The Visitor Centre today is ... Buffalo Trace London
- JULIE WHITE
- May 6
- 15 min read
America's most awarded whiskey, Buffalo Trace has landed in Covent Garden. The question is whether a London outpost can do justice to the warmth of the Kentucky original.
A trip down to London from my home here in Scotland is always a treat, and Covent Garden is where I base myself, at my go-to bolt hole on Seven Dials roundabout. Be it walking along bustling cobblestoned streets, grabbing a coffee from % Arabica and a pastry from Arôme Bakery to enjoy in the Piazza, with shopping bags dangling off my arm, laden with a few little must have luxuries from Penhaligon's, Charlotte Tilbury or Neal's Yard, while a dancer in sweats from the Royal Ballet runs past us, her ballet shoes slung over her shoulder.
Or maybe you'll find me at The Wine Place, cradling a rosé, tucking into a sharing plate or two, watching someone belt out an aria or a spoken word poem, with a string quartet waiting in the wings, all courtesy of the market's talented street performers.
A leisurely meandre amongst the pop up antiques and collectibles stands in the old Apple Market, looking for hidden treasures, is usually followed by a nip into the London Transport Museum to see one of their new exhibitions, before I head to an art class, or the theatre.
In fact, I'll be back there soon, for a behind the scenes tour of the Royal Opera House.
Covent Garden is busy but not frenetic, and, like me, over 44 million other tourists flock there each year.
But, as if I needed any more temptation to return, it's now also home to one of my favourite bourbon brands.
On 6th May, 2024 Buffalo Trace, opened their London flagship and experience store, the first, at the time, outside of Kentucky. I have fond memories of my trip to their Kentucky distillery, where warmth, southern charm and history exudes through its centuries-old brick warehouses, and where our tour guide David delivered one of the most memorable distillery tours we've ever participated in. So, how will the brand with the longest-continuously operating distillery in America, fare in their new satellite location? I rocked up with my husband for a special event night of signature sippings and delicious drams to find out.
Visiting Buffalo Trace London: What to Expect
The brand history
If, like me, you are a bourbon enthusiast, the chances are you already know the name Buffalo Trace. If you read my guide to the distillery in Kentucky, you will know just how deeply history is woven into the family owned brand. Their story of survival includes epic floods, lightning strikes, tornadoes, economic downturns and even Prohibition. When you have a pedigree like that, the challenge is how to translate it across the pond, without the experience feeling like a cynical tourist trap.
It was a bold, post pandemic move for Sazerac to bring a new brand home to London. First announced in September 2023, the London location was to be part education hub, part theatre, with narrative-led tours and tastings for those that had never considered a trip to the Bluegrass State.
The brand might be the powerhouse behind some of the most elusive and highly prized whiskeys on the planet, from the delicious Eagle Rare and W.L. Weller to the legendary Pappy Van Winkle, but the team at Buffalo Trace clearly recognised that while we might know our Scotch and Irish whiskies inside out over here, America’s native spirit can, for some, still be a bit of a mystery. It might feature in your old fashioned, but it's not as widely drunk as a dram straight up.
To appreciate why bourbon has found such a devoted following, it helps to know what sets it apart. Scotch leans on malted barley, and in many expressions, peat, for its personality. Bourbon takes a different path entirely. American law requires that at least 51% of the grain mix is corn, and it is that corn that gives the spirit its signature warmth - think rich toffee, soft vanilla, a whisper of honey. I love the stuff though, and I find its subtle smack of sweetness makes it a gateway drink for those that are put off by peat smoked pours. The category boomed after the 2008 recession. But the wheels fell off a bit in the last few years, with a global cost of living crisis, tariffs, over production and changing drinking habits among many of the challenges affecting the sector.
It is onto the crowded streets of London then that the brand has planted its flag for the last few years. Not with a pop up, like they did in Paris for the Olympics, but with a more permanent bricks and mortar base. They have not publicly disclosed how much the London outpost has cost, though it is a key part of their broader $1.2 billion global expansion strategy. With weekly footfall estimated at over 800,000 people in the Covent Garden area alone, it really is all about location, location, location.
The Visitor Centre design
The lucky design firm tasked with bringing to life the Buffalo Trace Distillery London store, was the retail and brand experience agency Hot Pickle. Their brief was an "immersive, sensorial" space that brings the brand's Kentucky heritage to the UK.
Buffalo Trace secured a 10-year lease on a 2,000-square-foot premises and it was totally transformed. The design team has used custom materials and finishes that echo the look and feel of the historic Frankfort distillery, making sure it doesn't just look like another slick London storefront, but an elegant, and authentic, grown up whisky den.
