of anise and citrus creep up at the edges. It smells both heavy and crisp. Mouthfeel is cool and coating, but more watery than syrupy until you swish it around your palate, when it finds some body. Taste reveals an astringency with a core of sweet caramel. The slight astringency is the only sharpness, and the bourbon keeps a strong presence. Hidden behind that is very subtle dankness that is rounded out a dry, grassy oakiness. Buffalo Trace finishes dry, so dry in fact that it seems to chase away most the flavors. But, the flavor that's left after a moment is surprising: ripe plums.

Buffalo Trace is a bourbon I come back to time and time again. While it may not be a bourbon that is always stocked in my liquor cabinet, it's always exciting welcoming it back.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace is a strange name, and the distillery's history begins with that name. When buffaloes roamed early North America, they made trails through the country. These trails and paths were known as "traces," and were followed by pioneering settlers as they explored the new lands and expanded into the western frontier. One trace in particular was called The Great Buffalo Trace, and it lead to a river crossing - the Kentucky River - in today's Franklin County, KY. By the late 18th century, a population arose in this area along the Kentucy River and soon began distilling whiskey. The Great Buffalo Trace thus provided the name to the modern distillery of today, which is the oldest distilling location in the U.S.

While distilling began when settlers first arrived, the first contemporary distillery was established in the late 1850's. By 1869, the distillery was bought by E.H. Taylor, and was named O.F.C. Distillery. The distillery was later bought by George T. Stagg, and overseen by Albert Blanton (Blanton's Bourbon). Blanton, who was master distiller from 1912 to 1952, was able to keep the distillery open through Prohibition - the distillery was one of three others that received a governmental permit to continue to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes.

In 1999, the George T. Stagg Distillery was renamed Buffalo Trace and Buffalo Trace Bourbon was introduced. Today, the distillery is owned by Sazerac, and it has earned more international awards that any other North American distillery. In addition to its flagship Buffalo Trace Bourbon, the distillery distills 11 bourbons, including Blanton's, Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, Rock Hill Farms, Pappy Van Winkle, and W.L. Weller.

The above photo, by the way, is one of the distillery's rackhouses.

Finally, whiskey and bourbon enthusiasts (and newcomers) should visit the Buffalo Trace Saloon, at www.buffalotracesaloon.com. The Saloon is a free, and as described by the distillery, is a site for "fans to check out all kinds of things they like - sports, music, parties, contests," and of course, bourbon.