We Tried Buffalo Trace's Third Prohibition Collection. There Are Two Standouts

It all began with a box destined for a dumpster. When a Buffalo Trace employee combing through distillery castoffs happened upon a trove of mint-condition copies of every label the plant had released during Prohibition—when it operated as George T. Stagg Distillery—five such labels were reimagined as the first Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection, launched in 2023.

The second edition of the Prohibition Collection landed in January 2025. This time the focus narrowed to brands tied to the George T. Stagg era. Buffalo Trace’s lead archivist Nicolas Laracuente worked from a book of rescued Stagg-era labels, matching each defunct name to a flavor profile from existing barrels, since no original tasting notes or bottles survived. Like the first edition, it moved off shelves nearly as fast as it hit them.

Now comes the 2026 Prohibition Collection release, its third edition. Five more forgotten names return: Henry Watterson, Kentucky River, John G. Carlisle, Walter B. Duffy, and Cove Spring, each tied to a real figure or landmark from the Albert B. Blanton era. (Blanton helmed the George T. Stagg distillery during Prohibition.) As with prior releases, the 2026 Prohibition Collection bottles are scaled down to a period-appropriate 375-ml size. The set comes in a wooden case featuring archival imagery, and each carton keeps the prescription cut-out symbolizing where a physician would’ve signed to authorize a medicinal purchase. Priced at $1,000 for the set, these began shipping through Sazerac's distributor network to select retailers, bars, and restaurants in June 2026.

We got samples of each expression. Here are our 2026 Prohibition Collection tasting notes.

John G. Carlisle straight bourbon, 50%

Named for the congressman who helped write the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, this one nails classic bourbon structure. The nose leads with rye spice, cinnamon, and baking chocolate, with tobacco leaf sitting underneath. It’s a classic candy bar nose; one that doesn’t disappoint with repeated whiffs. The medium-weight pour hits the back of the palate first, oily and coating, rewarding you with a proper Kentucky hug on the way down. Caramel popcorn, baking spice, and stewed pears keep it in a darker register, though a sweetness pushes through. The lengthy finish dries as it zips down the sides of the tongue, closing on caramel, rye spice, and a touch of oak.

Walter B. Duffy blend of 10 and 14 year old straight bourbons, 53.5%

In 1893, after Stagg's death, Duffy took sole ownership of the distillery, then named Old Fire Copper (O.F.C.), and later appointed Blanton president. This noses brighter and more floral than the Carlisle: cinnamon, peaches, pears, and ripe orchard fruit show up at first, then it coalesces into an inescapable note of Mott’s cinnamon applesauce. The palate is rich and heavy. Tobacco and strong spice bloom in the back, joined by dark chocolate, toffee, and coffee. It’s an oily, thick whiskey with a light chew to it. The protracted finish is drying and warm, ending on dark chocolate and tobacco leaf, leaving you with a final Fig Newton note.

Kentucky River straight whiskey, 50%

My favorite of the set. The nose is a pastry shop: honey, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, biscuit dough, and a trace of green tea. The mouthfeel is heavier and sweeter, coating the palate with cherry syrup, Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, and a light undercurrent of oak. There's wheat whiskey in here somewhere, judging by the softness and the way it balloons out. Shortbread and fresh graham-cracker pie crust round it off. The finish is medium long; it gets in and gets out, but leaves you a welcome cherry hand pie note before it vanishes.

Cove Spring Uncut wheated straight bourbon, 60.1%

My second favorite. The nose is a little closed off at this strength, offering soft honey wheat toast on the back end, a fair amount of oak, cherry, and baking chocolate. The palate of this heavyweight liquid, however, explodes with lush and fruit-forward flavors, including bright cherry, sweet corn pudding, and biscuits with jam. The finish runs long, round, and vibrant, landing on buttered corn on the cob and cherry cobbler. A summer picnic in a single sip.

Henry Watterson straight rye, 70.3%

This is the highest-proof rye in the distillery's modern history. It’s named for the anti-Prohibition congressman and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who supported many distilleries. The nose is textbook rye, evergreen and mint over the herbaceous, dill-backed profile you'd know from a Sazerac or a Handy, with lemon and orange zest brightening the top and an earthy undercurrent below. For a hazmat rye, it hides its ethanol well; deep inhales lead to a York Peppermint Pattie note. Its medium-weight palate is green through and through, with dill first, then mint and pine, with a sweetness arriving at the tip of the tongue once the herbs settle, then a little lemon, rye spice, and barrel oak seeping in behind. It finishes long and warm with more dill and spice.