Buffalo Trace's New Bourbon Is an Affordable Game-Changer, Granted They Make Enough It

Will the distiller's new 12-year-old Eagle Rare expression be a massive win for affordable bourbon fans? Or just another W.L. Weller 12 in the making.
Buffalo Trace may have just given bourbon fans the best news of the year a little less than halfway through 2025.
The maker of some of the most prestigious bourbons on the planet, including Blantons, W.L. Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle, to name a few, just announced a new 12-year-old version of Eagle Rare Bourbon that's bottled at an even slightly higher 95 proof than its 10-year-old, 90 proof sibling.
Better yet, the new offering will be a permanent part of the Eagle Rare lineup, and its MSRP is just $50.
It's the kind of sign long-standing bourbon drinkers have hoped (and may even prayed) would come for years now, whether or not they loved or hated Eagle Rare's low-rye, low-proof bourbon.
That's because, in many ways, this launch could be the clearest indicator yet that a decades-long expansion effort by Buffalo Trace may finally return the American whiskey market to some semblance of sanity, at least from a consumer's POV.
After nearly two decades of explosive and unprecedented growth helped fuel a maddening spiral of bourbon availability struggles and price hikes, a release of this magnitude suggests the bourbon market might finally return to earth.
In 2015, Buffalo Trace kicked off a 1.2 billion dollar expansion effort.
The timing of the move was interesting.
On one hand, just a year earlier, a bevy of headlines from outlets ranging from Time to Esquire and Business Insider warned of 'the great bourbon shortage.' And they weren't making this up out of thin air.
Maker's Mark stoked alarm and outrage in 2013 when it announced it would reduce the ABV content of its beloved bourbon by 3% to better stretch its existing supplies in the face of massive global demand. But that decision was quickly reversed in the face of immediate fan blowback.
In an email on the topic, company executives Rob Samuels and Bill Samuels Jr. explained that they had investigated 'all possible solutions,' adding, 'fact is, demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it, which means we're running very low on supply.'
Knob Creek stripped the age statements from some of its popular bottles for several years in a similar strategic move, though they subsequently returned in 2019 and 2021.
Buffalo Trace also made a series of public statements on the topic, starting with a 2013 comment from former marketing director Kris Comstock that 'there could be temporary product shortages, even on favorites like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare.' He later added that 'this announcement is not meant as some sort of scare tactic to get people hoarding bourbon.'
The message was essentially the same a year later in 2014, when the company stated again that there was 'no end in sight' for its Bourbon shortages in May of 2014.
Other outlets, like The Guardian, however, claimed the fear was grossly exaggerated or at least overblown.
On the other hand, the same year Buffalo Trace announced its expansion plans, Kentucky's bourbon inventory reached a 40-year high. 1.3 million new bourbon barrels were also filled in 2015, achieving a production high not reached since 1970.
As such, it was natural to wonder if Buffalo Trace's big bet was potentially too much, too late.
Five years after a new distribution center and bottling operation came online in 2015, the company's production began to ramp up dramatically.
By 2022, Buffalo Trace had already increased its whiskey-making capacity by 50 percent thanks to '14 new barrel warehouses, 12 additional fermenters, additional cookers, a new cooling system,' according to company press statements.
Within 12 months of that milestone, a new still house—complete with a duplicate of the brand's existing still, capable of producing up to 60,000 gallons a day—and other facilities also came online, effectively doubling Buffalo Trace's production yet again.
'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.'
– Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley
'We appreciate our fans' patience as we've been laying down the foundation to produce more American Whiskey than we ever have before,' said Sara Saunders, vice president of Buffalo Trace Distillery stated as part of a press release outlining the company's progress.
By 2024, Buffalo Trace brand reps informed our team that 75 percent of the expansion project had been completed by March, and only the third and final phase remained.
Between 2022 and 2024, Buffalo Trace brought another five new aging warehouses online, all of which were already at their full capacity of 58,800 barrels a piece, alongside other key upgrades.
The $1.2 billion 10-year project was finally completed at the beginning of this year, which netted a 150% increase in Buffalo Trace's output capacity.
However, in the decades since construction began, the bourbon market and American whiskey, more broadly, have also downshifted dramatically.
Many legacy media and industry-focused outlets have noted that bourbon demand is slowing down. In 2023, Tequila also officially overtook American whiskey as the second most valuable spirit category in the US, behind vodka.
Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades.
