Buffalo Hint Distillery is arguably the beating coronary heart of American whiskey.
This historic distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, has been making whiskey for over 200 years. Among the most well-known bourbons on the planet are made there, together with Pappy Van Winkle, W.L. Weller, and Blanton’s.
It has survived wars, Prohibition, and fashionable whiskey shortages. And but, many individuals nonetheless don’t know the complete story behind the identify.
Listed here are seven stuff you in all probability didn’t learn about Buffalo Hint, and why it issues greater than ever to bourbon drinkers in the present day.
1. The Oldest Repeatedly Working Distillery in America
Buffalo Hint has been making whiskey on the identical website since 1775, making it the oldest constantly working distillery in the USA. Over time, it’s been residence to early pioneers, main expansions, and a number of other identify modifications, however manufacturing by no means stopped. Even throughout Prohibition, the distillery stored producing whiskey for medicinal functions.
The location has modified names over time. It was as soon as known as O.F.C., then the George T. Stagg Distillery. Nevertheless it by no means stopped distilling.
In 2013, it was named a Nationwide Historic Landmark by the U.S. authorities, a uncommon honor that displays its cultural significance.
Buffalo Hint has been on the middle of American whiskey for greater than two centuries.
2. Buffalo Hint Is Named After an Historical Migration Route
The identify “Buffalo Hint” comes from an actual piece of American historical past.
Lengthy earlier than Kentucky turned bourbon nation, large herds of buffalo carved trails via the wilderness. A kind of historic paths led straight via the land the place the distillery now stands.
Early settlers and explorers adopted these buffalo routes westward. They have been a number of the first roads into the American frontier. The distillery’s location beside the Kentucky River made it a pure crossing level, each for animals and for individuals.
By naming the model after that path, the distillery pays tribute to the American spirit of exploration. It’s a nod to the previous, rooted within the very floor the place bourbon was born.
You would possibly discover that the picture on the Buffalo Hint Bourbon bottles is of a North American bison fairly than a buffalo. It’s because, traditionally, North People have known as bison ‘buffalo’ because the early days of European settlement. This persists in the present day, regardless of the distinction in scientific names.
3. It Survived Prohibition, Legally
When Prohibition hit in 1920, practically each distillery within the nation was pressured to stop manufacturing in a single day. Buffalo Hint, nevertheless, endured.
It was considered one of solely six distilleries within the U.S. granted a federal license to provide whiskey for medicinal use. Medical doctors might prescribe whiskey to sufferers, and thousands and thousands of People obtained their “medication” this fashion.
That license stored Buffalo Hint alive throughout one of many darkest chapters in American whiskey historical past. Whereas others disappeared, the distillery stored distilling, ageing, and bottling. When Prohibition led to 1933, it was prepared to satisfy demand.
This uncommon survival story is a part of what makes Buffalo Hint so enduring.
4. Buffalo Hint Bourbon Is a Trendy Basic
Buffalo Hint Bourbon is the distillery’s flagship whiskey and some of the awarded bourbons on the planet.
It launched in 1999 as a part of the distillery’s rebrand. Immediately, it’s identified for being wealthy, easy, and sophisticated with out being overpowering. Anticipate notes of caramel, vanilla, spice, and a contact of oak.
It’s made with a low-rye mash invoice and usually aged for round 8 years, though there’s no age assertion on the bottle. At 90 proof, it really works simply as effectively neat because it does in a cocktail.
Buffalo Hint Bourbon is reasonably priced, broadly obtainable, and constantly approachable. When you’re new to bourbon, it is a good spot to begin. It was one of many first bourbons I ever tried, and I nonetheless hold it as a staple on my bar.
5. It’s a Chief in Whiskey Innovation
Buffalo Hint is steeped in custom, however it’s additionally some of the forward-thinking distilleries in America.
In 1984, it launched Blanton’s, the world’s first single barrel bourbon. Elmer T. Lee created the bourbon in tribute to former distillery President and mentor, Albert B. Blanton. That launch modified the trade and helped create in the present day’s premium bourbon market.
The distillery hasn’t stopped innovating. Its Experimental Assortment checks how modifications in components, barrel varieties, and ageing environments have an effect on taste. There’s additionally Warehouse X, a climate-controlled facility constructed to check how temperature, mild, airflow, and humidity affect maturation.
On the different finish of the spectrum is Warehouse V, which holds only one barrel at a time. That is one thing of a playful nod to how critically Buffalo Hint takes experimentation.
This mixture of old-school craft and fashionable curiosity units Buffalo Hint aside, learning bourbon in addition to making it.
6. It’s Residence to Among the Most Well-known Bourbon Manufacturers on Earth
Buffalo Hint doesn’t simply make one nice bourbon. It produces a complete lineup of iconic American whiskeys.
Listed here are a number of the greatest names made on the distillery:
- Blanton’s – The unique single barrel bourbon. Wealthy, easy, and well-known for its collectible horse stoppers.
- W.L. Weller – A wheated bourbon with a loyal following. Often called the “poor man’s Pappy.”
- Eagle Uncommon – A ten-year bourbon that’s elegant, oaky, and straightforward to drink.
- E.H. Taylor, Jr. – Bottled-in-bond whiskeys named after a bourbon pioneer. Conventional, daring, and infrequently restricted.
- George T. Stagg – Uncut, unfiltered, and intense. Launched every year as a part of the Vintage Assortment.
- Sazerac Rye – A spicy, balanced rye whiskey used within the traditional Sazerac cocktail.
- Pappy Van Winkle – Legendary and practically unattainable to search out. Aged as much as 23 years and extremely collectible.
Many of those manufacturers are launched in small batches and will be exhausting to trace down. However all of them share the identical DNA, crafted at Buffalo Hint with consideration to element and a dedication to high quality.
7. Some Say It’s Haunted
Buffalo Hint has greater than barrels and bourbon. It additionally has ghosts, or so the tales go.
Over time, employees and guests have reported unexplained chilly spots, flickering lights, and unusual sounds within the distillery’s oldest buildings. Some imagine the spirits of previous distillers, together with Colonel Blanton and E.H. Taylor, nonetheless linger on the grounds.
The location has even been featured on TV exhibits like Ghost Hunters in 2013, which investigated paranormal exercise contained in the warehouses.
Buffalo Hint used to supply after-hours ghost excursions, mixing bourbon historical past with native legend.
Whether or not you imagine in ghosts or not, it provides one other layer of thriller to considered one of America’s most storied distilleries.
The Enduring Nature of Buffalo Hint
From pioneering bourbon legends to producing a number of the world’s most sought-after bottles, Buffalo Hint Distillery has earned its place on the prime. Whether or not you’re sipping the flagship bourbon or chasing a uncommon launch, you’re tasting centuries of craft and innovation.
When you’re simply stepping into bourbon, begin right here. When you’re already a fan, there’s all the time extra to find.
