Buffalo Trace
My first bourbon (but not my last)
0 785
mReview by @maltmate302
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall85
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- Brand: Buffalo Trace
- Type: American
- ABV: 40%
I had held off buying a bottle of bourbon for quite a while, mainly because my only experience of american whiskey up to this point had been Jack Daniels No7,a drink which I consider to be one of the most unpleasant to ever pass my lips,right up there with JW red.
Fortunately,from the very first sip,I knew that this was going to be a very different experience. The nose is not a particularly strong one but it is most pleasant. I got an oaky vanilla with a touch of caramel. It's in the tasting that BT comes into its own.
The mashbill,according to the excellent review of the same expression by tjb,is 80% corn,10% rye and 10% malted barley and all these cereals are evident in the taste.The mellowness of the corn,the spiciness of the rye is all there. I got an oaky vanilla fruitiness on my palate but that was secondary to the lovely gentle taste of spice underpinning it all.That night I drank nothing but BT ,which is not my normal pattern of drinking at all but I wanted nothing else except my bourbon. To my delight it improved even more with some air and the mearest dribble of water, any hint of harshness completely disappeared. I knew then that bourbon and me were destined to become firm friends.
I have only given it an 85 more out of anticipation of things to come,such as Elijah Craig 12 and the antique collection, than anything else. I must emphasize that this is a 5 star 85 though, if it was called GlenBuffalo I'd be looking at marking it at 88 or 89 instead.
The options open to American distiller's ,with the only rule being it must contain at least 51% corn,make the mind boggle. I'll be drinking corn,rye and wheat whiskies for many years to come.The only blot on the landscape is that BT can no longer produce enough to satisfy demand which usually means higher prices.Currently, though, it remains one of the best deals you can get on UK shelves.
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A nice review, I agree with your observations on giving the new bottle time to breathe. If you want a recommendation for another to try I would place Eagle Rare 10 at the top of the list. Other worthy ones to try are Knob Creek and Wild Turkey Rare breed and If you want to spent a few more quid Blanton's Gold. The man to ask about Bourbon is @Victor. He was instrumental in starting my own bourbon journey.