Combined with layoff announcements from major industry forces like Brown-Forman and MGP, Buffalo Trace's leadership has likely lost sleep over how to optimally leverage its newfound production might over the next decade and beyond.
Given the time requirements for bourbon maturation, the company's precise plans, whatever they may be, will take years to realize fully.
While there is technically no minimum age for bourbon, most bottles qualify as straight bourbons, meaning they've aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years.
So-called Bottled-in-Bond bourbons must age for double that time, and many of Buffalo Trace's premium offerings contain whiskey that's aged for far longer than that.
Still, the brand's actions over the last few years hint at Buffalo Trace's long-term aspirations.
One way to quickly bring new surpluses of whiskey to market is to skip the loftier production requirements demanded by legally protected whiskey classes like bourbon.
In 2024, the distillery launched Traveller Whiskey, which was developed in partnership with country music icon Chris Stapleton.
It's a blended whiskey and technically not a bourbon. However, Buffalo Trace produces and distills some portion of the whiskey blend alongside other distillers inside Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac's portfolio.
By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match.
Yet despite its opaque recipe and $40 MSRP, Traveller's is far from a crappy cash grab, at least relative to other whiskeys in its class.
The bottle has scored numerous industry awards. We also named it one of the 100 most important products of 2024.
This year, Buffalo Trace also announced its plans to add a new premium expression of E.H. Taylor bourbon to its ultra-prestigious Antique Collection lineup, which, while not a volume play at all, was one indicator that the distillery's stocks of older, premium bourbon were finally loosening up.
By introducing Eagle Rare 12 for an MSRP of $50 before local taxes and fees, Buffalo Trace appears to be making its boldest move yet to offer class-leading whiskeys at prices that competitors can't afford to match.
Many of the industry's leading Master distillers consider somewhere between 8 to 14 years to be the ideal age range for bourbon, which is why it's traditionally one of the market's most competitive and beloved segments. Buffalo Trace-produced bottles have also dominated this space over the last several decades.
However, very few distillers today offer a 12-year-old bourbon or even Tennesee Whiskeys as part of their permanent core lineup—presumably because of longstanding supply constraints.
And all but one sell a 12-year-old version for an MSRP of just $50 today.
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old, which Buffalo Trace has also distilled for years, has an MSRP of $150 now, though buying it for less than $800 could still be considered a steal.
Knob Creek 12 has an MSRP of $60.
The price of Jack Daniel's premium 12-year-old bottling has hovered between $85 and $95, depending on the year, though it's part of an annual limited-release series.
1792 Aged Twelve Years Bourbon technically matches Eagle Rare 12's $50 MSRP, but it's also a limited edition, and typically sells for double that cost on secondary markets.
Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it.
Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley shared in a statement alongside the new release, 'This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it's the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team. The investments we've made – in time, resources and effort – have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.'
Buffalo Trace's leadership clearly understands the current bourbon market and Eagle Rare 12's unique position within it.
Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace, was even blunter in his assessment in the same statement.
'When it was introduced, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brought higher quality standards to whiskey around the world; now, Eagle Rare pushes the bounds of age stating excellence in Bourbon.'
But while everything about Eagle Rare 12 sounds great on paper, jaded whiskey fans will likely wait and see before judging the new bourbon's long-term market impact, and for good reason.
After all, even putting Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year-old aside, Buffalo Trace's history of producing 12-year-old bourbon at a high enough volume to keep price gouging at bay has been rocky, at least over the last 20 years, as evidenced by W.L. Weller 12.
The now cult-favorite wheated bourbon once had an MSRP as low as $20, but it now costs between $60 and $70.
However, due to a loose affiliation with Pappy Van Winkle and a consistently limited supply, it essentially retails for at least double that price.
As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand.
As such, Eagle Rare 12's reception and legacy will ultimately depend on how much stock Buffalo Trace is capable of and/or willing to bottle to keep supply aligned with demand.
That said, even if supplies are limited right out of the gate due to the nature of Buffalo Trace's production ramp-up, there's still hope that further supply increases in the years to come may make Eagle Rare 12 easier to find at your local liquor store in the years ahead.
According to Buffalo Trace, the new expression will be released to select retailers, bars, and restaurants across the United States beginning June 2025.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

