These Are The 20 Best Bottles Of Buffalo Trace Whiskey Ever, Ranked

Among bourbon enthusiasts, Buffalo Trace is widely considered the most popular distillery in the game.

Yes, opinions vary, and it all depends on how you measure popularity, but it’s no secret that even the most quotidian expressions from Frankfort, Kentucky’s biggest distillery, are so sought after that they hardly even exist on store shelves. Try walking into your local store and readily finding bottles of Weller, Blanton’s, or even Eagle Rare. When such bottles are found, they typically command a high price, well in excess of their famously modest MSRP’s.

Simply put, Buffalo Trace whiskey is highly sought after. That’s partially because of the dynamics of supply and demand, where demand for those products greatly outpaces the supply. You also have to give some credit to FOMO, which helps fuel both the demand and the scarcity as many enthusiasts buy multiple bottles at once whenever they do find those coveted expressions at a reasonable price. It’s a vicious cycle with only the upcoming increases in Buffalo Trace’s production capacity standing in the way of never-ending madness.

But while fans of the company have a tough enough time finding some of Buffalo Trace’s everyday offerings, there are a few bottles in the distillery’s history typically only seen at auction houses or behind glass cases, the true unicorns.

I wanted to identify and rank those rarest-of-the-rare bottles from the beloved distillery, not based on rarity or hammer price at Sotheby’s, but rather based on the thing that real whiskey enthusiasts care the most about: the taste.

Think of this, however, as less of a shopping list and more of a historical record. Because though I’m judging these all solely on taste, they are pretty damn expensive.

In my travels as a professional whiskey critic, competition judge, and consultant, I’ve had the privilege of trying a good number of utterly rare whiskeys that Buffalo Trace has produced (even some that remain unreleased). So I’ve got a better vantage point than most when trying to identify the cream of the crop.

Each of the whiskeys below I’ve been able to try, and thus while this is just one man’s opinion, it is a rather informed one. In short, this is about as close as it comes to having a definitive list. Also, as one final note, I did my best to limit this list to whiskey that Buffalo Trace actually distilled, but I made a few exceptions to include the most venerable versions of current product lines that were actually distilled elsewhere (i.e., Antique Collection and Van Winkle expressions).

So, without further ado, these are the 20 best bottles of Buffalo Trace whiskey ever produced!

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20. Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye (Batch 1)

ABV: 63%
Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye has long been teased, hitting the TTB website a few years back, but it’s finally ready for market in 2024. Aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery, this brand-new release marks the second rye expression in the E.H. Taylor lineup, joining E.H. Taylor Jr. Straight Rye, which is Bottled in Bond.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

With all due respect to Thomas H. Handy, which has produced some high-quality cask strength rye whiskeys over the years, E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye is the rye I’ve been waiting for from Buffalo Trace. This is where I wink and say there might be another cask strength rye in Frankfort that’s even better than this. But since that expression may never see the light of day, I feel comfortable calling this one of the best Buffalo Trace ryes of all time, and thus one of the best Buffalo Trace whiskeys of all time.

19. Old Stagg Whiskey Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection

ABV: 66.2%
Average Price: $999 For Full Set

The Whiskey:

Non-age-stated but matured for at least four years, it should be noticed that this is a whiskey and not a bourbon, which means the production methods behind it are different than those for Stagg and George T. Stagg. Released as part of the inaugural Prohibition Collection, this one stole the show.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Both editions of the Prohibition Collection are curious in that they are only sold as a set and come in miniature bottles. The result is that it focuses your mind as you attempt to not only savor, but also suss out the flavor differences among them, knowing that the liquid isn’t long for the world. If I’m being totally honest, it’s just as fun as it is frustrating to have such a small amount of whiskey to work with, but across the two collections, Old Stagg is certainly the one that I found most intriguing.

18. Weller Millennium

ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $8,000

The Whiskey:

What exactly is Weller Millennium? It’s a blend of straight bourbon and wheat whiskeys distilled in 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2006, which will raise the eyebrows of astute readers. That’s because, for one, this expression doesn’t feature an age statement, despite this indication of provenance, and secondly, it’s now the first expression in the Weller lineup that is a blend of straight wheated bourbon as well as wheat whiskey.

Further, while Buffalo Trace is not releasing the mashbills of the whiskey that comprises this bottling, we are given the percentages of each vintage in the blend. To wit, 3% of the blend comes from the 2000 vintage, 50% from 2003, 40% from 2005, and 7% comes from 2006.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

If you want to sip whiskey like it’s 1999, that is to say, if you want an ultra-aged expression that delivers a rich vintage profile, then you’ve found the Weller for you. Weller Millennium offers a more mature take on the prototypical Weller profile by displaying slight tweaks on the periphery, which serve to elevate it on the whole. The oldest Weller expression since some early offerings of William Larue, this is truly a unique whiskey in Buffalo Trace’s lineup, and matches curiosity with quality.

17. Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain Bourbon (Batch 1)

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,800

The Whiskey:

Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain Bourbon was first released in April 2017 and features a unique blend of four grains (corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley). Despite the expression essentially being non-age-stated, the press release for it claims that this bourbon is at least 12 years old.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Buttery, creamy, silky, whichever is your preferred, dressed-up version of “smooth” fits this bourbon like a glove. I’ve had very few bourbons that so warmly coat your palate with rich flavors and go down this smoothly. The prices that this bottle continues to hit on the secondary market are absolutely ridiculous, but this would be one of the most delicious “everyday sippers” of all time if the price and availability allowed it to sit on shelves.

16. Blanton’s Silver

ABV: 49%
Average Price: $4,000

The Whiskey:

Believed to have been launched sometime in the early aughts and sunsetting around 2009, Blanton’s Silver is one of the cooler Blanton’s variants out there. Despite clocking in at a slightly lower proof than Blanton’s Gold, this one retained a lot of richness, and it came with really cool silver packaging.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

I’ll come clean, this one just has a sentimental place in my heart. I’ve had some vintage bottles of regular Blanton’s Single Barrel that really hit, and Blanton’s Gold is probably my favorite contemporary version of the lineup. Still, when I first stumbled across this Silver variant, I was instantly intrigued, and after one sip, I was hooked. You can certainly make the case that Blanton’s Gold belongs in this spot, but sometimes Silver deserves the top spot. This is one such case.

15. Stagg Jr. (Batch 12)

ABV: 66.15%
Average Price: $600

The Whiskey:

First announced in 2013, Stagg Jr. underwent some growing pains in the shadow of its big brother George. Early releases were criticized for being “too hot,” but things steadied out around batch 9. Eventually, this expression, Batch 12, was said to be even better than that year’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bruiser. This expression is believed to be somewhere between 7-9 years old, bottled without chill filtration at full cask strength.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Batch 11 of Stagg Jr. was an eye-opener for me. Hell, batches nine and ten were damn good too, but batch 12 is the one that puts them all to shame. While subsequent batches of Stagg Jr. (now known simply as Stagg Bourbon) have hit a bit of a slump, batch 12 is still the clubhouse leader, and one of the better Buffalo Trace bourbons of all time.

14. Elmer T. Lee 100-Year Tribute

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,200

The Whiskey:

To pay homage to what would have been Elmer’s 100th birthday on August 5th, 2019, Buffalo Trace released this special edition of Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon at 100 proof, up from its standard 93 proof. Proceeds from the bottle sales went towards Frankfort VFW Post 4075, where Elmer was a member until he passed away in 2013. Sticking with the theme, the bottle was released with an MSRP of $100.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Best Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel ever? While there were a number of private selections under the brand’s banner, this is definitely the best “general release” from the expression that Buffalo Trace has ever put out. Not only are the story and packaging really cool, but that bump in proof also awards it a boost in flavor.

13. Eagle Rare 17 (2023)

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $2,900

The Whiskey:

Eagle Rare 17 is always at least 17 years old. Says so right on the front label. However, 2023’s Eagle Rare 17 was special because the majority of (if not all) the liquid in the bottle was actually 19 years old.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

The age of the whiskey in the bottle isn’t as important as the quality of the whiskey in the bottle, and 2023’s Eagle Rare 17 was hands down the best in the brand lineup’s history. This one features the rich black cherry note that Eagle Rare is known for, but with additional layers of flavor that make it impossible to put down.

Honestly, this one might even be better than Double Eagle Very Rare. The difference between the two is simply a matter of splitting hairs.

12. Double Eagle Very Rare 20-Year Bourbon (2021)

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $5,400

The Whiskey:

Double Eagle Very Rare halfway lives up to its name in that it’s the same whiskey as Eagle Rare, but aged twice as long and more than twice as rare (only 199 bottles of the 2021 expression were released). Originally launched in 2019, this expression debuted with an MSRP of $2,000.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Double Eagle Very Rare, formerly the oldest Eagle in the brand’s lineup, was one of the first expressions in this recent wave of high-priced limited editions from the distillery. It can also be seen as their first step towards normalizing hyper-aged, 20+ year bourbon. While it doesn’t fly as high as its successor, this is still a damn delicious bottle that tastes as luxurious as its packaging would suggest.

11. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel (My Only Blanton’s)

ABV: 70.95%
Average Price: ???

