Buffalo Trace Releases Prohibition Collection Edition 3

FRANKFORT, KY (June 30, 2026) – Buffalo Trace Distillery has officially announced the third edition of its highly anticipated, limited-edition Prohibition Collection 3. This annual release pays tribute to five historic spirits legally distilled and prescribed as “medicinal whiskey” during America’s Prohibition era (1920–1933), back when Buffalo Trace operated under the name George T. Stagg Distillery.

This year’s release spotlights long-forgotten labels curated under the leadership of legendary distillery president Colonel Albert B. Blanton.

The 2026 Lineup: Five Historic Whiskeys Reborn

Each expression in the five-bottle collection is packaged in a 375ml bottle replicating the scale, branding, and vintage medical prescription cartons used a century ago.

Henry Watterson Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (140.6 Proof – Uncut/Unfiltered): Named after the anti-Prohibition U.S. Congressman and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Expect intense rye spice, citrus peel, fresh herbs, cedarwood, and mint with a long, dry finish.
Kentucky River Blend of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys (100 Proof): A tribute to the former Kentucky River Distillery. This balanced blend offers aromas of honeyed grain, vanilla, and caramelized sugar, transitioning into baked apple, gentle oak, and warm pastry notes.
John G. Carlisle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (100 Proof): Named for the politician who helped champion the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. This classic rye-forward bourbon layers toasted nuts, caramelized grain, orchard fruits, and subtle tropical notes over a dry, spicy finish.
Walter B. Duffy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (107 Proof): A rich blend of 10- and 14-year-old straight bourbons honoring the O.F.C. Distillery owner who appointed Albert B. Blanton as president. Features notes of graham cracker, toasted corn, dried fig, date, and subtle anise.
Cove Spring Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (120.2 Proof – Uncut Wheated Recipe): Named after the natural spring that powered the distillery’s earliest 19th-century growth. This wheated bourbon delivers aromas of red cherry, toasted coconut, and oak, with a fruit-forward palate of sweet corn and lingering warmth.

In Their Words

“The Prohibition Collection gives us the opportunity to bring important chapters of our Distillery’s history back to life,” said Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “Each year, we uncover stories, brands and whiskey traditions that might otherwise have been lost to time. By reimagining these historic whiskeys, we honor the resilience, ingenuity and determination that carried this Distillery through one of the most challenging periods in American whiskey history and helped shape the legacy we continue today.”

Release Details & Pricing

The Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection #3 is packaged in a custom wooden display case complete with archival imagery. The set will ship to select U.S. retailers, bars, and restaurants starting in June 2026.