Kentucky's Buffalo Trace Distillery is set to reach new highs in its distilling operations following the commissioning of its new still house.
The distillery, which produces whiskey brands including Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare. Blanton's and E.H. Taylor Jr., will be able to double its current production level with the new still. Built by Vendome Copper & Brass Works, it is a duplicate of Buffalo Trace's existing still, standing 40ft tall and capable of producing 40 gallons (181 litres) of spirit per day.
To coincide with the official commissioning of the still house Buffalo Trace Distillery has opened a new tour route, the Hard Hat Tour, which will bring visitors up close with the new still house, the distillery's 93,000-gallon (422,000-litre) fermenters, its 22ft-tall cookers, and its new dry house which can produce 12,000lb (5,440kg) of dried grain per hour.
With the opening of the new still house, Buffalo Trace's flagship Trace Tour has also been expanded, with new stops in the barrel-filling and dumping areas.
On-going construction as part of a US$1.2 billion investment in Frankfort, Kentucky distillery means that parts of the Buffalo Trace site have been closed off to visitors since 2019, but the site is beginning to open up again as projects within the redevelopment project are completed. All tours and tastings at the site are complimentary and start at the Buffalo Trace Visitor Center, which was expanded in 2020 to accommodate growing visitor numbers (the distillery welcomed 470,507 of them in 2022).
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace master distiller, said: "We are really looking forward to starting up our new still so we can make more bourbon whiskey for our fans. The new still house is adjacent to the existing still house. We put a lot of work into matching our existing still to ensure the whiskey we produce remains consistent."
Tyler Adams, Buffalo Trace's homeplace general manager, said: "We are so excited to welcome new and repeat guests to come see our new still house and experience our new tour offerings. The major expansion projects are now complete, so we have lots of new areas visitors can see on both our Hard Hat Tour and our expanded Trace Tour. Plus, we’re really looking forward to having more bourbon for our thirsty fans in a few years, now that we’re doubling production.”
The distillery, which produces whiskey brands including Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare. Blanton's and E.H. Taylor Jr., will be able to double its current production level with the new still. Built by Vendome Copper & Brass Works, it is a duplicate of Buffalo Trace's existing still, standing 40ft tall and capable of producing 40 gallons (181 litres) of spirit per day.
To coincide with the official commissioning of the still house Buffalo Trace Distillery has opened a new tour route, the Hard Hat Tour, which will bring visitors up close with the new still house, the distillery's 93,000-gallon (422,000-litre) fermenters, its 22ft-tall cookers, and its new dry house which can produce 12,000lb (5,440kg) of dried grain per hour.
The new still at Buffalo Trace Distillery
With the opening of the new still house, Buffalo Trace's flagship Trace Tour has also been expanded, with new stops in the barrel-filling and dumping areas.
On-going construction as part of a US$1.2 billion investment in Frankfort, Kentucky distillery means that parts of the Buffalo Trace site have been closed off to visitors since 2019, but the site is beginning to open up again as projects within the redevelopment project are completed. All tours and tastings at the site are complimentary and start at the Buffalo Trace Visitor Center, which was expanded in 2020 to accommodate growing visitor numbers (the distillery welcomed 470,507 of them in 2022).
The Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace master distiller, said: "We are really looking forward to starting up our new still so we can make more bourbon whiskey for our fans. The new still house is adjacent to the existing still house. We put a lot of work into matching our existing still to ensure the whiskey we produce remains consistent."
Tyler Adams, Buffalo Trace's homeplace general manager, said: "We are so excited to welcome new and repeat guests to come see our new still house and experience our new tour offerings. The major expansion projects are now complete, so we have lots of new areas visitors can see on both our Hard Hat Tour and our expanded Trace Tour. Plus, we’re really looking forward to having more bourbon for our thirsty fans in a few years, now that we’re doubling production.”
