Buffalo Trace Bourbon – Review

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

90 Proof

Price Point: $15 – $25 for 750 ML

Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distillery

Background

When a distillery picks out a whiskey to take their name, they have to be careful.  A flagship brand has to be accessible (affordable) and high-quality, as it represents the distillery as a whole.  Think about Jim Beam Bourbon, Glenlivet 12 Year Old, and Jameson Irish Whiskey.  The average person does not think about their more specialized whiskeys; they think about those entry level expressions.

Enter Buffalo Trace Bourbon, the flagship whiskey for the Buffalo Trace Distillery.  There’s a lot of pressure on this $20 bottle, as it is tasked with holding up its brothers in Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, and even the Antique Collection.  Will it stand up to this challenge?

Review

Buffalo Trace has a lot of corn sweetness on the nose.  Very sugary, with mature oak and a little alcohol harshness.

Once in the mouth, this whiskey has somewhat of an oily texture (in a good way), with a standard bourbon sweetness and a touch of rye.  There’s nothing particularly significant or overly interesting with Buffalo Trace, yet it’s still a quite satisfying bourbon.

There’s a nice little burn on the finish, capping off a solid bourbon.

Rating & Recommendations

I like Buffalo Trace – it’s simple and cost-effective, thereby earning a rating of 83 out of 100.

This is a pretty standard bourbon, yet a great value for the price point.  An excellent, everyday bourbon.

-Ryan