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Buffalo Trace Distillery Tours & Info

Professional tips, reviews, FAQs, and more! 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery Tours

Buffalo Trace distillery! This distillery is by far the most popular in all of Kentucky, and for very good reasons. You hear about Buffalo Trace being called Bourbon Disneyland, or Bourbon Pompei by some. You’ll also hear that it is difficult to get a Buffalo Trace Distillery tour, but that’s not exactly true! They take hundreds of folks out on tours a day, and there’s always something to do with or without a tour. 

 

We have been here with countless guests, have attended special events, and have done every tour that is offered here. We've tried everything on the meny at the Firehouse BBQ place onsite. In short, we know our way around here farily well. And if there's something we don’t touch on here, feel free to ask! But for now, enjoy Unfiltered KY Tours’ guide to Buffalo Trace.

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A Brief History

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace is said to be the longest continually-operating distillery in the US. While there is some debate to the claim, the distillery was allowed to operate during prohibition, which the “oldest” distillery could not do. As a former frontier and pioneer site, it is likely that distilling took place on the massive Buffalo Trace property long before a large-scale distillery was built. Depending on your definition, large-scale production has been taking place on the property for anywhere from 150-200 years!

A Brief History

Early Years and Bourbon Pioneers

Around 1869, four years after the Civil War, the first of Trace’s founding fathers of bourbon, Colonel EH Taylor, purchased the property. The years that followed saw several expansions, a fire, bankruptcy. You know, everything was much more flammable back then. Beyond Taylor, you saw other notable names take the reins of the distillery, such as George T Stagg, Albert Blanton, and Elmer T Lee, to name a few. 

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A Brief History

Acquisitions and Such

The Buffalo Trace property was purchased in the early 90’s by its current owner, Sazarac, a New Orleans company. Sazarac did a lot of rebranding, launched Buffalo Trace as a product, and purchased some of its iconic brands from various distilleries and IP owners across the commonwealth. This includes Weller, Van Winkle, and later Old Taylor. In addition, the company gained the rights to Stagg, Blantons, and several others from its acquisition, products it would later master and reintroduce. 

A Brief History

Legacy Era and Bourbon Resurgence

Sometime in the aughts, Van Winkle whiskey caught wind of national food and beverage writers and became something that people likened to a fine-wine. With very good foresight, Sazarac and Buffalo Trace dialed in their premium line, winning award after award and making a huge name for themselves in the spirits industry.  Now, Buffalo Trace has an Olympic-level lineup of core products. It has 200 years of history to draw from, and has been monumental in tourism and the overall demand of bourbon. It’s an absolute titan that doesn’t skip on the fine details or forget where it comes from.

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Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour Options

The Buffalo Trace Distillery typically has 3 tour options happening on any given day. These tour options are paired with their very popular gift-shop and walk-in tastings to make up a bulk of its visits. Here are those tour options! 

** Please note, we try to keep these descriptions fairly vague. If we told you everything, why would you come for yourself! We encourage you to do a Buffalo Trace tour yourself and save some questions for the staff once there. ** 

Buffalo Trace Tour FAQs & Additional Info

Need Transportation for Your Trip?

We would love to be your guides! Buffalo Trace Tours and visits are part of our Frankfort-area pick-3 tour and transportation options. See our website for all pricing and options, or reach out! 

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Hours: Mon - Sat: 9-5:00 PM | Sun: 11-5

Location

113 Great Buffalo Trce, Frankfort, KY 40601

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