INTU & RACE Are 2 of the Best Momentum Stocks to Buy Now

To select top momentum stocks, investors can use the Driehaus strategy, also known as "buy high and sell higher," a successful approach that earned Richard Driehaus a spot in Barron's All-Century Team. To that end, stocks like Intuit Inc. INTU and Ferrari N.V. RACE have been chosen as today's momentum picks using the Driehaus strategy. Regarding the strategy, Driehaus once said: 'I would much rather invest in a stock that's increasing in price and take the risk that it may begin to decline than invest in a stock that's already in decline and try to guess when it will turn around.' In line with this insight, the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) considered the percentage 50-day moving average as one of the key criteria before creating a portfolio following Driehaus' philosophy. It is calculated by dividing the numerator (month-end price minus 50-day moving average of month-end price) by the 50-day moving average of the month-end price. Another momentum indicator — positive relative strength — has also been included in this strategy. A positive percentage 50-day moving average indicates that the stock is trading at a price higher than its 50-day moving average level, indicating an uptrend. Moreover, AAII found that Driehaus primarily focuses on strong earnings growth rates and impressive earnings projections to pick potential outperformers. Companies with a strong history of beating estimates are also given importance in this strategy, which was made to provide better returns over the long term. To make the strategy more profitable, we have considered only those stocks that have a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Momentum Score of A or B. Our research shows that stocks with a Style Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best upside potential. • Zacks Rank equal to #1 Whether the market is strong or weak, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 have a proven track record of outperformance. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. • Last 5-year average EPS growth rates above 2% Strong EPS growth history ensures an improving business • Trailing 12-month EPS growth greater than 0 and industry median Higher EPS growth compared to the industry average indicates superior earnings performance • Last four-quarter average EPS surprise greater than 5% Solid EPS surprise history indicates better price performance • Positive percentage change in 50-day moving average and relative strength over 4 weeks Positive percentage change in the 50-day moving average and the relative strength signal uptrend • Momentum Score equal to or less than B A favorable momentum score indicates that it is ideal for capitalizing on momentum with the highest probability of success. These few parameters have narrowed the universe of over 7,743 stocks to only 13. Here are the top two of the 13 stocks: Intuit offers financial management, compliance and marketing products and services in the United States. INTU has a Momentum Score of B. The trailing four-quarter earnings surprise for INTU is 12.2%, on average (read more: Intuit & 2 Other Strong Buy Profitable Stocks for Your Portfolio). Ferrari designs, engineers, produces and sells luxury sports cars globally through its subsidiaries. RACE has a Momentum Score of A. The trailing four-quarter earnings surprise for RACE is 10.8%, on average. You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intuit Inc. (INTU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ferrari N.V. (RACE) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Yahoo

3 hours ago

• Yahoo

Elon Musk trades threats with Trump: What it could mean for SpaceX, Starship in Texas

When President Donald Trump took office in January, he began offering plenty of signs that his goals for U.S. spaceflight aligned closely with those of billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. Now those goals, which included making reaching Mars during Trump's second term a top priority, appear to be up in the air with the increasingly volatile fallout between two of the world's most powerful men. As insults have turned to threats, Trump has suggested he'd hit Musk where it could hurt most: His wallet. Musk's SpaceX has spent years positioning itself at the center of American civil and military spaceflight – a profitable relationship that has made the company's founder incredibly wealthy. In response, Musk has floated – and then retracted – the idea of decommissioning a SpaceX vehicle critical to NASA's spaceflight program. Serious threats, or empty words? That remains to be seen as Musk and Trump reportedly consider a détente. In the meantime, here's what to know about what's at stake if the U.S. government's relationship with SpaceX were to crumble: U.S. spaceflight: Dozens of NASA space missions could be axed under Trump's budget The feud between Trump and his former top adviser escalated in a dramatic fashion when the president threatened to cut off the taxpayer dollars that have fueled Elon Musk's businesses, including SpaceX. "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump said in a post on his social media platform. "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!" In all, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits, a Washington Post analysis found. With SpaceX as the fulcrum of much of the U.S. government's spaceflight programs, parting ways with the commercial company would leave a void that would be hard to fill. But NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said in a post on social media site X that 'NASA will continue to execute upon the President's vision for the future of space.' 'We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President's objectives in space are met,' Stevens wrote. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded SpaceX, in 2002. In July 2024, Musk announced his intentions to move his company, as well as social media platform X's headquarters, from California to Texas. The move was in response to his personal frustrations over a public school policy in California regarding transgender students. Now, the commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas about 180 miles south of Corpus Christi. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately-funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. Gwynne Shotwell, CEO of SpaceX, has said the company has about $22 billion in government contracts, according to Reuters. The vast majority of that, about $15 billion, is derived from NASA. SpaceX's famous two-stage Falcon 9 rocket ‒ one of the world's most active ‒ is routinely the rocket of choice to get many NASA missions off the ground. For instance, the rocket is due in the days ahead to help propel a four-person crew of private astronauts to the International Space Station for a venture with NASA known as Axiom Mission 4. NASA also has plans to use SpaceX's Starship in its Artemis lunar missions to ferry astronauts aboard the Orion capsule from orbit to the moon's surface. The rocket, which is in development, has yet to reach orbit in any of its nine flight tests beginning in April 2023. SpaceX's Dragon capsule is also a famous vehicle that is widely used for a variety of spaceflights. The capsule, which sits atop the Falcon 9 for launches to orbit, is capable of transporting both NASA astronauts and cargo to the space station. Under NASA's commercial crew program, the U.S. space agency has been paying SpaceX for years to conduct routine spaceflights to the International Space Station using the company's own launch vehicles. The first of SpaceX's Crew missions ferrying astronauts to the orbital outpost on the Dragon began in 2020, with the tenth and most recent contingent reaching the station in March for about a six-month stay. Standing nearly 27 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, Dragon capsules can carry up to seven astronauts into orbit, though most of SpaceX's Crew missions feature a crew of four. The Dragon spacecraft also was the vehicle NASA selected to bring home the two NASA astronauts who rode the doomed Boeing Starliner capsule to the space station in June 2024. Certifying the Starliner capsule for operation would give NASA a second vehicle in addition to Dragon for regular spaceflights to orbit. Because Boeing is still developing its Starliner capsule, Dragon is the only U.S. vehicle capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station. It's also one of four vehicles contracted to transport cargo and other supplies to the orbital laboratory. For that reason, Musk's threat Thursday, June 5 to decommission the Dragon "immediately" would be a severe blow to NASA if he were to follow through on it. Musk, though, appears to already be backing off on the suggestion, which he made in response to Trump's own threats. In response to a user who advised Musk to "Cool off and take a step back for a couple days," Musk replied: 'Good advice. Ok, we won't decommission Dragon.' Seven astronauts are aboard the International Space Station, including three Americans. Four of the astronauts rode a SpaceX Dragon to the station for a mission known as Crew-10, while the remaining three launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Contributing: Joey Garrison, Josh Meyer, USA TODAY; Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: SpaceX at center of Trump, Musk feud: What that could mean for Texas

