The whiskey world just got a jolt. Buffalo Trace Distillery and country music heavyweight Chris Stapleton have rolled out a bolder, stronger version of their already popular Traveller Whiskey, and it packs a serious punch compared to the original.
Traveller Whiskey Full Proof, bottled at 121 proof, landed on shelves in February 2026 with a suggested retail price of $39.99 for a 750ml bottle. That's a significant jump from the original Traveller expression, which sits at 90 proof. For anyone keeping score, that means the new bottle carries roughly 60.5 percent alcohol by volume, putting it firmly in territory that seasoned whiskey drinkers tend to appreciate.
The original Traveller debuted in January 2024 and caught a lot of people off guard. A blended whiskey with a celebrity's name attached to it doesn't always inspire confidence among serious drinkers, but this one moved fast. It became one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands globally, racking up awards and expanding into international markets at a pace that even Buffalo Trace probably didn't fully anticipate. Unlike many of the distillery's other products, which have become notoriously difficult to find due to allocation restrictions, Traveller has remained widely available on store shelves. You can still grab the original 90-proof expression at major retailers like Total Wine without much trouble.
The Full Proof release marks the brand's first line extension since that initial launch two years ago.
How It Came Together
The story behind the 121-proof expression follows the same collaborative path that produced the original. Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, who has overseen operations at Buffalo Trace for years, worked alongside Stapleton to push the boundaries of what the base blend could do at a higher strength.
For those unfamiliar with the terminology, Buffalo Trace draws a distinction between "full proof" and "barrel proof." Full proof means the whiskey is bottled at the same strength it had when it went into the barrel for aging. Barrel proof, on the other hand, refers to the strength at which the whiskey comes out of the barrel, which can be higher or lower depending on aging conditions. Buffalo Trace has used the full proof designation across several of its other brands, including Benchmark, Sazerac Rye, and Weller.
Traveller itself is a blended whiskey, meaning it pulls from multiple sources. Wheatley assembled the blend using whiskeys from various distilleries owned by Sazerac, the parent company of Buffalo Trace. That potentially includes liquid from Buffalo Trace itself, A. Smith Bowman in Virginia, Barton 1792, and possibly others. The blend could incorporate bourbon, rye, light whiskey, and there has even been some debate among whiskey enthusiasts about whether Canadian whisky plays a role in the mix. More than 50 different blends were tested during the development of the original, and Wheatley ultimately settled on blend number 40, which became the product's unofficial identity.
When it came time to develop the Full Proof version, the process was about more than simply cranking up the alcohol content. Wheatley and Stapleton were curious about how far they could push the proof while keeping the smooth, drinkable quality that made the original appealing to a broad audience.
The deciding moment reportedly happened backstage after one of Stapleton's concerts. Two higher-proof contenders were poured for Stapleton, his band, and some friends. One was the 121-proof version. The other was a different proof point, higher than the original 90 but apparently not as high as 121. The room picked 121 without much debate.
"Prior to collaborating with Harlen Wheatley and Buffalo Trace Distillery on Traveller Whiskey, I generally leaned toward higher-proof and barrel-strength bottles," Stapleton said in a statement. "Needless to say, when we decided to experiment with a higher-proof expression, I was excited to see where that could land. One night after a show, we had two potential Full Proof contenders backstage with the band and some friends. Everyone agreed 121 was the clear winner."
There have been rumors floating around that Stapleton doesn't actually drink, but the Kentucky-born musician has addressed that directly in interviews, saying he simply drinks far less than he used to and prefers to sip on stronger whiskey when he does choose to have one.
What Wheatley Found in the Higher Proof
From a distilling perspective, the jump from 90 to 121 proof revealed something interesting about the blend's character. According to Wheatley, flavors that stayed hidden or muted in the original came forward when the proof was raised.
"When we started experimenting with proof in Traveller's blended recipe, flavors and finishes came to the forefront that aren't as apparent in the 90 proof blend," Wheatley said. "It's remarkable how different the blended recipe responds to proof variation compared to our straight bourbons. We think where we've landed is a completely unique offering that every whiskey drinker should try."
That observation carries weight coming from a distiller who works daily with straight bourbons like Buffalo Trace's flagship lineup. The idea that a blended whiskey responds differently to proof changes than a single-recipe bourbon is the kind of nuance that gets whiskey nerds talking, and it suggests that blended American whiskey still has untapped potential that the industry is only beginning to explore.
The official tasting notes describe amplified notes of caramelized sugar, baking spice, and toasted oak on the nose. On the palate, expect vanilla, warm toffee, and dark fruit. The finish reportedly has added depth and length compared to the original, which makes sense given the higher concentration of flavor compounds that come with a stronger proof.
The Bigger Picture for Traveller
The speed at which Traveller has grown since 2024 is worth paying attention to. It landed major sponsorship deals, including becoming the official whiskey of Major League Baseball in 2025. It also made its way into the NASCAR world through a partnership with JR Motorsports, where Justin Allgaier drove the Traveller Whiskey No. 40 Chevrolet to a top-10 finish during the 2025 Daytona 500. That racing effort is set to continue in 2026.
The Full Proof release was actually teased quietly in late January 2026 through a social media video featuring NASCAR Hall of Famer and JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. alongside Stapleton and Allgaier. It was a subtle reveal that most casual fans probably missed, but it got the whiskey community buzzing.
The brand's trajectory says something about where the American whiskey market is heading. For years, the conversation has been dominated by single-barrel bourbons, limited-edition releases, and the secondary market frenzy around allocated bottles. Traveller represents a different approach entirely. It's a blended whiskey that's priced accessibly, available widely, and backed by genuine craft credentials through Buffalo Trace's production and Wheatley's blending expertise. The celebrity partnership with Stapleton doesn't hurt, but the whiskey has earned respect on its own merits, which is why the awards have piled up.
Adding a full proof expression to the lineup is a smart move that speaks directly to experienced drinkers who want more intensity without losing approachability. At $39.99, it sits at a price point that doesn't require a second thought for most people who regularly buy whiskey. Compare that to the secondary market prices for allocated Buffalo Trace products like Blanton's or Eagle Rare, and the value proposition becomes obvious.
Worth Seeking Out
Traveller Full Proof is available now at retailers, bars, and restaurants across the country through Sazerac's distribution network. Given how widely available the original has been, finding a bottle of the Full Proof shouldn't require the kind of hunting that has become frustratingly common with other whiskey releases.
For anyone who enjoyed the original at 90 proof and wondered what it might taste like with more muscle behind it, this is the answer. And for drinkers who typically reach for barrel-strength or higher-proof pours, this 121-proof release puts Traveller squarely in that conversation.
Whether it lives up to the hype will ultimately come down to what's in the glass. But given the track record of the people behind it and the thought that went into the development process, Traveller Full Proof looks like it deserves serious consideration the next time you're standing in front of the whiskey aisle trying to decide what's coming home with you.
