Famous American liquor factory closed until further notice
Cleanup has started at a beloved American liquor factory after it was hit by historic flooding.
WDRB reported Buffalo Trace Distillery, maker of iconic brands Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare Bourbon, Blanton Single Barrel Bourbon, W.L. Weller and Sazerac, as well as the highly sought-after Pappy Van Winkle, is closed after historic flooding along the Kentucky River. The river crested at 48.24 feet, the second highest level seen at the Frankfort, Kentucky facility’s 200-year history.
“Though Buffalo Trace is still determining the final scale of total site infrastructure impact, early assessments indicate the damages are substantial and recovery efforts will be ongoing for some time,” the company said in a statement. “While the flood waters have started to subside in certain areas of the Distillery, a significant amount of the campus remains under water. Expert teams have begun the clean-up process in areas where it is safe and accessible to do so.”
The distillery will be closed to visitors through at least April 11 and events there have been canceled. Information on how it plans to proceed will be released in the coming weeks, it added.
Experts are already weighing in on the impact the flooding could have on product availability and prices. If production is interrupted, Forbes reported, resale market prices will likely spike and limited releases of sought-after items will be delayed.