It can be challenging to navigate the multitude of expressions from any brand. Especially one with as many ardent admirers as Buffalo Trace Distillery. The issue not only lies with the volume of options at your disposal but also with the limited nature of some of their bottlings and the wide range of opinions about each offering. On top of that, due in particular to the aforementioned allocated quantities of some of their high-end bottlings, a decidedly small number of people have managed to try them all.
If you’ve ever found it challenging to discern which bottles to buy from Buffalo Trace, which claims to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the country, then today you’re in for a treat. Here at UPROXX, we’ve had the privilege of sampling the vast majority of Buffalo Trace’s offerings, from the shockingly scarce, such as the Pappy Van Winkle lineup and the immoderately priced Weller Millennium, to the every day and even the more esoteric. With this wealth of knowledge, our aim today is to provide a comprehensive rundown and rank every single (recent) domestic bourbon out of the distillery.
That means that while you won’t see sunsetted offerings like Ancient Age 10-Year-Old or certain Blanton’s bottlings reserved for the Asian market, you will see the likes of Eagle Rare 25, Elmer T. Lee, and your run-of-the-mill Buffalo Trace. Also, it’s worth noting that this list is ideal as a buying guide when comparing bottles from a single lineup, like Weller, or expressions with slight degrees of variation like the type you might see with the Benchmark lineup. Let’s be honest; you were already wondering to yourself whether or not you should hunt for Stagg or turn your attention to its mash bill brethren Benchmark Full Proof, so now you have a fully loaded guide that pits those expressions against each other along with EVERY other high proof offering in the Buffalo Trace portfolio.
What more could you ask for?
So, let’s dive right in. Here is your complete guide to every bourbon from Buffalo Trace, tasted and ranked!
42. Ancient Age Bourbon
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $11
The Whiskey:
Ancient Age bourbon has been produced since 1964 but it was only more recently acquired from Schenley by Age International in 1983. While the well-regarded 10-year age-stated version of this bottle is no longer produced, these days, consumers have three offerings to choose from under this product line: Ancient Age, Ancient Age 90, and Ancient Age 10 Star.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Faint corn notes rise from the glass and fall a bit flat due to this whiskey’s young age and relatively weak proof.
Palate: On the palate, it is, again, pretty limp with gentle corn notes joined by some vanilla and an allusion to honey. It’s thin and faintly sweet, but otherwise, there isn’t much going on here.
Finish: The finish is barely perceptible, making it a bourbon you won’t think twice about if you ever ventured to think about picking it up in the first place.
Bottom Line:
Hey, someone had to be last, and in Buffalo Trace’s vast lineup, that ignoble distinction falls to Ancient Age Bourbon. While it might be possible for some consumers to overlook the taste of Ancient Age 80 Proof due to the price, you could be doing MUCH better even with the cost considered if you explore the rest of Buffalo Trace’s offerings.
41. Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
The Benchmark brand was created to honor the three McAfee brothers who surveyed the land where Buffalo Trace Distillery is today. Following a curiously popular trend in American whiskey, the brand’s website does not indicate what the “Old No. 8” on the label is a reference to, and in all likelihood, it’s often mistaken for an age statement. However, this product is not age stated.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Faint apple juice and stale graham crackers are at first apparent before they become slightly more muted than they began, with indistinct vanilla and corn notes becoming “dominant.”
Palate: On the palate, this follows a similar cycle of feeble fruit notes that are quickly supplanted by feeble grain notes and ill-defined vanilla tones. The texture goes a step beyond thin, seemingly evaporating on the palate as swiftly as it came.
Finish: The finish is slightly tart and indicative of its youth, with only some faint honey and further grain notes present before it all quickly drops off.
Bottom Line:
While Benchmark Old No. 8 Bourbon is slightly less balanced than Ancient Age’s standard expression, it has a more interesting flavor profile. Granted, that’s not really an improvement per se, as the fruit notes it brings to the table are muddled and weak, but it will hold your attention a hair longer, and so it scores a shade above its predecessor.
40. Old Charter Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $13
The Whiskey:
Old Charter Bourbon is another brand with a prominent number on its label and no indication of the maturity of the liquid. Of note, this brand was purchased by Sazerac (Buffalo Trace’s parent company) back in 1999, and versions of the expression pre-dating 2014 featured an 8-year age statement.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A timid vanilla aroma fuses with youthful oak and a slight indication of brown sugar on the nose of this whiskey, which isn’t particularly unpleasant but is distinctly indistinct.
Palate: On the palate, some muted honey graham cracker notes go with milk chocolate and some vanilla extract. The mouthfeel is still watery, but it is slightly slicker than its predecessors and the flavors are also more harmonious.
Finish: The finish of this whiskey dissipates rather quickly, but the vague impression it leaves of graham cracker and cinnamon having briefly been there marks an improvement over Ancient Age and Benchmark.
Bottom Line:
Regarding Buffalo Trace’s bottom three value brands, Old Charter might have the least aesthetically pleasing packaging. Still, it does have a faintly improved quality thanks to its slightly more perceptible nuance and subtle sweetness.
39. Ancient Age 90
ABV:45%
Average Price: $11
The Whiskey:
Ancient Age 90 is 5% ABV stronger than the Ancient Age standard but is identically aged at 36 months old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Ancient Age 90 features the caramel note that is characteristic of many bourbons but also has some vanilla, brown sugar, and faint honey.
Palate: On the palate, Ancient Age 90 is thin but also slightly slick, which causes the flavors to pool at the base of your tongue a bit longer than Ancient Age standard. A touch of caramel and honey is joined by youthful oak on this lean liquid, and some vanilla extract, and the taste of almonds adds the faintest bit of depth.
Finish: The finish is, again, rather curt, but with an improvement in ABV and texture comes a more enjoyable close to every sip.
Bottom Line:
While it feels like you’re splitting hairs here at the bottom of the Buffalo Trace heap, Ancient Age 90 marks the beginning of budget-friendly, enjoyable bourbon produced at the distillery. That slight uptick in ABV makes up for its regrettable youth, as does the fact that it can be purchased for little more than ten bucks.
38. Hancock’s President’s Reserve
ABV: 44.45%
Average Price: $120
The Whiskey:
Hancock’s President’s Reserve was introduced in 1991 and is named toee, one of the first distillers in Leestown, Ken honor Hancock Ltucky, the town he helped settle alongside his brother Willis. Hancock’s President’s Reserve is a single-barrel bourbon produced with Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #2.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Hancock’s President’s Reserve is initially fairly muted, but candied walnuts, gentle baking spices, and faded oak tones can still be detected.
Palate: Honey, clover, and a faint sprinkling of baking spices like nutmeg and clove kick in on the palate. The proof keeps many of these flavors from fully developing, but they are, at least, indicative of being well-defined. The fact that each sip punches 5-10 proof points above its weight with regard to the distinctness of the flavor it contains makes this an interesting pour.
Finish: The finish on Hancock’s is again more full of potential than productivity, as it fades quickly but satisfactorily with the restrained flavors of candied walnuts, nutmeg, and austere oak notes concluding each sip.
Bottom Line:
Hancock’s President’s Reserve is an oddly proofed yet altogether interesting expression in the Buffalo Trace lineup. It bears noting that this bottom-to-mid-shelf expression is frequently marked up well beyond the point of being a suitable buy in today’s market. However, at something less than $40, this single barrel expression is at least worth exploring as a curiosity next to the somehow easier-to-find and more enjoyable Blanton’s.
37. Benchmark Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $19
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Small Batch Bourbon is part of the revamped Benchmark lineup from Buffalo Trace, which was launched in 2023. Clocking in at 45% ABV and aged for at least four years, this is the 3rd lowest proof point of any bourbon in Buffalo Trace’s Benchmark lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Small Batch begins with some walnut earthiness before exposing faintly sweet notes of brown sugar, muted and youthful oak, and some well-defined vanilla tones with an undercurrent of nutmeg.
