Buffalo Trace Rolls Out Its 7th Million Filled Barrel

Buffalo Trace rolls out its seven millionth barrel produced since Prohibition, while at the same time opening a new warehouse that marks a major expansion.
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The Buffalo Trace distillery has been around for a quite a long time, with a tradition of making mostly whiskey which dates back to the late 1700s. It is therefore quite notable when this Kentucky facility reaches its million barrel marks, as it did this week at seven million. Also of importance is the fact it has opened a major new aging warehouse as part of an ongoing expansion.

This special seven millionth barrel since Prohibition was rolled out by Buffalo Trace tour guide and third-generation employee Freddie Johnson. Johnson, as we learned some time back, has a special family legacy here, particularly due to the fact his late father Jimmy Johnson, a former warehouse supervisor, had notably rolled out each millionth barrel produced at Buffalo Trace prior to this one. His last, done at age 92, occurred back in 2008 and was stored in Warehouse V, said to be the world’s smallest bonded warehouse and built specifically for holding each of these special barrels.

image via Buffalo Trace

Another warehouse of note has also gone live at Buffalo Trace. What’s known as Warehouse AA, built on the distillery’s farm, is the first of 30 planned ones to be placed in this area over the next decade. Each will hold 68,800 barrels. AA is already nearly full with barrels, construction of Warehouse BB is already nearly complete, the foundation for Warehouse CC has been poured and the first ricks are taking shape, and the ground has been prepared for Warehouse DD.

Getting back to that sixth millionth barrel for a moment, it should be noted Buffalo Trace has plans to offer 375 ml bottles from it to charities for fundraising efforts, much like it did with the very first O.F.C. rare bourbons. Information about how to apply for a bottle will be announced this summer.

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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