‘A Tribute to These Great Whiskeys of our Past’: Buffalo Trace Releases Prohibition Collection, Featuring George T. Stagg and Other Whiskeys Lost to Time

Buffalo Trace will release its inaugural Prohibition Collection in October. (Photos: Buffalo Trace)

Buffalo Trace, the longest continuously operating distillery in the U.S., announced the release of the “Prohibition Collection” on Tuesday. This five-bottle collection celebrates bygone whiskeys that were produced legally by the distillery during the age of Prohibition. The inaugural collection pays tribute to brands that have disappeared — until now. The 375-milliliter bottles are inspired by the original packaging of the whiskeys, and the entire collection hosts a suggested retail price of $1,000.

The collection will launch in October and offers Buffalo Trace enthusiasts the opportunity to taste resurrected whiskeys from the distillery’s past. During Prohibition, Buffalo Trace operated under the name of the George T. Stagg Distillery and managed to obtain a license to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes.

The following expressions pay tribute to brands crafted at the George T. Stagg Distillery for the 13-year period from 1920 to 1933: Old Stagg, Golden Wedding, Three Features, Walnut Hill and George T. Stagg Spiritus Frumenti.

“When we discovered these brands — and others — in our distillery’s history, we could not wait to bring them back to life and tell their stories again,” Buffalo Trace Global Brand Director Andrew Duncan said in a news release.

Each label has a small blank cut-out section that is meant to serve as a nod to the space where doctors would historically write prescriptions for whiskey.

“We stand behind our motto, ‘Honor tradition, Embrace change,'” claimed Buffalo Trace Master Distiller, Harley Wheatly in the release. “Each of these brands disappeared slowly in the years after Prohibition, but they were integral to our survival. Without them, today there would be no Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare or Weller bourbons. The Prohibition Collection is a tribute to these great whiskeys of our past.”

The Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection

Old Stagg

This barrel-proof uncut and unfiltered whiskey was originally made in honor of the former owner, George T. Stagg. During prohibition, this expression replaced O.F.C Bourbon as the benchmark expression from the distillery. Old Stagg is the ancestral expression for modern whiskeys from Buffalo Trace, like George T. Stagg and Stagg whiskies. The brand describes Old Stagg as having oak-laden and vanilla aromas with sweet, mellow leather on the palate coupled with dark cherries and smooth vanilla on the finish. It is bottled at 132.4 proof.

Golden Wedding

Golden Wedding is a 107-proof rye whiskey that will appeal to rye drinkers with its herbaceous qualities, according to Buffalo Trace. The ghost brand dates back to 1869 and was produced by Schenley Distilling at the Joseph S. Finch Distillery in Pennsylvania. The bottling was split during Prohibition between Schenley’s Pennsylvania Distillery and the George T. Stagg Distillery. In the 1940s, the brand moved to Pennsylvania before relocating to Canada. It was discontinued in the late 20th century. On the nose, Buffalo Trace says to expect plenty of rye and dill. The palate continues to lean heavily towards the herbaceous side with a smoky finish that has a hint of banana.

Three Feathers

Clocking in at 100 proof, Three Feathers is a Bottled in Bond whiskey whose history dates back to 1812. The whiskey was advertised as a premium rye before becoming a bonded and blended whiskey. The 100-proof expression was created by Buffalo Trace Master Blender Drew Mayville, and Buffalo Trace says recreation has a charred oak and vanilla-laden aroma with a palate featuring plenty of stone and tropical fruit qualities that lead to a smoky caramel finish with a hint of cocoa.

Walnut Hill

Walnut Hill was bottled at the George T. Stagg Distillery during Prohibition, and the production was overseen by a guy you may have heard of: President Albert Blanton. The 90-proof high-rye bourbon hosts a citrus aroma with light corn and oak, per Buffalo Trace. The palate is described as generous with sweet molasses, stone fruit and vanilla, and the finish is said to be smoky and woodsy.

George T. Stagg Distillery Spiritus Frumenti

The name of this 110-proof wheated bourbon translates to “Spirit of the Grain” in Latin. George T. Stagg Distillery Spiritus Frumenti received this name because it was the brand’s generic medicinal whiskey. Buffalo Trace says this bourbon has tasting notes of caramelized brown sugar on the nose, followed by a fruity and floral taste. A touch of cherry and oak leads to a vanilla finish with wheat and citrus.

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