Buffalo Trace Back With Third Annual Prohibition Collection Reviving America' Historic Bourbons

Buffalo Trace Distillery has unveiled the third annual release of its limited-edition Prohibition Collection. 

The exclusive five-bottle set is part of the highly sought series that commemorates the specific whiskeys legally distilled and sold on-site during the historic era of the 18th Amendment.

This year’s release spotlights five historic brands bottled during Prohibition under President Albert B. Blanton at the George T. Stagg Distillery (now Buffalo Trace): Henry Watterson, Kentucky River, John G. Carlisle, Walter B. Duffy, and Cove Spring.

Inspired by historic documents uncovered in the distillery’s archives, each of the five whiskeys draws direct design cues from the original packaging and branding of Prohibition history.

In the set is:

• The Henry Watterson Straight Rye: A U.S. Congressman and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for his anti-Prohibition views. Because of his public support for distilleries and their products, Watterson’s likeness was used for a whiskey brand that was distributed by several companies, including the George T. Stagg Distillery. The expression is bottled uncut and unfiltered at 70.3% ABV.
  
  

• Kentucky River: A tribute to the former Kentucky River Distillery. Originally known as Carlisle Distillery, the site was rebranded under Albert Blanton’s leadership to honor the river’s vital role in transporting goods, people, and materials. Thanks to Blanton's vision, the distillery experienced remarkable growth, tripling in size during this era. A blend of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys, this expression comes in at 50% ABV.
  

• John G. Carlisle: A prominent U.S. Congressman and one of the key architects behind the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, played a pivotal role in shaping the future of American whiskey. As a steadfast ally of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr., Carlisle shared Taylor’s passion for elevating whiskey quality and consumer trust. Their close bond ultimately inspired Taylor to build the Carlisle Distillery right next to the O.F.C. Distillery. This expansion not only boosted production but also honored the man whose legislative leadership helped forge one of the most defining standards in American whiskey history. This 100 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey presents classic bourbon structure.
  
  
• Walter B. Duffy: The sole owner of the O.F.C. Distillery a following George T. Stagg’s death in 1893. Operating from New York, Duffy placed his trust in Albert B. Blanton to oversee the Distillery’s operations, ultimately appointing him president in 1921. This expression is a blend of 10- and 14-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbons bottled at 53.5% ABV.
  

• Cove Spring: Named for the spring that fueled the Distillery’s earliest growth, and honors a vital piece of Buffalo Trace history. A stone dam and overflow tower built in 1804 turned the spring into a reservoir, powering both Leestown and the growing facility later known as the O.F.C. Distillery. Today, the ruins of this historic structure are preserved in Cove Spring Park, bridging the gap between yesterday and today. An uncut, wheated, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, it comes in at 60.1% ABV.

Presented in a custom wooden display case adorned with archival imagery, each expression replicates the look and scale of its Prohibition-era predecessor, complete with packaging that features the distinctive prescription cut-outs once used by doctors to authorize medicinal whiskey.

The collection will be released in limited quantities through Sazerac’s United States distributor network, which will ship to select retailers, bars and restaurants starting in June 2026 at an MSRP of $999.99 for five bottles.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team