Red brick and green metal echoes the famous aging warehouses back in Frankfort. There are copper accents everywhere, a subtle homage to the old-fashioned copper stills they have used for centuries.
When you visit, the experience is split between a retail shop and two beautifully designed tasting bars.
Retail space
As the shop closed up for our after-hours event, it started to fill up with visitors from far and near. Before the event we could browse their core range of bottles alongside exclusive merchandise that you won't find anywhere else in the world. If you time your visit right, you might even stumble across some of their rarer bottles, which they release at surprise intervals during the year.
We noticed they were offering free samples, and just had to partake. It was research after all. I do appreciate a try before you buy opportunity, and a bottle of the Traveller Blend No 40 came home with me because of it.
It's a collab between Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley and Kentucky native, and globally famous bearded bastion of country music, Chris Stapleton, him of the raspy and powerful, country-soul ballad Tennessee Whiskey, and Say Something with Justin Timberlake, which are both on many a playlist of mine.
It launched in January 2024 and is 90 proof (45% ABV) and a bit of a bargain at just £29.
The metal swing tag clinked all the way home in our luggage. If you hold it up you can see the map of Kentucky on the reverse of the label.
And if the libations weren't flowing enough, a tray of old fashioneds got passed around. Now, this is how to start a tasting.
There were shelves full of other expressions, such as the Eagle Rare 10 that I already had at home.
And, of course, there's the core product, the Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon, my son's choice for his homemade cocktails.
There are shelves of branded merch, and I couldn't resist snapping up a few bits as Christmas gifts.
The benefit of having such a wide range of products, is that there is not just something for everyone's taste, but ample items that are suitcase friendly, whether you're on a long or short haul flight, packing light or bringing a spare suitcase like I do.
T-shirts and fleeces make the perfect bottle protectors, as we know from experience.
Want a hide bag? It's yours.
The leather coasters were great, but made even better when we were told we could get them stamped with our names on.
You can't knock the analogue joy of pulling levers and debossing characters into leather. They proudly grace our whisky room at home.
There's several audio visual panels, with changing displays. Some tell you the tasting experience times, some show flybys of the distillery in Kentucky, or bottles going down a production line. It stopped the displays from feeling too static and made me want to return to those storied brick warehouses and water tower.
You might not notice the little details, such as the buffalo etched into the wood, but people like me do.
Tasting sessions
The real draw is the tasting sessions. They currently offer four different guided options in two tasting rooms, both of which cater for different experiences.
The first tasting room, which I sneaked a peek at, hosts the "Introduction to Bourbon" tastings and walks you through three of their staples: the classic Buffalo Trace Bourbon, the spicy Sazerac Rye, and the Weller Special Reserve.
If you want to dig a little deeper, the "Tradition & Change" tasting steps things up with a premium flight that includes their unaged White Dog Mash #1, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old, and the superb E.H. Taylor Small Batch, finishing off with a cheeky miniature Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned. Prices for both of those tastings are under £35, which feels very reasonable for what you get.
The "Art of Blending" tasting focusses on their award-winning Traveller Whiskey but has you getting much more hands-on, blending your very own custom whiskey. If my previous efforts at that are anything to go by, I shall leave that to the professionals. It's only £34.99 though, so you can afford to unleash your inner master blender after all.
Now, here is something extra exciting for the bourbon lovers among us. The Sazerac Barrel Select (SBS) programme has reserved a number of Kentucky Straight Bourbon barrels specifically for the UK market, separate from their existing US allocation, where 170,000 people are already signed up. Barrels are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so if this is your kind of thing, you can't hang about.
The really lovely part is that you have two ways to go about it. If you fancy making a proper trip of it, you can fly out to the distillery in Frankfort, walk the site with your guests, and hand-pick your barrel in person, with a private tour and tasting thrown in for good measure. Getting to Kentucky might feel like a stretch right now, especially with pricey airline tickets and cancelled flights due to sky high aircraft fuel costs. Don't worry. You can do the whole thing from the comfort of the London tasting room, working through samples until you find the one that speaks to you, surrounded by pictures of the famous names associated with the distillery, copper clad display shelves holding much coveted bottles and wall mounted barrel heads.
As for the cost, a barrel typically yields around 250 bottles at an average of £34 a bottle, which works out at roughly £8,500 in total. Not an impulse purchase, admittedly, but for a group of serious bourbon enthusiasts, it is a genuinely special way to own a piece of this distillery's story.