Miami Herald

5 hours ago

• Miami Herald

Hopes Of Lower Tariffs Against European Cars Are Fading Fast

One of the biggest promises of President Donald J. Trump's electoral race was to impose tariffs on foreign imports, and shortly after he was inaugurated for the second time, "tariffs" quickly became one of the buzzwords of his presidency. When it comes to cars, just about anything produced outside of American borders is going to get a lot more expensive, and due to vastly complex international supply chains, even domestically produced products could be impacted. But there was a glimmer of hope that the president would change - or at least soften - his stance against America's allies in Europe. European Union leaders had publicly expressed this expectation, citing a history of cooperation. However, as the July 9 deadline for tariffs to be further increased approaches, hope is fading, reports Reuters. The publication spoke to an anonymous official who reportedly noted that hopes of relief are fading faster now that tariffs have come into effect: "10% is a sticky issue. We are pressing them, but now they are getting revenues." A second source reportedly said the EU still would not accept the baseline rate but acknowledged that it would be difficult to change or abolish the measure. The European Union has also publicly declared that it would not accept double-digit tariffs as the United Kingdom has, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has ruled out the idea of any tariffs being lowered under the 10 percent baseline. What makes this worse is that the tariffs don't only apply to finished products; steel and aluminum from Europe face a 50 percent tariff, and that doesn't even include the standalone 25 percent tariff on foreign cars. The good news is that Europe, with a trade surplus of $236 billion with the U.S., needs to continue doing business with the largest economy in the world, so your local BMW dealer isn't closing up shop anytime soon. An EU official is quoted by Reuters as saying that the 10% baseline rate would "not massively erode competitive positions, especially if others receive the same treatment." And although hope of a compromise is fading, it hasn't been extinguished just yet. As noted by CarScoops, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed that negotiations are still underway, despite President Trump's assertion earlier this week that the EU hadn't been fair thus far. "We're talking, but I don't feel that they're offering a fair deal yet," said President Trump. "They're either going to make a good deal or they'll just pay whatever we say they have to pay." Von der Leyen said, "It's complex, but we are advancing - that is good - and I push hard to pick up more speed. So we are mixed in the negotiations, and we will see what the end brings." The United States government is adamant that its long-standing partners are benefitting more from the status quo than America is, and that mindset means that any price increases as a result of tariffs on EU imports will likely not be small. That said, automakers are working to find ways of absorbing as much of the financial strain as possible, and one way of doing that is by pushing sales of existing inventory with incentives and employee pricing offers. Related: Mercedes CEO Has a Trump Tariff Deal That Could Reshape US-EU Auto Trade Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.