The Whiskey:

From 06-’07, these extremely limited single-barrel offerings were made available to select Takara Shuzo customers in Japan. When I say “extremely limited,” wrap your mind around this: fewer than five of these bottles are known to be open in the world. As part of the first round of Blanton’s barrels offered as single barrel selections to private buyers, this is one of the rarest Blanton’s of all time in addition to being the highest-proofed Blanton’s release ever bottled.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

The story of this one is cool in itself, but the whiskey is next-level delicious. Without a doubt, Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel is one of the best expressions in the Buffalo Trace stable of whiskeys, and My Only Blanton’s is easily the best barrel-proof Blanton’s I’ve ever tried.

10. O.F.C. 1990 Bourbon

ABV:
Average Price: $10,500

The Whiskey:

This brand was created to honor the O.F.C. Distillery, the original name of what we now call Buffalo Trace Distillery (the site itself was previously known as the Leestown Distilling Company). As the big number on the front indicates, this whiskey was distilled in 1990, released in 2018, and yielded just 63 bottles, which initially retailed at $2,500.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

The O.F.C. brand of bourbon comes in several vintages, not all of which I’ve tried, but the 1990 stands out among those I have. I’ll admit, I had higher hopes for this whiskey when I first tried it, given the limited nature of the release, the maturity of the liquid in the bottles, and the exorbitant asking price. But sometimes you have to just appreciate a bourbon for what it is, and what this bourbon is, is really f*cking good.

9. Colonel E.H. Taylor 18-Year Marriage

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $4,000

The Whiskey:

This 2020 expression might’ve been the year’s lone bright spot. Following the Colonel Taylor lineup’s middling “Amaranth of the Gods” release, they came back strong with an 18-year-old version of the limited edition bourbon. This one is a blend of all three Buffalo Trace signature bourbon mashbills, “high rye”, “low rye”, and “wheated” in undisclosed proportions.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

I’m honestly surprised this one isn’t higher on my list, but that just goes to show how much great bourbon Buffalo Trace has put out. When I initially tried this expression, it quickly vaulted to the upper stratosphere of my favorite bourbons of all time. Despite having been eclipsed since then, that statement still holds true.

8. Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch 1)

ABV: 67.25%
Average Price: $3,800

The Whiskey:

Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon was first released back in 2012 in honor of the man who founded the Buffalo Trace Distillery, then the O.F.C. Distillery. This one is believed to contain a slightly higher rye content in the mash bill and is the pinnacle of the E.H. Taylor core range, bottled at cask strength and released in annual batches.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

I’ve had this expression just once, but it left quite an impression on me and my palate. Even better? I experienced it in a blind tasting against batches 2-6, and it was my favorite of the bunch by a country mile. This is easily the best Colonel Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon I’ve ever had.

Consider this one the Illmatic of the lineup.

7. Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year Bourbon (2005)

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $25,000

The Whiskey:

This was the year that “Pappy” replaced the Old Rip Van Winkle 15-Year Bourbon, and while observers at the time weren’t pleased with the switch (does anyone in the bourbon world like change?), history has been kind to our dear old Pappy. You know the drill, this is bourbon matured for 15 long years, distilled by Stitzel-Weller and bottled by Buffalo Trace for the Van Winkle family.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, of course, would go on to become one of the defining expressions of the aughts and the bourbon world at large, winning lavish praise from the late Anthony Bourdain, earning marks as one of the best American whiskeys of all time, and spawning heists, documentaries, and knockoff versions along the way. While Bourdain was partial to the 20-year version, it’s the 15-year offering that has persisted as the best of Buffalo Trace’s takes on the brand.

6. Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey (Batch 2)

ABV: 66.8%
Average Price: $3,275

The Whiskey:

Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey is what it sounds like. Drew Mayville created this expression as a tribute to Sam Bronfman, who was the head of Seagram’s while the Sazerac savant was cutting his teeth there. Made from a blend of “the finest American and Canadian whiskeys.”

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

This is the biggest exception made for this list, because technically, Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey is a Sazerac product (Buffalo Trace’s parent company). Still, it includes Buffalo Trace bourbon in the blend and was produced by the company’s Master Blender Drew Mayville, so we’ll allow it. Bourbon fans tend to turn their noses up at other whiskey categories, even if the flavor profile aligns closely with America’s Native Spirit. That’s a mistake.

This expression proves not only that Drew Mayville is probably the best blender on this side of the Atlantic, but also that an incredibly bold textural experience can pair with a remarkable depth of flavor when you combine two different whiskey categories.

5. George T. Stagg (2007)

ABV: 72.4%
Average Price: $4,000

The Whiskey:

George T. Stagg needs no introduction. It’s generally considered the expression that took barrel proof bourbon to the next level. Distilled in the spring of 1992, and released in the fall of 2007, the specs sheet for this release tells us that it came off the still at 135 proof with 45.23% of the original whiskey lost to evaporation (those are some thirsty angels!) Aged on the first floor of Warehouse I, this 15-year and 6-month-old bourbon came from 94 hand-selected casks.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

The ongoing battle for “best BTAC expression” is typically a two-man slugfest between George T. Stagg and William Larue Weller. Year to year, the matchup can truly go either way, but in the all-time rankings, there really are no losers. This hazmat version of GTS is the finest example of what makes the burly, bold bourbon so beloved.

4. William Larue Weller 19-Year Bourbon (2000)

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $5,400

The Whiskey:

William Larue Weller is now regarded as one of the greatest annual releases on the bourbon calendar, but back in 2000, it was a complete unknown. Despite only clocking in at 90 proof, this future icon of the bourbon world jump-started the new millennium with a bang thanks to this stunning 19-year-old bourbon, which was distilled in the fall of 1980 at none other than the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Despite losing its fastball over the past few years, William Larue Weller is still one of the most sought-after bourbons in all of the land, often eclipsing even the Pappy Van Winkle lineup in critical acclaim. Sure, this one was distilled at Stitzel-Weller, and so it has a little extra cache among the bourbon cognescenti, but even tasted blind, it’s impossible to discount just how delicious this expression is.

Without a doubt, this is the best William Larue Weller offering that Buffalo Trace has ever released.

3. The Last Drop 27-Year Buffalo Trace Bourbon

ABV: 60.9%
Average Price: $11,300

The Whiskey:

This incredible whiskey comes from some of Buffalo Trace’s oldest casks and is a project that Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley and Master Blender Drew Mayville collaborated on on behalf of The Last Drop brand. The bourbon in this blend was originally distilled in 1995, 1996, and 1997, and those ultra-mature casks combined only yielded 508 bottles worldwide.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Buffalo Trace has increasingly been trying its hand at hyper-aged whiskey, blowing past the 20-year mark on multiple occasions. This latest release scratches the pinnacle of those attempts. Bottled under the Last Drop brand, which is so-named because they aim to capture the last liquid in some of the rarest casks across the globe, this expression is not only a fantastic representation of Buffalo Trace’s finest bourbon but also some of the finest whiskey in the entire world.

2. Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year Bourbon Decanter

ABV: 57%
Average Price: $35,000

The Whiskey:

To be clear, this one was probably not distilled by Buffalo Trace, and rather at Stitzel-Weller, where a lot of Pappy Van Winkle expressions began their life. However, this special release was put out seven years after the Van Winkle family began their partnership, and thus it “kind of sort of” falls under the Buffalo Trace umbrella. Originally distilled in 1986 and hand-selected by Julian P. Van Winkle III and Preston Van Winkle from a 50-barrel lot, this expression, produced 1,200 bottles, is non-chill filtered and bottled at a much higher proof than standard issue Pappy 23, which clocks in at 47.8% ABV.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

I’ll admit I bent the rules a bit to include this expression, but, in fairness, it was bottled by Buffalo Trace. I’ve only had the pleasure of enjoying this expression once, but it left such an impression on me that I’d be remiss if I didn’t give it special recognition here. Furthermore, when consulting the whiskey world’s foremost Van Winkle historian, Gil L. Schwarz, who authored the definitive account of Van Winkle whiskey with his book, Van Winkle: The Bespoke Barrels, he was adamant that I include this expression in any Buffalo Trace “best of” list.

In Gil’s words, “It beats anything else produced before or after by Buffalo Trace.”

Produced? Perhaps. But if we’re talking about Buffalo Trace distillate, then this next expression deserves the top spot…

1. Eagle Rare 25-Year Bourbon

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $10,000

The Whiskey:

Eagle Rare 25, which was first released by Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2023, represents the pinnacle of their celebrated Eagle Rare Bourbon lineup. To create this whiskey, they took barrels that were initially earmarked for their Double Eagle Very Rare expression and began aging them in the experimental, climate-controlled Warehouse P for an additional 5 years beginning in 2018.

Why It Belongs Among The Best:

Several companies, Buffalo Trace included, have begun attempting to stretch the upper limits of hyper-aged bourbon. It’s an admirable effort that has thus far only produced checkered results, but the most resounding success of them all is clearly Eagle Rare 25.

The vibrancy of this expression is simply remarkable for a bourbon that’s rested for a quarter century in new oak, and it couples that liveliness with a lush, bordering on decadent, flavor profile that gently coats your tongue and slowly unfurls to reveal the richness of its depths.

Buffalo Trace has put out a lot of legendary liquid in the 155 years since Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. first established the distillery, which he christened O.F.C., but to call Eagle Rare 25-Year Bourbon the modern distillery’s most incredible feat is no stretch.

The bourbon world’s oldest Eagle soars higher than them all.