Franklin County, Ky., June 23 - E.H. Taylor is coming back to the distillery where it all began. Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Frankfort, KY, has purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., maker of Jim Beam Bourbon.
"We are ecstatic about this transaction," said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery. "Part of our family is returning and we are thrilled to welcome home a true bourbon whiskey pioneer."
Taylor, the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, briefly lived with his great-uncle after the death of his parents. He later moved to Kentucky where he was adopted by his uncle, Col. E.H. Taylor, Sr. Following in his uncle's footsteps, Taylor went on to be a leader in the Frankfort community. He served as mayor from 1871-1887 as well as a local state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.
Taylor's link to Buffalo Trace dates back to 1870 when he first purchased the distillery and took on the daunting task of modernization. He later named the distillery O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) and continued to invest large sums of money, making it a leader in the industry.
Taylor over-extended himself financially in an effort to use the most modern equipment to make the finest bourbon whiskey available. The end result of Taylor's financial difficulties was the sale of O.F.C. to George T. Stagg. However, even with Taylor out of the picture, the new owner moved forward using his name, as it was synonymous with fine bourbon whiskey. The award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to carry on the legacy of this great pioneer.
"It's an exciting, new opportunity for us," said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. "We are very proud of the bourbon we produce at Buffalo Trace and to be able to carry on what E.H. Taylor started more than a century ago is a real honor."
About Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery's rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 170 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies, which has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Franklin County, Bardstown and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.