Palate: On the palate, things are very restrained, with a touch of apple juice sweetness and brown sugar leading the way for walnut and oak to take over at midpalate. The mouthfeel of this whiskey is thin but doesn’t go so far as to be “watery,” indicating a level of quality and character that whiskeys lower on this list couldn’t quite capture.
Finish: The finish on Benchmark Small Batch ends quite briefly, but what remains perceptible after every sip is the interplay between walnuts and brown sugar as a touch of black pepper and, surprisingly, barrel char also make appearances.
Bottom Line:
Benchmark Small Batch Bourbon is not going to be an award winner, but it does deserve credit for being a paint-by-numbers whiskey that takes some of the basest qualifications for decent bourbon (aged at least four years at higher-than-80-proof) and results in what can be described as an expression that is both average at best and average at worst.
36. Benchmark Top Floor Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $16
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Top Floor Bourbon features the 2nd lowest ABV in the Benchmark lineup and gets its name because barrels for this expression are exclusively pulled from — you guessed it — the top floor of Buffalo Trace’s rickhouses.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon begins subtly with only a faint hint of orange peel and brown sugar exhibiting itself. In a short time, there are further notes of vanilla pods, cacao nibs, and nutmeg that make their way to the nose as well.
Palate: On the palate, the fusion of orange rind and cacao bursts across the tongue with accenting notes of nutmeg, cinnamon bark, and a somewhat sharp texture adding intrigue to the mix. The liquid is surprisingly spry across the palate, with a variety of forceful flavors finding every corner of the mouth.
Finish: The finish is brief but impressive as milk chocolate and nutmeg are joined by a freshly cracked black pepper note and a touch of barrel char before dropping off.
Bottom Line:
Benchmark’s Top Floor expression is flavorful despite its deceptively low proof point. That’s surely because the barrels for this expression were exclusively drawn from the top floor of Buffalo Trace’s rickhouses, in locations known to take on the highest heat and accelerate aging. While the flavors border on a harshness that can be off-putting, the low ABV keeps those less-refined rough elements at bay, making for a surprisingly tasty sipper.
35. Weller Special Reserve
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
Weller Special Reserve is the entry-level offering in the highly sought-after Weller lineup, which features the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s William Larue Weller as the jewel in its crown. Like all others in the Weller lineup, Weller Special Reserve showcases Buffalo Trace’s wheated mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is effusive with honeysuckle and corn-laden sweetness for a mellow and inviting initial pop of aroma. However, there isn’t much underneath those notes on the nose, with only a gentle vanilla aroma and a slightly artificial floral aspect coming through on return visits.
Palate: That floral aspect, which was relegated to being a background player on the nose, comes through with gusto on the palate while clover honey and faint vanilla notes do their best to contend with it from the sidelines. The flavors are speciously rich, but the whiskey’s thin texture prevents them from coming anywhere close to their full potential.
Finish: The finish is where this bourbon gains a few extra points, as the flavors of honeysuckle and vanilla manage to survive the watery mouthfeel and cling to the back of the palate for a satisfying send-off.
Bottom Line:
Weller Special Reserve has never been my cup of tea, even as a last-ditch replacement for the genuinely remarkable Weller Antique. That said, if you squint, there’s just enough flavor in every sip to give you glimpses of just how good Buffalo Trace’s wheated bourbon mash bill can be with additional aging, higher proof, and selective blending. As the least-impressive wheated bourbon on offer from the brand, Weller Special Reserve is still a slightly above-average sipper.
34. Ancient Ancient Age 10-Star Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
The redundantly named Ancient Ancient Age 10-Star used to be a 10-year-old age-stated bourbon with some real oomph. The present-day version has been renamed and is meant to showcase Ancient Age 90 at a higher age, and despite the fact that the actual age is undisclosed, it is believed to be a 6-year-old bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honeysuckle, gentle oak, and a slight bit of peanut shell come wafting out of the glass at first, providing an approachable welcome. The aroma notes are fairly straightforward but pleasant and become more well-rounded and more refined as they sit in the glass.
Palate: This whiskey becomes a touch more complex on the palate as the nosing notes translate across the tongue and find themselves buoyed by adding nutmeg, sweet vanilla, and a bit of caramel. The texture, at 90 proof, is fairly impressive, albeit overall quotidian as it remains slick from the front to the back of the palate and manages to stick to the sides of your tongue persistently.
