BUFFALO TRACE

Chris Stapleton Just Dropped A New Whiskey — Here’s Our Full Review

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Traveller Buffalo Trace Whiskey
Sazerac Company/UPROXX

Chris Stapleton has become a country music icon over the last decade. He’s also carved out a deep following in the whiskey community as well. Over the last couple of years, Stapleton has partnered with Buffalo Trace Distillery to release single-barrel picks of E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bourbon that have raised tons of cash for charities. They’ve also been excellent whiskeys. This week, Buffalo Trace and Stapleton took their partnership to the next level and (finally) released a new whiskey brand — Traveller Whiskey.

There’s a lot to get into here. First, almost anything new from Buffalo Trace — which also makes iconic labels like Pappy Van Winkle, Weller, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and so many more — creates rabid excitement amongst whiskey fans. Second, Stapleton has the perfect level of cool that appeals to everyday music lovers and whiskey drinkers. So this collaboration leaned into exactly that with an American Blended Whiskey at a great price point.

Long story short, Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley and Stapleton tasted through 50 different blends before landing on the perfect one for Traveller Whiskey. The best part, this bottle only costs $39. And so far, that price is holding at retail. That’s kind of exciting from a distillery that historically drops whiskey that can cost hundreds of times more than their suggested retail.

So what’s in the bottle exactly? Let’s dive in and answer that!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

Traveller Whiskey Blend No. 40 Blended Whiskey

Traveller Whiskey Blend No. 40 Blended Whiskey
Sazerac Company

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $39

The Whiskey:

This new whiskey from Buffalo Trace is the summation of years of collaboration between Country icon Chris Stapleton and Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. After testing 50 different blends, this is the one that landed. The whiskey in the bottle is a special blend of Buffalo Trace rye and bourbons that hit just the right note for Stapleton’s whiskey palate.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose leans into rich Buffalo Trace bourbon with a deep vanilla buttercream over soft spiced brandied cherries just kissed with dark chocolate and old oak staves with a whisper of salted caramel.

Palate: That caramel has a hint of sweet corn to it on the palate before the vanilla rushes back in with a creamy lusciousness and layers of winter spices, orchard barks, and musty barrel houses — classic Buffalo Trace.

Finish: The end warms nicely for a moment with plenty of woody winter spice and a touch of grassy rye notes before the lush vanilla, cherry, and oak finish lingers for just the right amount of time.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid new utility whiskey. It works well as a sipper over some rocks or in a cocktail. Think of it as a solid table whiskey to have around for everyday pours after a hard day of work.

Ranking:

88/100: Solid B+!

Where To Buy:

As of now, this whiskey is readily available online at most retailers for its actual MSRP. That was the hope for Stapleton and the brand. This is meant to be an everyday sipper for his fans — and his fans need to be able to buy it for that to happen.

Our Review Of Country Megastar Chris Stapleton’s Latest Bourbon Release

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Chris Stapleton EH Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon
Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz

In honor of the 125th anniversary of “Bottled-in-Bond Day,” Buffalo Trace has teamed up with country superstar Chris Stapleton to release a bottle of the good stuff for a good cause. Very briefly, Bottled-in-Bond Day (March 3rd) celebrates the creation of the Bottled-in-Bond Act that federally regulated the production of American whiskey according to the proof for taxation/production purposes. It was a pivotal moment in the history of American whiskey.

For this special drop, Chris Stapleton (if you don’t know who he is, go listen to Traveller immediately) has linked with Buffalo Trace for the second year in a row to pick his own barrel and sell it for charity. This year, the single barrel release is an E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bottled-in-Bond Single Barrel personally selected by Stapleton at the famed distillery. Incidentally, E.H. Taylor was the in-studio bottle Stapleton and his band drank during the making of Traveller.

Over the next two weeks, you can bid on one of two options for a bottle of this very limited bourbon. One way to win is to bid on a package that includes concert tickets to a Stapleton show this April in Lexington, Kentucky, a VIP tasting for four people at Buffalo Trace, some merch, and, of course, the bottle. Another package includes the bottle, merch, and two tickets to any Stapleton show this year. You can enter both right here. The rest of the bottles will be available via various charity events associated with Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind organization throughout the year.

Okay, let’s get into what’s actually in the bottle.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel
Sazerac Company

ABV: 50%

Average Price: Charity only

The Whiskey:

The whiskey in this case is a 12-year-old barrel of E.H. Taylor. That whiskey was hand-picked by Chris Stapleton. It was then cut down very slightly to bottled-in-bond proof, or 100 proof, with that famously soft Kentucky limestone water.

The Bottle:

The bottle is a classic E.H. Taylor bottle with a big, yellow label (a label which definitely happens to make one hell of a statement among aficionados). An additional label/sticker is on the bottle denoting the 125th anniversary of the Bottled-in-Bond Act and Stapleton’s “seal” of approval.

Tasting Notes:

Dried dark fruits and a hint of vanilla wafers mingle with fig fruit leather, a touch of orchard wood, and a deep caramel on the nose. The palate holds onto those notes while layering in dark berry tobacco with sharp winter spices, new leather, and a singed cotton candy next to a cedar box filled with that tobacco. The finish lingers on your senses a while and leaves the spice behind for that dark, almost savory fruit note with an echo of blackberry Hostess pies next to soft leather pouches that have held chewy tobacco for decades and a final hint of old porch wicker in the middle of summer.

Bottom Line:

This feels very classic while offering a little something sweet and fruity, which is nice for a 12-year-old bourbon. I like this a lot over some rocks and it will make one hell of an old fashioned.

The Ranking:

91/100 — This is classic, perfectly made, and very easy-drinking. There are no faults but also nothing to “wow” your palate either.