Buffalo Trace recently announced a head-turning new endeavor: the Prohibition Collection. The Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection recreates long-lost whiskeys that were produced a century ago during Prohibition when Buffalo Trace Distillery (then George T. Stagg Distillery) was one of just six in the United States to hold a license allowing them to produce "medicinal whiskey" — the only legal form of alcohol during those dark days.
The first limited collection in what will be an annual release going forward featuring new bottles each year resurrects five whiskeys produced at the distillery during Prohibition that had since been lost to time: Old Stagg, the former flagship of the distillery; Golden Wedding, which traces its roots back to Pennsylvania's Schenley Distilling in the 1800s; Three Feathers, which is the oldest brand in the collection, dating back to at least 1812; Walnut Hill, which had its original production overseen by then-distillery president Albert Blanton; and finally Spiritus Frumenti, which was not a brand but was the generic name for medicinal whiskey at the time.
Not content to just read about these old-school whiskeys, I got my hands on some samples to try them for myself.
All whiskeys were sampled neat from a whiskey tasting glass. To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection: What We Think
I'm not telling any tales out of school when I say that Buffalo Trace has another hit on its hands. Every whiskey in the collection is carefully crafted, delicious and well worth the effort of seeking out. Sure it's pricey at $1,000 for the full set — and will likely see massive upcharges on the secondhand market — but if you're a whiskey enthusiast and can swing the price tag, you're going to want to get it.
Old Stagg Tasting Notes
- Style: Uncut/unfiltered whiskey
- Proof: 132.4
Nose: sharp and strong, mostly vanilla
Palate: damn. This stuff will clear what ails you. Lots of fire, lots of flavor. Once you get past the heat, there’s a comforting warm flavor of buttered toast with molasses. A little sweet, a little salty. A winner.
Finish: lingering burn in the throat with some salt.
Golden Wedding Tasting Notes
- Style: Rye whiskey
- Proof: 107
Nose: Yep, this is a rye all right. Lots of rye spice on the nose and not a whole lot else.
Palate: The spiciness ramps up on the palate, and it's quite herbal too. It tastes very old-fashioned, with flavors I would expect from a whiskey people enjoyed a century ago. However, it's nowhere near as harsh as what people were probably drinking back in the day. Golden Wedding is incredibly smooth and light and very easy-drinking. I would’ve guessed it was 90 proof, not 107.
Finish: This one closes out pretty cleanly, with the herbaceousness coming to the fore a bit more with a touch of dill.
Three Feathers Tasting Notes
- Style: Bottled-in-bond blended whiskey
- Proof: 100
Nose: Not what I expected from a bottled-in-bond whiskey. Very, very sweet with aromas of raspberries and caramel. It smells like candy.
Palate: Even more shocking, the taste is pretty true to the nose. This one is all sweet caramel and fruit, almost like grilled pineapple. Really decadent and dessert-like, with basically no discernible burn. A crowd-pleaser, for sure.
Finish: There's a bit of brown sugar at the end before a hasty exit, and it leaves you wanting another sip.
Walnut Hill Tasting Notes
- Style: High-rye bourbon
- Proof: 90
Nose: No walnuts, and a distinct absence of hills (sorry). The nose here is slightly floral with some sweet corn notes. It's pleasant, but nothing to write home about.
Palate: On the tongue, this is a high rye bourbon for sure. I detect corn, oak, a decent amount of rye spice and a fair bit of heat despite the low(ish) proof. It's nothing flashy and is probably the least unique of the quintet, but it's a well-crafted example of Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon that fans of the brand will no doubt be into.
Finish: Heavy on the oak with some lingering burn.
George T. Stagg Distillery Spiritus Frumenti Tasting Notes
- Style: Wheated bourbon
- Proof: 110
Nose: Sweet and creamy. I get a lot of butterscotch with some wood mixed in as well.
Palate: Any time Buffalo Trace comes out with a new wheated bourbon, it's going to get some attention, and this one is deserving of whatever attention it's going to get. The whiskey has a nice creamy mouthfeel like you would expect. The main flavors I detect are creamed corn, oak and vanilla, which make for a much better combo than it sounds on paper. Despite the high proof, this stuff is exceptionally smooth with no real burn at all.
I had a bottle of Weller 12 on hand, another lauded wheater from BT, and by comparison, Spiritus Frumenti was considerably smoother and creamier despite containing 10 percent more alcohol. It also lacks the spicier notes present in Weller.
Finish: The smoothness of Spiritus Frumenti continues through the finish, with a touch of leather at the end. It feels sophisticated, for lack of a better word.
