The Ultimate Guide To Buffalo Trace Mash Bills

For decades, whiskey nerds have speculated about the mash bills Buffalo Trace uses to make its bourbons and ryes. Despite consumers' cries for transparency, Buffalo Trace has never disclosed its mash bills, and is the only major American distillery that keeps its mash bills a secret. Here's the kicker, Buffalo Trace only uses four mash bills to make over 30 different whiskey brands.

For the uninitiated, a mash bill is the recipe of grains used to produce whiskey. For American whiskies, it typically includes a combination of corn, rye, and malted barley, with wheat replacing rye in some instances. When you make multiple products using the same mash bill, the only distinguishing factors are age and proof. Pop quiz: Did you know Eagle Rare is an older version of Benchmark? Or, that Rock Hill Farms is essentially Blanton's pumped up to 100 proof? The two most popular wheaters on the market - Weller and Pappy Van Winkle - are also the bourbon version of the Spider-man meme.

Buffalo Trace has a big portfolio, but minor changes to maturation and potency can turn a $30 bottom-shelf beauty like Sazerac rye, into a $1,000 collector's item like Thomas H. Handy. Given the variance in price and availability, it's no wonder whiskey hunters are hellbent on confirming the mash bills behind the brands. In an effort to keep consumers from crashing out, and to let Buffalo Trace off the hook, we've done some sleuthing to bring clarity to one of bourbon's biggest mysteries. None of the information in this article was provided or confirmed by Buffalo Trace, but we believe our darts land close to the bullseye.

Buffalo Trace Mash Bill 1: Low Rye

Buffalo Trace Mash Bill 1 is the distillery’s standard bearer, and as such, is used in its namesake brand. It contains roughly 89.5% corn, 7% rye, and 3.5% malted barley. This mash bill is also used in the recently-expanded Benchmark economy line, the Eagle Rare collection, and core offerings from E.H. Taylor, Jr. and George T. Stagg.

Buffalo Trace Mash Bill 2: High Rye

Mash Bill 2 ups the amount of rye. It's rumored to contain 87.5% corn, 9% rye, and 3.5% malted barley. Though referred to as Buffalo Trace’s “high-rye mash bill,” the amount of rye is still far less than other bourbons touted as "high rye." This mash bill is most famously used in Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, as well as the elusive Elmer T. Lee, and the budget brand Ancient Age.

Buffalo Trace Wheated Mash Bill

Wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain in this mash bill, which is believed to be made from 76.5% corn, 20% wheat, and 3.5% malted barley. This mash bill is used in all of Buffalo Trace’s “wheated bourbons,” including Pappy Van Winkle and W.L. Weller. Both brands used to be produced at the legendary Stitzel–Weller Distillery, which led to Weller's reputation as the “Poor Man’s Pappy.” Ironically, Weller, which was once a reasonably-priced bourbon, now fetches big bucks on the secondary market.

Buffalo Trace Rye Mash Bill 

The mash bill Buffalo Trace uses for its rye whiskeys is thought to be 55% rye, 41.5% corn and 3.5% malted barley. Under U.S. law, a rye whiskey must contain at least 51% rye in its mash bill. Ryes with high-corn content are known as "Kentucky style." Thanks to the near balance of rye and corn, Buffalo Trace ryes drink more like a bourbon. This mash bill is used in products such as Sazerac rye, Van Winkle Family Reserve rye, Thomas H. Handy rye, and other specialty releases. The one stand out is EH Taylor rye, which uses its own two-grain mash bill of rye and malted barley. 

__________

A Brief History of Buffalo Trace Distillery

Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, Buffalo Trace is one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in the United States. Its history dates back to the 18th century, and includes legendary figures such as Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, and Albert B. Blanton. These names are well known by bourbon enthusiasts due to the brands named after them, all of which are produced by Buffalo Trace. For the past 20 years, under current master distiller, Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace has continued to experiment with mash bills, wood, aging and climate.

Known as the George T. Stagg Distillery until 1999, the new name coincided with the release of its flagship brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon. In 2002, Buffalo Trace entered into an agreement to produce Pappy Van Winkle and other brands owned by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company. The soaring demand for “Pappy” drew attention to Buffalo Trace’s other whiskey brands and enabled the distillery to expand its offerings.

Photography by Pierre Auguste.