How To Read A Buffalo Trace Laser Code

Since 2007 Buffalo Trace has been stamping bottles with a laser codes during the bottling/assembly line process. Some bottles have the code missing, the code behind the label or it might look like gibberish/smudged. Automated bottle assembly lines move quickly and a missing or smudged code can happen fairly easily.

How To Date A Buffalo Trace Bottle

Depending on the year bottled, the Buffalo Trace laser codes can appear differently. If you have a Buffalo Trace bottle that is post 2007 it should have a laser code. Below are some in-depth examples of Buffalo Trace laser codes and how to interpret them.

Between The Years Of 2007-2011

K= Bottling line, 259= 259th day of the year, 10= year bottled (2010), 15:47= time bottled (3:47pm)

2012-Present

L= Lot, 18= year bottled (2018), 096= 96th day of the year, 01= plant number, 1050= 10:50am, K= bottling line

What if my bottle is missing a laser code?

If you know your bottle is a recent purchase, start by looking around the bottom of the bottle. Most codes are found near the bottom edge of the glass. Fairly often codes can be hidden behind the bottle’s labels, so you might need to get a flashlight and tilt your bottle in some strange directions to find the code.

If you think the bottle in question could be pre-2007, it will not have a laser code and I would reference whiskeyid.com for an in-depth dive into dating your bottle.

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How To Find The Buffalo Trace Info Sheet?

If you have a store pick of a Buffalo Trace product, it will have a medallion located somewhere on the bottle. Store picks are single barrels and can be off profile from the regularly bottled product. Anytime I am lucky enough to purchase a store pick of a Buffalo Trace product, I take a picture of the medallion and laser code then email those to Buffalo Trace. I can take a few days but I will request the single barrel information sheet about the barrel.

Properly dating a bottle is important for many reasons. Normally, not always, older bottles are more valuable and certain years may be more rare. Depending on reviews, some years may receive high praise and be sought after.

In some cases there might be years or certain “lots” of bottles to avoid. For example in 2015 there was a batch of Elmer T Lee that had a tainted cork causing an overly earthy, woody taste. The “cork taint” bottles can be identified by the laser code (B15258 to B15266). Anything bottled between Tuesday September 18th 2015 and Wednesday September 23rd 2015 could have potentially been affected.

Reading laser codes have many uses and how you use the information is up to you. It can also come in handy when dating EH Taylor Barrel Proof Batches or Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles. Knowing more about the bourbon you are drinking is a win in my book! Plus it’s cool to grab a bottle, read a laser code and look like a pro doing it.

If you find this useful please leave a comment or subscribe. If you would like to learn more about bourbon labels, check out How To Read A Four Roses Label!