Chris Stapleton Releases Boldest Traveler Whiskey Yet at an Unapologetic 121 Proof
When country music star Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley first began working together, their goal was to create an “easy sippin’” American whiskey.
Their so-called Traveller Whiskey, which is a blend of barrels from different Buffalo Trace distilleries, is 90 proof and debuted in January 2024.
But it didn’t take long before both men wondered how more proof the whiskey could handle. As Wheatley recalled during a recent joint interview with Stapleton, “maybe a month in, you said, you know, we could probably go a little higher proof on this.”
Courtesy Chris Stapleton
Stapleton, a longtime fan of barrel‑strength bottles, was already thinking the same thing. “Most of what I eyeballed was barrel proof things,” he says. But early on, he and Wheatley wanted the first Traveller release to be, in Stapleton’s words, “really accessible for everybody, and turn maybe even some non-whiskey drinkers into whiskey drinkers.” Once that foundation was set, the door opened for pushing the blend to a higher alcohol level, which led to further experimentation.
Ultimately, one night backstage after a show, Stapleton, his band, and a few friends sampled the two main contenders: a lower high‑proof option he had suggested, around 107 proof, and a 121‑proof version Wheatley believed had something special. The room voted for the 121 proof whiskey. “It was unanimous.”
Wheatley says the higher proof blend worked because the underlying whiskey could handle the spotlight. At higher proofs, flaws show up fast, which is why starting with strong components matters. “The higher proof you go, the less you can subdue things, and it stands out more.” At 121, he says, “there’s nowhere to hide.”
Courtesy Buffalo Trace
Despite the intensity, both men were determined to keep the new Traveller Whiskey Full Proof approachable. Wheatley frames it as a matter of discipline: “Some people think of high proof as harsh or hot but if you don’t start with whiskey that has impurities, and it’s good and smooth, then you’re just managing intensity.” Stapleton approaches it from the drinker’s perspective. “I just want to enjoy it,” he says. “When I get done with the one that I’m enjoying, I want to want another one.”
That balance — experimentation without losing the brand’s identity — mirrors how Stapleton thinks about music. “You want to stay true to yourself and what you’re doing,” he says. “I never get worried about not writing songs or not making records. You have to use the time and the life and all those things will lead you to the thing that it’s supposed to be. And I think that’s where music and whiskey align.”
Related: Why Michter’s $6,000 Celebration Sour Mash Is Redefining Luxury American Whiskey
Travel Whiskey NASCAR & MLB Partenrships
Traveller’s rapid rise has included partnerships with Major League Baseball and a growing presence in NASCAR, where the Traveller No. 40 Chevrolet scored a top‑10 finish at the Daytona 500. Stapleton sees those partnerships as extensions of the culture the whiskey naturally fits into — but he’s blunt about what really matters. “None of this works if what’s inside the bottle is not good,” he says. “People would have it once and dump it out. The only thing that makes any of this work is that the product itself is worth promoting.”
Stapleton says the key to Traveller’s growth is putting the whiskey into places where it feels authentic — sports, music, festivals. Wheatley had his own version of that moment watching the Traveller No. 40 Chevrolet at Daytona. “When they would zoom in on that car. I was getting pretty fired up,” he says. “I was ready for that thing to win.”
Stapleton, who spent time in the pit last year, came away with a deeper appreciation for the craft behind racing. “The amount of preparation and the skill and the grit—it’s intense,” he says. “Much like whiskey, what I’ve come to appreciate even more is the real effort that’s going into this thing.”
Courtesy Buffalo Trace
Traveler Whiskey Full Proof Tasting Notes
Traveler Whiskey Full Proof, according to Wheatley, has amped up notes of caramelized sugar, baking spices and toasted oak. It also has even more vanilla, toffee and dark fruit flavors than the original Traveler expression.
Related: I Tasted Buffalo Trace’s New Full-Proof $40 Rye—and It Drinks Like a $400 Bottle
Traveller Whiskey Full Proof Price & Availability
Traveller Full Proof is now available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $40.