Prohibition was inarguably a dark period for the American distilling industry. Aside from accelerating the rise of organized crime in the 1920s, it also led to the shuttering of, by some estimates, over 2,000 distilleries (including one owned by this writer’s great-grandfather) — most of which did not resume operations after the repeal in 1933.
One thing, however, that Prohibition did give us was the mythology of the era, from speakeasies to bootleggers to the revival of cocktail culture. Buffalo Trace has certainly hopped on board with that romanticism. And since it was there (under George T. Stagg Distillery as one of just six distilleries licensed to sell medicinal alcohol), the Kentucky icon is better equipped to tell the story than most.
For the third-annual Prohibition Collection, it revives five archival whiskey brands that existed during Prohibition in one form or another. And this year’s selection is the most ambitious yet.
Need more proof?
Leading the pack is Henry Watterson, a straight rye whiskey bottled at a jaw-dropping 140.6 proof (70.3% ABV), making it one of the few hazmat-proof ryes on the market. The palate hits with “rye spice, citrus peel and fresh green herbs” that you’ll undoubtedly experience with amplified intensity here.
