Buffalo Trace has released the second edition in its Prohibition Collection, which pays tribute to whiskeys legally produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery during Prohibition.
During Prohibition, which was in place in the US between 1920 to 1933, Buffalo Trace Distillery held one of six distillery licences in the country to distil medicinal whiskey, for those permitted to purchase alcohol via medical prescription.
To commemorate the whiskeys made at the George T Stagg Distillery — as Buffalo Trace was then known — during Prohibition, Buffalo Trace has released a collection of five whiskeys inspired by those made at the time, which has been recorded in the distillery's archives. The first edition of the collection, released in 2023, also paid tribute to five historic brands made at the distillery.
Within the second edition of the Prohibition Collection is:
- Mirror Brook, a bottled-in-bond Kentucky striaght whiskey blend, which is inspired by cases of OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) whiskey bottled in 1919 which then-distillery president Albert Blanton requested be re-labelled as Mirror Brook in 1932, to remove obsolete pre-Prohibition packaging.
- Very Oldest Procurable (also known as VOP), a brand bottled by the George T Stagg distillery during Prohibition, although not owned by it. The new release is a cask-strength Kentucky straight bourbon.
- Anderson's Belle, a limited-release brand meant to honour a woman, whose identity is now unknown. The recreation is a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon with "caramel and maple" notes.
- Old Fashioned Mountain Corn, a Kentucky straight corn whiskey that recreates a brand owned and made by the distillery during the Prohibition era, the packaging of which reflects a rural past: "Made in the Heart of the Bluegrass".
- Silver Wedding Rye Whiskey, originally made in reference to a 25-year anniversary, and short-lived release. Buffalo Trace's recreation is a Kentucky straight rye whiskey.
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace master distiller, commented: "As the oldest continuously operating distillery in America, Buffalo Trace Distillery carries a legacy built by pioneers like Albert B Blanton, who guided it through Prohibition. The Prohibition Collection honours that history while embodying our long-lasting commitment to crafting exceptional whiskey."
Alongside the whiskey release, Buffalo Trace has partnered with the Scandinavian Tobacco Group on a five-cigar set inspired by the Prohibition Collection.
Made up of five 375ml bottles and housed in a wooden display case, Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection #2 will be released in limited quantities in the United States at an SRP of US$999.99. For more information, visit buffalotracedistillery.com.