And if a full barrel feels like a commitment too far, the London flagship also offers a more accessible version of the experience. Their bespoke single-barrel tasting lets you work through three individual barrel samples, and at the end of it you take home one personalised bottle of your favourite. At £60 a head, it is a brilliant evening out for anyone who wants to understand why single-barrel bourbon is really special.
You will need to book ahead if you want to guarantee a spot on any of the tastings, though they do hold back some space for walk-ins on the day.
Spirit Season Experience
I was lucky enough to be doom scrolling on social media, when I stumbled across Buffalo Trace London's Instagram feed with a post advertising their Spirit Season special event. Booking this was a no brainer. I was in the city anyway. What better way to spend an evening than with one of my favourite tipples and new friends.
A group of twenty filed into another tasting room and we all took our places around the tables.
Our tasting flights were ready and waiting for us, each glass glowing with various shades of amber.
It is an elevated version of the standard Tradition & Change tasting, which, when we visited, had never been run before. First up was the Buffalo Trace that we all know and love.
We were being hosted by the manager Kiel, who knew his stuff, even when a few of the whisky snobs asked trickier questions. I'd rather enjoy the experience that try and catch a tour guide out. Do we all honestly retain the exact temperatures of stills or how long fermentation takes anyway? We are not all like whisky yoda Dave Broom.
It wasn't just a tasting, for those bourbon virgins with us, there was an introduction to the grains, bourbon regulations and the production process, along with a humorous, but knowledgeable, romp through the brand's storied history. It was all buffalo trails, limestone filtration, Kentucky grain fields, mash bills, angel's share, prohibition and bootlegging, followed up with stories true to the urban legends.
I was too busy checking out the legs on my next dram, which were fabulous and long, just like mine! The next tasting would normally be the 10 year old Eagle Rare, but on this occasion we were treated to an additional 12 year old, which Kiel's friend had brought over from the US for people to share. Sadly none of the Eagle Rare 12 was available in the shop. That certainly reminded us of our tour at the distillery and the dreaded allocation system that had us leaving nearly empty handed. I love my Eagle Rare 10 back home, and this was a bit of a game of compare and contrast. Ageing whiskey in Kentucky compared to Scotland differs primarily due to climate, with Kentucky's hot, humid summers causing bourbon to mature roughly three to four times faster than Scotch. That extra few years makes a perceptible difference.
Kiel was about to go even more rogue, as next up was a George T Stagg, and it was explained to us that our tasting card was wrong.
This bottle was the 2024 edition, 135 proof (67.5% ABV), 15 years old and the angel's share was 68%. Those angels would have been very happy indeed. Kiel told us all about how in October 2016, workers at Buffalo Trace uncovered the foundations and fermenting vats of the O.F.C. distillery, and the story of one of the biggest rivalries in bourbon history. Few partnerships in American whiskey history were as influential, and as volatile, as that of Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. and George T. Stagg. Their late 19th century falling out was not simply a dispute between business partners, it was a collision of two opposing visions for what the American whiskey industry could and should become. My guide to our Buffalo Trace distillery visit will tell you more about it and the new tours that show you the excavated site.
The absolute star of our tasting session was the E.H. Taylor Small Batch Barrel Proof.
Just as it was our favourite dram in Kentucky, it did not disappoint here in London. Wonderfully warm, packed with vanilla sweetness and a little kick of pepper, it was the perfect reminder of why we fell in love with this brand and the legacy of Colonel E.H.Taylor in the first place. Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. was not simply a distiller, he pushed the industry to think harder about quality at every stage, introducing climate-controlled warehouses to manage the ageing process, and lobbying hard for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which set the first federal standards for American whiskey. It is no accident that he is still referred to as the Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry and if you read my guide you will see that he was also a pioneer of whiskey tourism.
Be prepared for yet another disappointment folks. This is also not available in the shop. I did manage to snag a standard Small Batch on Amazon for £60. But this barrel aged beauty will set you back a little bit more.
Bottled at over 129 proof (64.5%+ ABV), it's aged for 7-8 years before being sold in extremely limited batches. I'll have to keep my eyes on the Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for a bottle, and save up in the meantime, as they sell for over £200.
What impressed me most was the lack of snobbery during the experience. Whether you are a bourbon aficionado who knows your mash bills from your angel's share, or a complete novice who just likes a nice cocktail, you are made to feel entirely welcome. And everyone was represented at our tasting session. The father and son duo, the college reunion crowd and the date night devotees. It is an education, certainly, but it is delivered with genuine warmth and a healthy dose of homegrown hospitality.
We left, not just with a renewed respect for bourbon, but with a rather heavy bag of merchandise and spirit that got tucked safely into our suitcase.
