Food & Wine reported on Friday that one of Kentucky’s most iconic whiskey brands, Buffalo Trace, is offering aid to victims of Kentucky’s floods and recent tornadoes.
The distillery put up some of its most iconic bottles to support victims of the two horrific weather disasters. The event will take place on May 22 and run through June 5.
Money from “Pour it Forward for Kentucky” will be donated to organizations like Kentucky’s Franklin County Flood Relief and the Blue Grass Community Foundation. Additional funds will be distributed to the American Red Cross.
Entry-level bidding starts at $100. Those interested in supporting those affected by the floods can learn more by visiting BlockBar, an online auction house here.
An Inside Look at Buffalo Trace’s Most Iconic Whiskeys Up for Auction
Buffalo Trace is putting full sets of icons like Pappy Van Winkle and its signature antique collection on the auction block. The storied bourbon brand is additionally putting its 2024 Prohibition Collection under the hammer. The distinctive collection of extinct whiskey replicated by the distillery’s team involve bygone brands, like Spiritus Frumenti and Golden Wedding.
The brand is also offering one-offs, like a bottle of Double Eagle Very Rare and a bottle of O.F.C. Vintage 2005.
Buffalo Trace put up the opportunity for one lucky bidder to win a VIP Tour with a stay at the Stagg Lodge. During the visit, the winner will get to pick out a barrel of Blanton’s Gold as part of the Sazerac Barrel Select experience.
The brand is also offering a PGA package and custom Buffalo Trace putters as part of the auction’s sweepstakes portion, which just involves a minimum $50 bid. As part of the experience, golf aficionados looking to hit a hole in one will get an all-inclusive opportunity to do so at the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Fans of the hit TV show, “Yellowstone,” can bid on a trip to 101 Studios that includes a tour of the set of the show “Y: Marshals.” “Y: Marshals” is a Yellowstone spinoff series and stars Luke Grimes.
Music fans can bid on a bottle of Traveller Whiskey autographed by country music star Chris Stapleton.
When Disaster Hits Home
Buffalo Trace is no stranger to making an impact with communities in the wake of disaster. In February, the brand’s parent company, Sazerac, put up the inaugural single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle up for auction to aid wildfire victims.
Yet as tragedy would have it, climate-related disasters do not discriminate based on region. In early April, Kentucky’s disastrous floods broke records and left the distillery partially submerged under water.
Buffalo Trace ended up shuttering its doors due to its proximity to the Kentucky River. The distillery was partially submerged, and as the waters receded, clean up crews discovered 250 pounds of fish trapped at the distillery. Rescue and clean up efforts began its inspection around a week later, after the flood waters receded. The brand shared that it did not expect any “meaningful” losses after the flooding concluded. Yet some individuals residing in Kentucky were not as lucky.
Seven people died in the catastrophe, according to an April 11 article in the Lexington Herald Leader. A little over a month later, an additional 19 people died from the catastrophic tornadoes that took place on May 16 and 18, according to the Courier Journal.
“We’ve had more than our fair share of natural disasters in Kentucky in recent years,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear according to Fox Weather. “And while we can’t know why Kentucky keeps getting hit, and it feels tough for our people to be facing this level of pain and destruction, one thing we know here in the commonwealth is how to come together, live our faith and values and help our neighbors in this time of need.”
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