There are few distilleries more iconic in Kentucky then Buffalo Trace. Established as a National Historic Landmark and making whiskey for more than 200 years, the campus which is this distillery is now some 440 acres large and hosts approximately 100 buildings which are for the most part in use today. Over 300,000 barrels of mostly bourbon are spread across 15 aging warehouses here, and there is a gentle balance maintained between automation and hand holding when it comes to that whiskey which ultimately ends up in the bottle you are pouring from.
I recently had the chance to take a special behind the scenes Buffalo Trace tour during my Kentucky visit. Since much of the story of this distillery is known in bits and pieces to our readers already from our extensive coverage of them, this article will instead be a photographic and video focused journey of what goes into making everything from Buffalo Trace bourbon to Pappy Van Winkle and beyond.
A giant empty Buffalo Trace fermenting tank (video copyright The Whiskey Wash)
Buffalo Trace as it enters the fermenting stage (video copyright The Whiskey Wash)
Leftovers after the Buffalo Trace distillation process. (video copyright The Whiskey Wash)
The path Buffalo Trace barrels follow between warehouses (video copyright The Whiskey Wash)
Hand bottling of Van Winkle rye whiskey. (video copyright The Whiskey Wash)