Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey: The Ultimate Bottle Guide

Many people are familiar with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, which originated in Kentucky and has been available nationwide since the early 2000s. The distillery itself, however, can be traced back to the 19th century. While the brand primarily distills bourbon, it came out with a blended whiskey in 2024 called Traveller Whiskey.

This whiskey was specifically created to appeal to newer whiskey drinkers. It has tasting notes of vanilla, shortbread, aged fruit, caramel, and oak. With 45% alcohol by volume, it's a very robust whiskey — however, it's still meant to be approachable for people who aren't used to sipping on something too strong. In total, Traveller Whiskey has won 15 awards, including Gold at the 2024 American Whiskey Masters Awards.

I found myself a bottle of the Buffalo Traveller Whiskey and decided to give it a taste. In this article, I will cover the history and making of this specific whiskey, my taste test results, and fun facts that you may not know. Grab your whiskey glass, and let's get tasting.

While Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey didn't come out until 2024, there are hundreds of years of history that led to the creation of this specific spirit. The first iterations of the Buffalo Trace distillery began in the early 1800s and even prevailed through Prohibition. It was one of the few distilleries in Kentucky that was capable of producing whiskey, and by 1942, the company had produced over a million barrels of bourbon since Prohibition.

Now, you're probably wondering: Since the distillery is mostly known for creating bourbon, how did it come to distilling a blended whiskey in 2024? That is where Chris Stapleton, a Kentucky-born singer-songwriter who has won 12 Grammy Awards, comes in. One of his most popular songs is called "Tennessee Whiskey," which came from his 2015 album "Traveller." While he recorded this album, he was a huge fan of drinking Buffalo Trace's E.H. Taylor, Jr. bourbon and then eventually began working with Buffalo Trace on various fundraising projects for charity.

Once that relationship was solidified, Stapleton, along with Buffalo Trace's master distiller Harlen Wheatley, worked hard to create Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey (aptly named after Stapleton's album). After 50 blends were tasted, the duo decided on blend number 40, and the whiskey was put on the market.

As soon as I poured the Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey into my glass, I could tell that the descriptions of the spirit were accurate. It had a very approachable and almost-calming aroma, with an apparent caramel scent that shone through. I first tasted it neat and really loved it. I'm not a fan of whiskey that burns on the way down, and this one definitely didn't. On the tip of the tongue, I could taste the vanilla, caramel, and spices. The aftertaste was also very enjoyable, with a smooth, earthy flavor that settled on the tongue.

I next tasted the whiskey on the rocks. When it's served cold, you definitely lose a bit of the caramel and vanilla and can get a better sense of the aged fruit notes and the spices. The whiskey doesn't taste as well-rounded and complex on the rocks, and I ultimately found it much smoother and enjoyable when sipped neat. Overall, however, this taste test has made me a fan of this whiskey. I would definitely buy the bottle again myself or order it at a bar if it was available.

The components of Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey aren't necessarily public knowledge. Unlike the bourbons that the distillery makes, where the production process is pretty transparent, Traveller Whiskey is kept much more under wraps. In an interview with Whisky Advocate, both Chris Stapleton and master distiller Harlen Wheatley gave a few hints here and there about the process. The whiskey itself is made up of a blend of more than two (the actual number is kept a secret) of the distillery's portfolio.

The goal of the whiskey was to make it approachable enough that it wouldn't be too overpowering or turn people off, but strong enough to make an impact. In total, Wheatley created 50 different blends for Stapleton and others to try out. Eventually, most of the people who were on the tasting team (including Stapleton's bass player) agreed blend No. 40 was the winner.

The mash is made of mixed grains, which may include corn, wheat, and/or rye. It's also a non-age-statement bottle, which means that the maturation age of its contents isn't disclosed. The bottle itself says, "Good whiskey is like a good song. It requires no explanation. One taste should tell you everything you need to know."

The Buffalo Trace website lists three ways to enjoy the Traveller Whiskey: neat, on the rocks, or in a spirit-forward cocktail. During the taste test, I enjoyed the spirit much more when sipped neat; however, it was still good on the rocks. There are many spirit-forward cocktails to make with this whiskey, so you'll have plenty of options.

The Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey's signature cocktail is called Lucky Penny. It's made with 2 ounces of Traveller Whiskey, ¾ ounces of honey syrup, and ¾ ounces of lemon juice. These ingredients are combined in a shaker with ice, then strained into a glass and garnished with a cherry on top. While I didn't get to taste this cocktail myself, I could see how the extra ingredients would enhance the overall flavors of the whiskey. The honey syrup would bring out the maple flavor that I absolutely loved, and the lemon would help to cut a bit of the sweetness.

Although Chris Stapleton, the co-founder of Traveller Whiskey, is most famous for his song "Tennessee Whiskey" and helped create this whiskey, he isn't much of a drinker. Now, this doesn't mean that he doesn't drink — he does — but not like he used to.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Stapleton opened up about his relationship with alcohol. He shared that he drank heavily in his early 20s. It got to the point where he really had to look at himself and make a decision to stop relying on the substance so much. In relation to his career as a songwriter, he wanted to write songs from an authentic point of view — not just create things because he was drunk.

Ultimately, Stapleton never had to go to rehab and was able to make the changes he needed to. After the GQ interview, Stapleton then came out to clear the air after some of his comments about drinking were misconstrued. He shared with Rolling Stone that he is definitely not sober — and has about 200 bottles of bourbon in the very first room of his house. He just has a better relationship with alcohol now and has learned to balance work and play.

The Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey bottle is incredibly simple. The neck and cork are very plain, with no design embossed onto either. The body of the bottle is the same, allowing the customer to fully take in the caramel-colored whiskey. There is a simple label that wraps around the bottle, skinny in the front and expanded in the back. If you look at the bottle straight on, however, you'll notice something special.

On the inside of the back label, there is a map of Lexington, Kentucky. When you look at the bottle straight from the front, the map can be seen through the liquid, and it almost looks magnified. If you look a bit closer, you'll see that it's not a current-day map of Lexington. Instead, it's an iteration of a map from the 1800s. What makes this map important to this specific whiskey is that it centers itself on both the birthplace of Chris Stapleton, co-founder of Traveller Whiskey, and the birthplace of Buffalo Trace. The map overall adds an interesting design to the bottle, just from an aesthetic point of view. The deeper significance of the map adds a layer of intention and meaning to the design as well.

In May of 2025, it was announced that Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey would be the very first official whiskey of Major League Baseball (MLB). Chris Stapleton, co-founder of Traveller Whiskey, is a huge fan of MLB. He has even shared that, when on tour, he tries to go to as many baseball games as he can and that he enjoys getting to visit the different MLB stadiums around the country.

This is a multi-year deal between MLB and Buffalo Trace Traveller Whiskey and will include on-site fan activations hosted by Traveller, various multimedia features on game broadcasts, social media, and more. Of course, fans can drink the whiskey during whatever game they're watching across the country — making it a fun new tradition for baseball fans. So whether they want to enjoy it on the rocks, neat, or in a cocktail, it'll be available for people to enjoy for at least the next couple of years.