Finish: The finish is where you’re left with the taste of peanut shells and caramel, two classic bourbon notes that coexist well with a dash of nutmeg as each sip succinctly drops off.
Bottom Line:
The peak expression in the Ancient Age lineup showcases an impressive improvement over its forebearers, providing a depth of flavor that’s simply missing in the others. While it won’t wow you, at $25 per 1.75ml bottle, it represents an outstanding value that delivers at both the proof and the price point.
33. Benchmark Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Benchmark’s Bonded expression is yet another bottle in the revamped Benchmark lineup, which received a facelift and a line expansion in early 2023. For this Bonded offering, Benchmark follows the Bottled in Bond regulations, meaning that, among other things, this bourbon comes from a single distilling season and is bottled at 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Bonded has four distinct aromas: nutmeg, caramel, oak, and brown sugar. There are gradations to those aromas, with the nutmeg coming across as less-than-fresh, while the caramel and oak are more lively next to the subdued brown sugar note.
Palate: Once you take a sip of Benchmark Bonded, you’ll find that the nosing notes perfectly indicate what to expect. Again, those four distinct notes come through, and though they’re joined by a bit of black pepper and cereal notes, it’s the nutmeg, caramel, oak (with the addition of barrel char), and brown sugar that steal the show flavor-wise. The texture is stout; this is the first bourbon thus far that occupies the entire palate before ceding the reigns to the finish.
Finish: On the finish, there’s more brown sugar, black pepper, and even a bit of mocha on each sip. The finish hangs around for a medium length, befitting its proof point, and offers a balanced climax to an overall very balanced bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Despite ranking so low on this list, let it be said that Benchmark Bonded is indeed a well-made whiskey. At this point, we turn the corner on bourbons that are “good for the price” and reach the territory of bourbons that are simply good. As the sole bottled in bond expression in the Buffalo Trace portfolio outside of the E.H. Taylor lineup, this solid budget bottle exhibits the quality standard one can expect from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
32. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $33
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace Distillery’s eponymous bourbon is so-named because of the location of the distillery operations. Situated on the site of an ancient buffalo trackway that crosses the Kentucky River, Buffalo Trace Distillery was named to honor that region’s history. Their flagship expression was introduced in the fall of 1999, just two months after the brand changed its name from the George T. Stagg Distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Buffalo Trace is full of honeysuckle, with a bit of caramel corn, youthful oak, and plenty of vanilla as well.
Palate: If this bourbon was intended to be a classic display of Buffalo Trace’s overall flavor profile, they surely succeeded. There’s a slight touch of bright red cherry at the tip of the tongue that clears the ground for honeysuckle sweetness, corn pudding, faint clove, and a burst of vanilla on the back end of every sip. The flavor profile is very light overall, and the liquid itself is spry on the palate with just a touch of viscousness to carry those flavors.
Finish: The finish is where the gentle oak notes meld well with some gooey caramel goodness and a bit of nutmeg before the bright cherry briefly resurfaces and then slinks away. The finish is satisfyingly medium-length.
Bottom Line:
While Buffalo Trace, the distillery’s flagship brand, is sometimes overlooked or overrated, depending on who you ask, it is unmistakably a well-made bourbon. I personally fall into the former camp. Forget the hype; Buffalo Trace is a high-quality and moderately priced bourbon that fits the bill for anyone looking to get into bourbon thanks to its crowd-pleasing, middle-of-the-road flavor profile.
31. Benchmark Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Single Barrel is the new single-barrel expression in the Benchmark bourbon lineup, which was relaunched in 2023. This expression is always proofed down to 47.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Single Barrel carries some of the same earthy qualities as the Bonded expression but with additional honey sweetness and a tad more refinement.
Palate: On the palate, Benchmark Single Barrel features a slick and inviting texture that lays the foundation for some impressively refined flavors to shine through. Here, the honey sweetness and some rich oak tones have a chance to develop as the nutmeg and brown sugar notes common to Benchmark also show up in full force but in a tamer form.
