Sazerac-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery is expanding its horizons and setting up shop in London's Convent Garden this December! This is in fact Buffalo Trace's first foray into a physical boutique outside of the US. 

Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky holds the distinction of being America's oldest continuously operating distillery and had been distilling since the 1700s for over 200 years. It owns some of the US's most iconic or coveted Bourbon brands including Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Stagg, Weller and Pappy Van Winkle's. The London store is spacious at 2,000-square-feet, and plans to honour Buffalo Trace's Bourbon-making tradition. 

It looks that Buffalo Trace is making a concerted effort to woo a global audience for its whiskies. Jake Wenz, the current CEO and President of Buffalo Trace Distillery explained that this move is part of Buffalo Trace's efforts to introduce more folks to the world of Bourbon. For starters, outside of the US, consumers from around the world are already pretty acquainted with various styles of whiskies (such as Scotch, Japanese or Irish whiskey, for instance). Yet Bourbon whiskey remains a bit of an untapped territory. With this spanking new London store, Buffalo Trace aims to bridge that gap and introduce more consumers to Bourbon and American whiskey.  

One would be able to purchase Buffalo Trace's whiskey brands, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare and Sazerac Rye. On top of bottle purchases, the boutique store is also offering "immersive, sensorial" experiences through whiskey tasting sessions.

If you're planning to head down this December, there are two different tasting experiences available.

The first is called the "Taste of the Trace", which gives you the chance to try out three of their core range products. These are the Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Sazerac Rye and Bourbon Cream. There'll also be a Buffalo Trace and ginger ale cocktail. If you're down for a deeper dive, the second option is called "Tradition & Change" which showcase their premium expressions, such as White Dog Mash #1, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, EH Taylor Small Batch. There would also be a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned cocktail. The price of the tastings comes up to £29.99 (or US$37), and interested participants have to make a reservation in advance. 

Rare whiskey offerings would be available during the initial opening months. Apart from whiskey, visitors would also be able to purchase exclusive merchandise that is only available in the London store.  

“Our London location will bring that genuine, authentic experience to a new generation of global fans, allowing them to discover all that American whiskey and the award-winning brands of Buffalo Trace Distillery have to offer.

Whether you’re an existing fan of American whiskey, or if the category is entirely new to you, we’re confident Buffalo Trace Distillery London will offer an experience and a pour that will delight every palate.”

– Buffalo Trace Distillery's Global Brand Director, Andrew Duncan

Whether you're a big fan of American whiskey or just dipping your toes into this category, the Buffalo Trace Distillery London store is setting itself up to be both an educational space as well as a place to obtain rare whiskey expressions.

So, if you happen to find yourself around Covent Garden this December, or in the subsequent months, you may wish to swing by to check out one of their whiskey tasting experiences. 

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team