Watch the dramatic difference between the two drone videos below —from the peak flooding on April 7 to today, Friday, April 11—as floodwaters at Buffalo Trace Distillery have finally receded.
Buffalo Trace tells BourbonBlog.com today that its historic Frankfort campus is now fully accessible, with cleanup, restoration, and recovery efforts underway. Following days of heavy rainfall and a dramatic rise in the Kentucky River, the site—home to some of the world’s most iconic bourbons—had remained underwater and inaccessible earlier this week.
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Buffalo Trace Flooded: April 7, 2025 Flood Video
Buffalo Trace grin Friday, April 11: Waters Recede Video
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Now, with water levels back to normal, engineers, contractors, and restoration crews have begun evaluating buildings across the distillery grounds. Although the full extent of the damage is still being determined, Buffalo Trace has already resumed shipping finished goods and expects to restart bottling operations next week.
The company says its preparedness and historical experience with similar weather events helped prevent more severe damage and will enable a relatively quick recovery.
Bourbon and Whiskey Integrity and Barrel Inspection
As cleanup teams spread across the campus, one of the most critical steps underway is the evaluation of barrels that may have come into contact with floodwaters. Inspections began on Thursday, April 10, and will continue over the coming weeks.
The process includes:
- Full physical inspections of barrels suspected to be touched by water
- The same rigorous testing and analysis Buffalo Trace uses for every batch
Based on similar past events, the team is confident that any loss of whiskey will be minimal. Every barrel will undergo thorough evaluation to ensure there is no compromise in quality or safety.
“A lot of heart and soul goes into every product we make, which is why our team is dedicated to testing with heavy scrutiny each barrel possibly affected by flood waters to ensure there are no issues,” Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller tells BourbonBlog.com. “We have never, nor will we ever, compromise on the quality or safety of the whiskey we make.”
Visitor Center Recovery and Temporary Guest Experience
The distillery’s Visitor Center suffered flooding on the first floor, prompting a full closure through Sunday, April 13.
However, work is already underway to reopen parts of the guest experience in a modified form.
Beginning early next week, Buffalo Trace plans to launch a temporary retail experience at the Freehouse Building, adjacent to the main parking lot. Access will initially be offered to guests whose visits were canceled due to flooding, through a reservation-based system.
More updates will be shared via the distillery’s website and social media. Until a full reopening occurs, only recovery teams, approved staff, and select guests will be allowed on-site.
Looking Ahead – Rebuilding and Supporting the Community
While physical recovery is underway, Buffalo Trace is also turning its focus to supporting the greater Frankfort community. Leadership says relief initiatives will soon be announced to assist those affected by the storm across Franklin County.
In the meantime, the city has launched the Franklin County Flood Relief Fund, which is now accepting donations to help provide essential support for local residents.
Donate here
Buffalo Trace tells BourbonBlog.com that its commitment to producing award-winning whiskey, restoring its historic property, and welcoming back guests remains stronger than ever. We’ll continue to report updates as this important recovery effort unfolds.
“I am grateful for the excellent preparation work that our teams completed in advance of the flood, which mitigated the extent of the damage we might otherwise have sustained. Similarly, based on previous floods, our full-scale recovery plan is underway. We are confident we will be back up and running shortly. As of this morning we started shipping our finished goods again and we expect to resume bottling sometime next week,” said Jake Wenz, Sazerac & Buffalo Trace Distillery CEO and President.
Video footage and photos provided by Buffalo Trace.
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