Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Proof: 90
Age: No Age Statement (thought to be between 8-10 years)
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace’s #1 Mashbill (thought to be made of 10% or less rye)
Price: $30
Company
Buffalo Trace 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
Buffalo Trace bourbon is the distillery’s standard bottle, introduced in 1999 after the Sazerac Company changed the name of their famous distillery in Frankfort, KY. This specific bottle came from a single barrel, picked by a store called D’s Liquor in Knoxville, TN.
Nose – 95/100
Creamy milk chocolate and vanilla with a hint of dark fruit.
Palate – 97/100
Much richer than standard Buffalo Trace with strong notes of vanilla and oak with slightly more rye spice.
Finish – 90/100
Oak, straw, and hints of vanilla – surprisingly less spice than standard Buffalo Trace
Value – 100/100
I got this bottle at MSRP, which is around $27 (the same price as normal BT). At that price, I’d buy this all day long. The store pick I tried is an easy drinker with more depth and richness than standard Buffalo Trace. If you have the opportunity to buy a store pick for around $30, definitely do it. Most stores I’ve seen stick with this range even though these have been going for ~$50 on secondary.
Verdict – 95.5/100
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 95+
- Gold – 90 – 94
- Silver – 80 – 89
- Bronze – <80
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.