18th August, 2014 by Becky Paskin

Buffalo Trace Distillery has no plans to discontinue its W.L.Weller or Elmer T. Lee Bourbons, despite rumours it can no longer afford to allocate the stocks.

Since the Kentucky distillery released a statement in 2013 warning consumers, bartenders and retailers of a medium-term Bourbon shortage, Buffalo Trace claims false rumours have begun circulating.

Among them are whispers that Buffalo Trace will no longer produce W.L.Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon or Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, as it struggles to cope with demand for its other brands.

“Many people dismissed the warning about our Bourbon shortage, speculating that this was a publicity stunt we conceived to sell more Bourbon,” said Kris Comstock, marketing director of Buffalo Trace.

“That’s simply not true. We only provided the update to consumers, retailers, and bartenders in an honest and forthright attempt to explain why bottles seem so scarce these days.”

In May 2013 the group released a statement warning customers that availability of Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s and Eagle Rare Bourbons may be scarce. The distillery has since increased production and plans to increase both distillation and maturation capacity.

Unprecedented global demand for Bourbon and American whiskey has put strain on producers to increase production. And while stocks of some brands, particularly from Buffalo Trace, are subsequently low on shelves, whiskey currently maturing in warehouses has returned to its highest level since the 1970s, up 150% in the last 15 years.

Earlier this year the distillery warned there was still “no end in sight” for the Bourbon shortage. At the time, Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace, said: “Although we have more Bourbon than last year when we first announced the rolling blackouts, we’re still short and there is no way to predict when supply will catch up with demand.”

This morning, Comstock said every Bourbon to come out of Buffalo Trace is “currently on strict allocation”, but the distillery would not be ceasing production of any brand.