Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace

Cost: $38/1L at local liquor store (South Carolina)

Age: NAS

Proof: 90

Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (10% rye or less)

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn

Appearance: A light sherry color. Rather dark for what I would otherwise expect to be a younger bourbon. Fat, quick legs. It tends to look more like what water would on the side of the glass than bourbon.

Nose: Sweetness right away with caramel and honey. Some older oak notes mingle with a slight black peppercorn, vanilla, and sage. Its smells really inviting. So down the rabbit hole we go…

Palate: The mouthfeel hits me right away with a soft but thick sip. This coats the mouth very well. It’s not quite as sweet as it nosed, but still sweet. There’s still caramel, but the honey on the nose has been replaced by burnt brown sugar and a more dominant vanilla. There is more spiciness in the sip than there was on the nose, and the older oak notes stand out more in the palate.

Finish: Medium to long finish, but never gets more than a weak hug and lingering oak notes.

Rating: 5.2/10

Overall: I got some mixed signals from this pour. There were various aspects that made me think this should be a younger bourbon and then others that made me think it was much older. While I thought the nose and palate were quite nice overall, they did run quite a bit more on the sweeter side giving it a somewhat monotone feel. The finish left a lot to be desired as well. HOWEVER...this is a hard one to separate the value from factoring in on the rating.

It’s been a long time (I’d say more than a decade) since I last purchased a bottle of Buffalo Trace. Not because it was bad, but because there were just other things I wanted to try and Buffalo Trace was always around. Fast forward to today and even Buffalo Trace is hard to find at times and you have to be careful about what some are charging for it. But today, for the price (when you get it at or close to MSRP), you really can’t beat the value! While the Buffalo Trace Distillery makes some other more “sought after” bottles of whiskey, Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon Whiskey should not be overlooked. Based on the going rates today for bourbons in the Buffalo Trace Distillery portfolio, I think there’s a solid argument for Buffalo Trace being the #1 best value bourbon offered by the distillery.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect