Buffalo Trace Completes $1.2 Billion Expansion
After a decade of construction, Kentucky's oldest continuously operating distillery has doubled its capacity to 500,000+ barrels annually. Yet all brands remain on allocation.
Buffalo Trace Distillery has completed a decade-long $1.2 billion expansion project that doubled its distilling capacity from 200,000 barrels annually to over 500,000 barrels.
## The Expansion
The project, which began in 2015, included:
- New bottling operations
- A robotic distribution center
- Expanded visitor center
- Additional fermenters
- New warehouses located up to 100 miles away
Despite this massive expansion, demand remains so high that all Buffalo Trace brands remain on allocation, with master distiller Harlen Wheatley stating "we still could make more...and sell more."
## Recovery from 2025 Flood
In April 2025, a massive flood from the Kentucky River inundated Buffalo Trace's 200-plus-acre distillery campus. However, five months later, production returned to normal, including production of sought-after brands like Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller, Blanton's, and Pappy Van Winkle.