Buffalo Trace fills 9 millionth barrel of bourbon since Prohibition

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Buffalo Trace recently filled its 9 millionth barrel of bourbon since Prohibition.

It didn't take the Kentucky distillery long to reach that number after filling its 8 millionth barrel two and a half years ago.

Production has been picking up at Buffalo Trace following a $1.2 billion expansion project that was finished earlier this year.

This comes as the distillery bounces back from massive flooding in April that halted production. Days of unrelenting rain sent the Kentucky River, which runs alongside Buffalo Trace, surging over its banks, inundating most of the 200-plus-acre distillery grounds on its main campus in Frankfort.

Activating their flood plans, workers shut down the distillery and did what they could to safeguard equipment. After that, all they could do was watch and wait. Distillery officials observed the devastation from higher ground and via drone footage.

Nearly every phase of production was impacted, as were several warehouses where whiskey is aged.

Once the river crested, it took a few days for the floodwaters to fully recede, but operations gradually sprung back to life. Finished whiskey shipped out the day after the rain stopped. Bottling soon resumed and a makeshift gift shop opened until the visitors' center was repaired. Tours eventually resumed. But bourbon production halted for about a month as the cost for cleanup and repairs surpassed $30 million.

Five months later, production at the distillery is back to normal, including of some of the most sought-after bourbons. Its lineup includes the namesake flagship brand, Buffalo Trace, as well as Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller and Blanton's. Pappy Van Winkle bourbons are distilled and aged at Buffalo Trace while the Van Winkle family remains in control of the coveted brand.

It has also introduced new whiskeys to its catalogue and is renovating a campus building into a cafe and events center.

Hard times in the whiskey sector

For the American whiskey industry as a whole, it's been anything but business as usual. After years of growth, prospects turned sour for the sector amid sluggish sales and trade uncertainties as President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs.

In 2024, American whiskey sales in the U.S. fell nearly 2%, the first such drop in supplier sales in more than 20 years, the Distilled Spirits Council said. Initial data for the first half of 2025 showed a continued decline, it said. American whiskey exports dropped more than 13% through July of this year compared to the year-ago period, it said. The American whiskey category includes bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey.

Lower domestic sales stem from a mix of market challenges, including supply chain disruptions and changes in consumer purchasing trends with distilleries across the country under pressure.

Kentucky distilleries producing such prominent brands as Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Four Roses can weather downturns better than small producers.

Heaven Hill Brands, another large producer, recently celebrated its new $200 million distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, taking a long view of market prospects by significantly boosting bourbon capacity.

“As an independent, family-owned company, we don’t have to chase quarterly trends; we’re building for the next generation," said Kate Latts, co-president of Heaven Hill Brands, whose brands include Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. “This distillery reflects that philosophy.”

At Buffalo Trace, its future is entrenched alongside the Kentucky River, realizing that more floods could come in the years ahead. The distillery learned lessons to be even better prepared next time.

“This area being a National Historic Landmark, being right on the river, there’s only so much you can do to hold back that water," Adams said. "Your best bet is to prepare for it, do what you can. But holding back that water? It’s really inevitable it’s going to make it into some spaces.”

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