Bottle Image May Vary George T. Stagg was born December 19, 1835, in Garrard County, Kentucky. While little is known of his early years, the impact his adult life had on the bourbon industry was quite impressive.

Working as a whiskey salesman in St. Louis, he had the good fortune of teaming up with bourbon icon E.H. Taylor, Jr. Together they built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century. A leading industry expert at the time declared the Distillery “one plus ultra of its class,” the best of the best.

Stagg’s salesmanship and financial acumen helped build the Distillery into one of the world’s leading bourbon producers. In 1904, the Distillery was rechristened to bear Stagg’s name, a title that was maintained for nearly a century.

Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery strives to carry on the tradition of innovation and excellence of one of its famous forefathers. In 2000, the Distillery was honored with the prestigious “Distillery of the Year” designation by Whisky Advocate, the culmination of Stagg’s work, begun nearly 150 years ago.