Buffalo Trace inspects bourbon barrels, begins clean-up after flood

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WAVE) - A destination for 700,000 bourbon lovers a year, the Buffalo Trace distillery is drying out after a serious flood.

“In our 200-plus year history, we have lived through a few floods,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said Friday. “This past week has been the latest and one of the most severe that we’ve seen.”

As the last of the flood waters retreated into the banks of the Kentucky River, Buffalo Trace managers delivered the bad news - most parts of the iconic distillery suffered damage.

“The total extent of the damage is still being determined,” Wheatley said, “but so far it includes many of our buildings on campus from production buildings to Bourbon Pompeii, Still House, the guest experience buildings such as the visitor center.”

An undisclosed number of barrels of bourbon was also hit by the flood waters. The barrels are now being inspected to see if the contents were affected.

“It really does start with an inspection of the barrel,” Tyler Adams, Buffalo Trace General Manager said. “And then just reviewing those for quality. So, we’re committed to the quality here. I don’t have any more details on that but just know that there’s a thorough and rigorous process that we do have experience in.”

Management invited media to a briefing on progress of the cleanup. Remnants of the flood could be seen everywhere. Water trucks cleared roadways between buildings. Inside, workers in protective suits squeegeed away mud and carried out debris.

Not all areas of the distillery grounds were touched by the flood. Shipments of bourbon resumed Friday. Bottling is expected to resume next week, and with it comes a promise to allow visitors back, in some capacity, sometime soon.

“Buffalo Trace fans are being told to keep an eye on the distillery’s social media pages for any announcements on when tours will fully resume.”

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