Chris Stapleton is the latest celebrity to enter the alcohol industry, teaming with Buffalo Trace Distillery and Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley to launch Traveller Whiskey, a new, premium blended whiskey.
Does Chris Stapleton Have A Whiskey? Yes, Here’s Everything You Need To Know
A first-of-its-kind collaboration from Buffalo Trace, Traveller Whiskey is bottled at 90 proof and characterized by notes of oak, sweet maple, tart currant and leather.
Complex aromas of vanilla, aged fruit and buttery shortbread are rounded off by caramel and a touch of oak and the flavor profile also includes a touch of sweetness, followed by spice, toasted nut and oak flavors, closing with a robust finish.
“Partnering with Buffalo Trace Distillery and Harlen Wheatley feels like a bucket list scenario for me,” Stapleton said in a statement. “Some things just make total sense – and this is definitely one of those things. Bottles from barrels that Harlen has cared for have been with us for every note we’ve ever recorded, backstage before shows and in all the moments we’ve celebrated along the way. I believe what we’ve achieved with Traveller Whiskey not only represents our shared history but also a common artistic vision and uncompromising standards of taste. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve made.”
Is Traveller Whiskey A Bourbon?
Traveller Whiskey is a unique combination of whiskeys hand-selected from The Sazerac Company’s award-winning distilleries and is blended and bottled at the World’s Most Award-Winning Distillery in Stapleton’s home state of Kentucky under Wheatley’s supervision.
Wheatley explained that the process of creating music and whiskey aren’t dissimilar in his eyes. “When making art – and we really do think that both Chris’ music and the whiskey we make at Buffalo Trace is art – you experiment, test, adjust, and don’t give up until you’ve got it right,” he said. “That’s why we experimented with more than 50 blends before agreeing that Blend No. 40 would be it for Traveller.”
Wheatley added that Traveller Whiskey “is a whiskey for everyone, whether you’ve been enjoying all the variety in the category for years or are just now discovering it.”
“Traveller stands up on its own as a smooth and sippable whiskey or works great in a cocktail, if that’s more your style,” he shared, adding that “especially if you’ve tried whiskey before and been turned away by the burn – we think you’ll take one sip of this and think to yourself, ‘OK, now this I can do.’”
Where Did The Whiskey Get Its Name?
The whiskey is named after Stapleton’s smash 2015 debut studio album, Traveller, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, won Best Country Album at the Grammys and Album of the Year at the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards. It was while the singer was working on the album that he was introduced to Buffalo Trace Distillery’s whiskey offering E.H. Taylor, which quickly became a staple of his personal collection.
Over the years, Buffalo Trace has collaborated with Stapleton and wife Morgane‘s charitable fund, Outlaw State of Kind, on multiple fundraising initiatives.
How To Buy Chris Stapleton’s Whiskey?
Traveller Whiskey was widely released to retailers, bars and restaurants across the country on January 1 and has a suggested retail price of $39.99. The product’s page on Buffalo Trace’s website shares that over 50 blends were sampled before it was decided that blend No. 40 was the winner, a whiskey described as “the carefully curated result of countless hours of testing & tasting and is exactly what you’d expect – a premium whiskey that speaks for itself.”
The whiskey is currently available on numerous websites and likely at a local store or bar near you.
