The Kentucky River is returning to normal levels, and the Frankfort community is beginning to assess and understand the damage caused by flood waters across the region. At Buffalo Trace Distillery, flood waters have now completely receded, granting access and allowing for clean-up and recovery efforts to happen throughout the entirety of campus. 

Distillery leadership teams, along with engineers and expert clean-up and restoration professionals, have begun performing detailed assessments and subsequent repairs for any of the buildings affected by flood waters. The amount of damage is still being determined.

“I am grateful for the excellent preparation work that our teams completed in advance of the flood, which mitigated the extent of the damage we might otherwise have sustained,” Jake Wenz, Sazerac & Buffalo Trace Distillery CEO and President, said in a news release. “Similarly, based on previous floods, our full-scale recovery plan is underway. We are confident we will be back up and running shortly. As of this morning we started shipping our finished goods again and we expect to resume bottling sometime next week.

“Restoration of this National Historic Landmark is our top priority to ensure a quick return to making quality, award-winning whiskey and welcoming guests from around the world. Our hearts remain with the rest of the community who are also dealing with the aftermath of this flood.”

Inspection of any barrels touched by the flood began Thursday, April 10, and will be ongoing until all have been appropriately assessed. This is a very involved process, including both barrel inspection as well as the same quality testing every bottle of whiskey undergoes at Buffalo Trace Distillery. 

Based on historical knowledge from previous floods, Buffalo Trace has been successful in recovering any barrels that might have been affected by flood waters; the Distillery is confident in its process. Inspection is expected to take several weeks, however, any loss of barrels is not expected to be meaningful.

“A lot of heart and soul goes into every product we make, which is why our team is dedicated to testing with heavy scrutiny each barrel possibly affected by flood waters to ensure there are no issues,” Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller, said. “We have never, nor will we ever, compromise on the quality or safety of the whiskey we make.”  

Teams also started clean-up inside the Buffalo Trace Visitor Center, which saw flooding on the first floor and will require a period for repair. Teams are working diligently to re-open the Visitor Center in a modified manner as soon as possible. Additional updates regarding visitor access are as follows:

• As a first step, the Distillery expects to operate a greatly modified retail experience early next week from the “Freehouse Building” – aka the visitor check-in center directly adjacent to the visitor parking lot.
• This will be made accessible via an email reservation system available first to tour reservation holders whose visits were interrupted by the flooding.
• More details will be shared as they are available on Buffalo Trace Distillery’s social media pages.  
• Until the Distillery fully reopens to visitors, only select team members, recovery experts and guests are permitted on-site.

“We know it is disappointing to have the Distillery closed and it is our top priority to welcome guests again as soon as possible. Recovery and clean-up teams at Buffalo Trace Distillery will continue to work diligently to prepare the grounds for reopening and the facility for operation,” Wenz said. “We also want to again say a heartfelt thanks to our team who has been tireless in their support, and the Franklin County community as well as our fans and vendor partners for their support and understanding during this time. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.”

In the coming weeks Buffalo Trace looks forward to sharing details on forthcoming relief initiatives to further support the community. Should you want to support relief efforts in the immediate, the Franklin County Flood Relief Fund has been set up by the city to collect donations and offer aid to those who need it most. Find more information here: https://bgcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1985.

Read more: Buffalo Trace Announces Return of ‘100 Charities’ Initiative

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and it is a National Historic Landmark, as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery, visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.