In conclusion
Whether you are a seasoned bourbon collector or just someone looking for a great drink, Buffalo Trace's London flagship is a brilliant addition to the capital's spirits scene. It is all about getting people round the table, sharing bourbon, making connections, and growing a community, one dram at a time. Our guide was fun and deftly delivered an hour of information at just the right pace to keep everyone engaged.
It cannot compete with the full authenticity of the distillery tour back in Frankfort, which offers a far deeper connection through history walks, garden experiences and hard hat tours of the production floor. But, as a satellite brand home, it more than holds its own. It brings signature spirits and stories to the masses, in one of London's busiest tourist spots. We arrived as strangers and left as friends. That's the recipe every brand experience hopes for.
A little light reading
If you want to know even more about Buffalo Trace, then I can highly recommend Buffalo, Barrels & Bourbon by F. Paul Pacult. It's a trusted addition to my collection of brand books.
How long was the visit?
We were in the store for 90 minutes, with an hour dedicated to the tasting.
How much are tickets?
We bought our own tickets and this was not part of any advertising.
Guided tastings are from £19.99 and this event was a little extra.
Tickets to events are available on their Instagram account.
Opening times
It's always worth checking with Buffalo Trace London for their current opening times, as they can vary. Currently they are open Monday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and
Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 6:00p.m.
Website: Buffalo Trace London
Address: 32-33 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LA, United Kingdom
Where we stayed:
We always stay at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel, London. We find the location superb, quiet enough to get some sleep and yet close to the action, with great transport links and fabulous shopping, dining, theatre and sightseeing all within a short stroll. The rooms are not always enormous, especially if you're on one of the top floors, but we stay here nearly every time we are in London and find it ideal for what we need.
Getting here:
Getting to London for us is pretty easy, as there are lots of flights from Edinburgh to all of the city's airports. Buffalo Trace London is just steps away from the Covent Garden underground which is served by the Piccadilly line.
What else is there to see close by:
London has so many attractions that you would never fit them into one trip. My guide to the London Transport Museum, just around the corner in Covent Garden, has a few suggestions.
But here are a few more brand experiences that you can check out when you're next in the capital.
If you find yourself in south-west London, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is well worth the detour. Tucked inside the grounds of the All England Club, it is one of the finest sports museums in the country and covers the full sweep of tennis history, from its Victorian origins right through to the modern game. Designed by one of the best brand experience firms Mather & Co, you can even get a guided tour of the famous Centre Court. Tickets are around £15 for adults, and it is open year-round, though access to the grounds is restricted during the Championships in late June and early July.
Coffee lovers should make a beeline for the Lavazza flagship on Wigmore Street (Guide coming soon). The Italian brand's London home is part café, part design statement, and the coffee is exactly as good as you would hope. It is a lovely spot to pause, especially if you have been on your feet all day. I have added a guide to their Lavazza Museum in Turin, if you want to learn about the brand before your London visit.
If you want something truly quirky then can I suggest a visit to the British Optical Association Museum, though you'll need to make an appointment. It holds one of the most comprehensive collections of spectacles, optical instruments and eye-related curiosities in the world, spanning several centuries of vision science. It is free to visit, fascinatingly niche, and the kind of place that reminds you London still has plenty of surprises up its sleeve.
And no trip to the capital should be without a visit to the historic Fortnum & Mason. The store has been trading since 1707 and it shows, not in a dusty way, but in the best possible sense.
Keep your eyes open as you browse, because the brand history is woven right into the fabric of the place, from the archive imagery and heritage displays dotted throughout the floors to the iconic clock above the entrance, where the founders Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason still emerge to bow to each other on the hour. It is shopping as theatre, and quite unlike anywhere else trust me. Possibly my favourite shop in the world.
Further Reading
If you liked this article then check out our other guides to Spirit and Alcohol brands.
Please note - I'm real
I visit every brand visitor centre and experience myself. My feedback is real, based on a single visit, but informed by years of experience designing and exploring brand experiences all over the world.
I love writing my own reflections, diving into a brand's history, doing the research and looking at spaces through the eyes of a commercial interior designer. With over 30 years of working with customers, I also enjoy watching how guests interact with guides, displays and spaces. Everything I share is honest, personal and entirely human, not AI generated.
That authenticity is important to me, and if it's important to you and you want to work with me, or share your experiences or want to suggest others, then I am happy to be contacted via this website.
Photographs: ©Julie White unless noted otherwise
Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed are solely my own. I paid for the tours in full and any comments reflect my personal experiences on that day. Please visit and garner your own thoughts and feel free to research the brand and the visitor centre in question.
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