Chris Stapleton’s Hotly Anticipated Whiskey Has Arrived, Marking Buffalo Trace’s First Celebrity Collaboration

On Tuesday, Gear Patrol reported that Traveller Whiskey, the long-anticipated partnership between eight-time Grammy Award-winner Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery, has finally arrived. The official rollout took place on January 4.

According to Buffalo Trace, Traveller Whiskey marks the “first-of-its-kind collaboration” from the brand, as Buffalo Trace has yet to work this closely with a celebrity on an expression.

In a news release Monday from the brand, Stapleton expressed his enthusiasm for the release.

“Partnering with Buffalo Trace Distillery and Harlen Wheatley feels like a bucket list scenario for me. Some things just make total sense — and this is definitely one of those things. Bottles from barrels that Harlen has cared for have been with us for every note we’ve ever recorded, backstage before shows and in all the moments we’ve celebrated along the way. I believe what we’ve achieved with Traveller Whiskey not only represents our shared history but also a common artistic vision and uncompromising standards of taste. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve made.”

The country singer is a Kentucky native and was born a stone’s throw away from the bourbon brand, making the collaboration seem like an organic one. In 2021, Stapleton donated a $181K bottle of Buffalo Trace’s E.H. Taylor Jr. single-barrel bourbon to the Franklin County Humane Society for the Rare Bourbon Raffle.

Traveller Whiskey has a suggested retail price of $39.99 per 750-milliliter bottle, which is refreshing. Many offerings from Buffalo Trace, such as the expressions within the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, often sell on the secondary market for hundreds of dollars, with some fetching prices significantly higher than that.

In September, Stapleton and Buffalo Trace teased the release of Traveller Whiskey, sharing that the release would be bottled at 90 proof. The whiskey was a blend that Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley chose after tasting over 50 different recipes over countless hours.

“When making art — and we really do think that both Chris’ music and the whiskey we make at Buffalo Trace is art — you experiment, test, adjust and don’t give up until you’ve got it right,” Wheatley expressed in the release. “That’s why we experimented with more than 50 blends before agreeing that Blend No. 40 would be it for Traveller.”

Wheatley claims Traveller is a “whiskey for everyone,” and that whiskey enthusiasts who are “turned away by the burn,” will gravitate to its smooth — yet potent – finish.

“Good whiskey is a lot like a good song,” the back label for Traveller Whiskey reads. “It requires no explanation. One taste should tell you everything you need to know. No one has to tell you how to feel about it. You simply settle in & enjoy.”

Traveller Whiskey Tasting Notes via Buffalo Trace and Chris Stapleton

Nose: Vanilla, aged fruit, buttery shortbread

Taste: Sweetness, spice, toasted nut and oak

Finish: Robust

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