Esteemed Kentucky distillery Buffalo Trace announced the return of its highly sought-after Antique Collection on Monday. The complete five-bottle set features Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) staples including Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon, George T. Stagg Bourbon, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, and William Larue Weller Bourbon. This year’s lineup celebrates 25 years of Weller at Buffalo Trace Distillery.
“It’s fitting that this year also marks the 25th anniversary of Sazerac Company’s acquisition of the Weller brand,” Buffalo Trace Distillery master distiller Harlen Wheatley stated in a release. “For more than two decades, we’ve worked hard to craft the signature flavors that whiskey enthusiasts love, both within the Weller brand and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Our commitment to this tradition is stronger than ever, and we look forward to carrying it well into the future.”
The William Larue Weller Bourbon featured in the 2024 set is an uncut, unfiltered, wheated expression hand-bottled at 125.8 proof. The bottling honors W.L. Weller, who pioneered the wheated bourbon recipe, substituting wheat for the traditional rye grain. According to the brand, the whiskey expresses notes of leather, tobacco, ripe fruit, and marshmallows on the nose, while the palate is full of rich caramel and toffee notes.
The collection also boasts a new release of the Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon, which earned the No. 1 spot on VinePair’s 50 Best Spirits of 2023 list. The whiskey, which was first distilled in 2007, was bottled at its initial strength of 101 proof in tribute to the original Eagle Rare brand launched in 1975. On the nose, it delivers complex notes of oak and caramel with layers of vanilla, pepper, toasted oak, and tobacco on the palate.
Next in the lineup is the George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was first released in 2002 in response to a consumer request for a well-aged, barrel-strength whiskey. This year’s bottling sits at 136.1 proof and offers notes of rich oak and dark cherry. Also in the set is the Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, bottled at 18 years and five months. It has aromas of oak and leather with hints of ripe plum, black cherries, and licorice.
This year’s Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey is uncut, unfiltered, and was bottled at 127.2 proof, a bump up in alcohol content from last year’s offering. Inspired by the bartender who first used rye whiskey in the original Sazerac cocktail, this whiskey is bottled directly from the barrel, honoring the traditional method from over a century ago. The 2024 expression is bold with aromas of freshly cracked black pepper and cinnamon.
The limited-edition Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles are sold individually and are available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $149.99.
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