Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Proof: 95
Age: At least 4 years
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1
Price: ~$25
Company
Buffalo Trace (Sazerac Company) is arguably the most well-known distillery on the planet. Its lineup includes the likes of Pappy, E.H. Taylor, Blanton’s, Elmer T. Lee, W.L. Weller, and more.
Production
According to their site, Benchmark was named after the McAfee Brothers who surveyed a site just north of Frankfort in the late 1700s. They also say Benchmark Single Barrel is selected from “only the best barrels”.
Benchmark Single Barrel Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 3/5
More dynamic than anticipated. Caramel, oak, and vanilla with slight notes of brown sugar, citrus, and cherry. This is very heavy on the oak and caramel. It’s not particularly noteworthy…it’s a lot like a bottle of Buffalo Trace or Maker’s Mark but with a splash of fruit.
Palate – 2.75/5
Way thinner than anticipated with predominately the traditional caramel and vanilla notes. The cherry carries through to the palate and there’s also a hint of apple. What’s interesting is the lack of oak, which completely dominated the nose. It’s heavier on caramel, vanilla, and fruity notes.
While it’s thin, it gives a great balance of sweet notes that aren’t commonly paired together. It’s pretty different than most bourbons in its price range.
Finish – 3.25/5
The cherry comes through heavily in the finish…almost tasting like a cherry tart. There’s slightly more spice here than the palate, giving it a bit more character. The finish is also much longer than the palate lead me to expect (it’s medium in length) and it fades into a nice toasted oak note with slight caramel and vanilla.
Definitely the best part of the sip.
Value – 4.5/5
This is a fantastic buy for $25. You can almost never find a single barrel bourbon in this price range. This is a perfect daily sipper to keep stocked if you like an easy-to-drink pour with the traditional bourbon flavor profile but with a hint of cherry.
Benchmark Single Barrel Review: The Verdict
3.38/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.25 – 5
- Gold – 3.25 – 4.24
- Silver – 2.75 – 3.24
- Bronze – <2.75
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.