Buffalo Trace launched new way to get special releases. Bourbon fans are confused
For a lot of Buffalo Trace bourbon fans, there is nothing like getting that special bottle. Especially one they had to wait in line for at the distillery in Frankfort.
There are websites and Facebook pages devoted to predicting what might drop. When word of a special release breaks, collectors want to know how many are left and if they have a shot at getting there in time.
So when the distillery announced earlier this month it was launching a new way to buy limited releases online, fans were excited. A guaranteed bottle meant no wasted trips. The distillery said beginning March 9, reservations would be available online for limited releases, and those who got a reservation could buy their bottle later that week.
That quickly turned to confusion: Fans couldn’t find the reservations, or were they already filled? Hard to tell because the server briefly crashed with the volume of attempts, apparently.
Some lucky fans got a reservation for a bottle of Stagg. Later in the week, E.H. Taylor Straight Rye appeared, then sold out.
Did the new system mean there would be no live bottle drops? Was there any point in waiting in the “snakes” (as they call the line in the parking lot) to get into the gift shop or were the bottles all gone?
What Buffalo Trace says about new limited release system
According to a spokesman for Sazerac, the new system won’t replace daily releases or special live bottle drops.
“The core experience at the Distillery has not changed,” Cory McCauley said. “We’re still offering our Special Bottle of the Day and ad hoc surprise and delight releases.”
The new reservation program trialed March 9 was “an additional way for our fans to access some of our rarer bottles.”
It’s intended as “an additional option for fans and does not replace any existing offerings.”
So look for it to resurface, possibly in an updated format.
“We try and continually update our processes to improve the visitor experience, and ensure the offerings are as fair and equitable as possible,” he said.
The reservations are available under product availability, under Today at the Trace, where limited releases show up when up for grabs and sell out quickly. Happy hunting.
