Home » Buffalo Trace offers special bottling for free for charity fundraising

Buffalo Trace offers special bottling for free for charity fundraising

Buffalo Trace Distillery is making 400 collector’s edition bottles of bourbon available exclusively for charitable organizations to auction off as fundraisers.

In April 2018, Buffalo Trace Distillery rolled its 7 millionth barrel produced since Prohibition into Warehouse V, the world’s only bonded single-barrel aging warehouse. That meant, of course, the existing 6 millionth barrel that had been residing in Warehouse V since 2008 would need to take up new residence.

Promptly moved into another warehouse to mature for another year, this bourbon has now aged a full 10 years 11 months. The 6 millionth barrel of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has been filled into 375ml bottles and is being made available exclusively to nonprofit organizations for fundraising opportunities. 

Each bottle from the 6 millionth barrel has a beautifully handwritten description on the glass. The bottles in turn have been packaged in a numbered hardwood showcase box that includes a piece of the charred oak stave from the historic barrel and a small brochure explaining the significance of this collector’s edition.

Buffalo Trace is offering all 400 bottles to charitable organizations across the country – free of charge – to auction off and raise money for their worthwhile causes.

These commemorative bottles will only be available to nonprofit organizations in the United States wishing to raise funds for their charity and will not be available in stores. To be considered, organizations must submit an official U.S. nonprofit tax ID number and auction the bottle within the 2019 calendar year. Applications will be taken online only at 6millionthbarrel.com. The cutoff date to submit an online application is July 1, 2019.

Recipients of the bottles will be notified by email in early July. Bottles will be shipped free of charge in August 2019 and recipients will have until Dec. 31, 2019, to auction the bottle.

“We’re thrilled to be able to do something with the bottles to help those in need,” said Kris Comstock, Buffalo Trace senior marketing director. “We decided on the 375ml size bottles, rather than a larger size, to allow for more bottles so we can help more charities. We really hope whiskey enthusiasts will help some deserving nonprofit groups raise serious money. These bottles are beautiful, the package is first class, and the bourbon tastes amazing. Our goal is to raise $500,000 for charity!” 

This is not the first time Buffalo Trace Distillery has offered commemorative bottles for nonprofits to use for fundraising purposes. In 2011 the Frankfort distillery offered its Millennium Barrel of bourbon, put up to age on Dec. 31, 1999. That effort raised more than $150,000 for various charities across the U.S. In 2016, its inaugural O.F.C. Bourbon Whiskey from 1980, 1982 and 1983 was released in the same manner, and nonprofits reported they raised more than $1 million for charitable causes.