Now that the muddy waters of the Kentucky River have receded, Buffalo Trace Distillery began in earnest Friday the process of assessing the damage and beginning the cleanup after an historic flood. Frankfort and surrounding Franklin County, Kentucky are going through a similar process.
Buffalo Trace officials held a news conference to share updates on the status of their recovery efforts. Whiskey Network was on site to bring you the latest news.
The distillery said it hopes to open its Visitor Center “in a modified manner” early next week. For now, Buffalo Trace is closed to visitors until at least Sunday, April 13.
“We know it is disappointing to have the distillery closed and it is our top priority to welcome guests again as soon as possible,” said Jake Wenz, Sazerac and Buffalo Trace Distillery CEO and President in a news release. “Recovery and clean-up teams at Buffalo Trace Distillery will continue to work diligently to prepare the grounds for reopening and the facility for operation. We also want to again say a heartfelt thanks to our team who has been tireless in their support, and the Franklin County community as well as our fans and vendor partners for their support and understanding during this time. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.”
Photo Credit: Brian G. Miller
The detailed process of inspecting the barrels that were potentially affected by the flood began on Thursday when teams could first access the rick houses and other areas of the Buffalo Trace Campus.
“A lot of heart and soul goes into every product we make, which is why our team is dedicated to testing with heavy scrutiny each barrel possibly affected by flood waters to ensure there are no issues,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller, at today’s news conference. “We have never, nor will we ever, compromise on the quality or safety of the whiskey we make.”
"I am grateful for the excellent preparation work that our teams completed in advance of the flood, which mitigated the extent of the damage we might otherwise have sustained. Similarly, based on previous floods, our full-scale recovery plan is underway. We are confident we will be back up and running shortly. As of this morning we started shipping our finished goods again and we expect to resume bottling sometime next week. Restoration of this National Historic Landmark is our top priority to ensure a quick return to making quality, award-winning whiskey and welcoming guests from around the world. Our hearts remain with the rest of the community who are also dealing with the aftermath of this flood.”
Buffalo Trace Distillery Flood Situation, Frankfort, Kentucky
Update: Friday, April 11:
Distillery leadership teams, along with engineers and expert clean-up and restoration professionals, have begun performing detailed assessments and subsequent repairs for any of the buildings affected by flood waters. The amount of damage is still being determined.
Teams also started clean-up inside the Buffalo Trace Visitor Center, which saw flooding on the first floor and will require a period for repair. Teams are working diligently to re-open the Visitor Center in a modified manner as soon as possible. As of now, the Distillery will be closed to visitors through Sunday, April 13th. Additional updates regarding visitor access are as follows:
· As a first step, the distillery expects to operate a greatly modified retail experience early next week from the “Freehouse Building” – aka the visitor check-in center directly adjacent to the visitor parking lot.
· This will be made accessible via an email reservation system available first to tour reservation holders whose visits were interrupted by the flooding.
· More details will be shared as they are available on Buffalo Trace Distillery’s social media pages.
· Until the distillery fully reopens to visitors, only select team members, recovery experts and guests are permitted on-site.
Source: Buffalo Trace Distillery