Finish: At the end of each sip of Benchmark Single Barrel, the honey sweetness again asserts itself before clearing the way for clove, oak, and caramel to come barreling through. The finish isn’t especially long but provides enough leeway to showcase the honed-in flavors in the bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Benchmark Single Barrel is proof that, well, proof isn’t everything. At a slightly lower ABV than its Bonded brethren, this bottle offers single barrel variety and a more multifaceted flavor profile that makes it one of the best in the revamped Benchmark lineup.
30. Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
Elmer T. Lee is the second single-barrel bourbon from the Buffalo Trace. After Elmer T. Lee, the man, helped to create the brand’s first single barrel bourbon in Blanton’s, the distillery honored him by naming this expression after him.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is light and approachable, with bruised peach, honeysuckle, and soft oak tannins leading the way with a touch of apricot and white pepper.
Palate: Once this pour hits the palate, you’ll be grateful that the faint nosing aromas find their way into the mouth and forewarned you of this whiskey’s general lightness. For those expecting a dense complexity, there isn’t any to be found here, but with a slightly thin texture, this whiskey still delivers a substantive stone fruit-forward flavor profile.
Finish: The finish is brief, with only white pepper and the gentle oak tannins from the nose surviving the journey from start to finish.
Bottom Line:
Elmer T. Lee is highly sought-after for reasons beyond the bottle’s taste. It was formerly a slightly more high-quality product before demand skyrocketed and it became less affordable and available. This present-day version isn’t going to knock your socks off and isn’t worth any extra effort in hunting down, but it still manages to offer a pleasant, crowd-pleasing experience.
29. Buffalo Trace Distillery Kosher Rye Recipe Bourbon
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $112
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace Distillery first released its Kosher series of whiskey in 2020, and the Rye Recipe version is one of two bourbon expressions in the lineup. Aged for 7 years in specifically designated kosher barrels and released annually after Passover, this bottling is produced in partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, you’ll immediately notice the similarities between this bourbon and Buffalo Trace’s flagship expression, which is similarly aged. For this Kosher Rye Recipe bourbon, however, the aroma notes are a bit more dialed-in and distinct, with Manuka honey, gentle oak, and sticky toffee standing out prominently.
Palate: Taking a sip of Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye Recipe will reward you with the honey and toffee notes promised from the nose, with the oak notes becoming more forceful as well. There’s a smoothness to the texture that really allows that medley of flavors to strut their stuff, as each note comes across distinctly without distracting from the others. As it transitions to the finish, you’ll find a big pop of bright cherry, one of the distillery’s signature flavor notes.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is where all the baking spice is hiding, as peppercorn and nutmeg reveal themselves, along with an underlying barrel char note that works well. The finish is medium-length, which perfectly ties together the relative richness of the flavors.
Bottom Line:
Far from being a mere gimmick, Buffalo Trace’s Rye Recipe Bourbon actually takes the same recipe as their flagship expression, tacks on 4 additional proof points, and results in a more flavorful and well-rounded whiskey. It’s an impressive showing, for sure.
28. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $57
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch is the entry-level offering in Buffalo Trace’s E.H. Taylor lineup. It was created to honor Edmund Hayes Taylor, the original owner of the O.F.C. Distillery, which would eventually become the George T. Stagg Distillery, before being renamed the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Taylor was also the spearhead behind creating the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has exciting notes like bruised peaches, apricots, toffee, and gentle oak with a hint of honey and brioche buns.
Palate: Taking a sip of E.H. Taylor Small Batch is a pleasant surprise as the viscousness is really laudable, although the flavors are a bit simple. Look for toffee, apricots, and oak tones to seize the lead when it comes to flavor notes, though there are accents of toffee, black pepper, and honey as well.
Finish: The finish is primarily concerned with the prominent toffee note and is balanced by baking spices like nutmeg and black pepper. It’s a short-to-medium-length finish but one that is exceedingly enjoyable at the same time.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon is a fairly straightforward bourbon that delivers about what one would expect for a middle-of-the-road American whiskey. Enjoyable, though not exceptional, it’s well worth a buy if you see one sitting on shelves for six or seven sawbucks.
27. Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $135
The Whiskey:
One of the most polarizing and hyped bourbons in all of the land, Blanton’s is the original single-barrel bourbon. Launched in 1984, each bottle of Blanton’s is the product of a single barrel, an idea hatched by Buffalo Trace’s then Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of maple candy, gentle oak, vanilla extract, and hazelnuts. There’s a bit of honey that kicks the sweetness of the nose up a few degrees, along with a bit of orange zest.
Palate: On the palate, the hazelnut note steers the car as orange marmalade, vanilla extract, and warm oak tones become backseat drivers.
Finish: The finish finds a flourish of black pepper and barrel char, balancing out bits of vanilla, brown sugar, and hazelnut. It drops off fairly quickly, but the relative richness of the flavors makes it a savory finish despite its brevity.
Bottom Line:
Due to it being a single-barrel bourbon, your mileage may vary when it comes to Blanton’s. Overall, I’ve found them to be average to awesome, with far more bottles on the favorable side of “solid” than not. Is Blanton’s overhyped? Definitely, there’s no other bottle of bourbon that people will buy simply for the bottle topper, but it’s also a good-quality bourbon that offers a delightfully balanced flavor profile.
26. Benchmark Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $24
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Full Proof was first released last year and is now the premier expression in the Benchmark lineup. Always bottled at 125 proof, it is the highest ABV offering from the Benchmark brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of cinnamon Red Hots, peanut shells, caramel, and oak. It’s a pretty straightforward medley of flavors, but despite that knock, they all work well together and come across boldly on the nose.
Palate: On the palate is where the brashness of those flavors really runs wild as it drinks a bit hot and is marred, rather than aided by, the simplicity of its flavor wheel. You get peanuts, cinnamon, caramel, oak, and…nothing else. That said, the flavors are fairly well-developed, and because of their distinctiveness and the clear delineation between each note, they’re easy to appreciate one by one.
Finish: The finish is flush with black pepper, more oak, and charred green pepper skin. It’s medium-lengthed, which is a plus if you appreciate its brashness but a distraction if that boldness is overwhelming.
Bottom Line:
When it was first launched, Benchmark Full Proof was posited by many Buffalo Trace fans as a sort of “Stagg Jr., Jr.” That is, the hope was that it would present similar flavors in a much easier-to-find and affordably priced expression. How’d that turn out? Well, it would be an oversimplification to call it such, but it does touch on a few of the flavor notes that make Stagg so beloved, and as long as you temper your expectations and are simply in search of a bold, uncomplicated bourbon, there’s enough here to enjoy.
25. Eagle Rare Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $78
The Whiskey:
Eagle Rare is one of the single-barrel bourbons from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1 grain recipe. This expression was formerly age-stated at 10 years old. Though it is said to still showcase whiskey aged for at least 10 years, the age statement was removed a few years ago.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a cherry cough drop note that is persistent on the nose, and it’s buoyed by bits of milk chocolate, tobacco leaf, and mature oak.
Palate: On the palate, the Luden’s cherry cough drop note makes a big splash along with a bit of leather and caramel. The mouthfeel is thin, which prevents those well-developed flavors from reaching their potential, but it succeeds in keeping them balanced and making this an approachable pour.
Finish: As this pour transitions to the back of the palate, that Luden’s cherry note becomes more of a natural black cherry and is aided by the addition of freshly cracked black pepper and barrel char as it succinctly tapers off for a brief finish.
Bottom Line:
Eagle Rare is successful in delivering a mature bourbon profile coupled with a lightness typical of its relatively low proof point. It goes a step beyond being average, however, because that flavor profile is so balanced and well-developed at ten years of age.
24. Buffalo Trace Distillery Kosher Wheat Recipe Bourbon
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
The counterpart to Buffalo Trace Distillery Kosher Rye Recipe Bourbon, this wheated bourbon version essentially offers the Old Weller Antique recipe in a slightly different format. Like every whiskey in Buffalo Trace’s Kosher whiskey lineup, this product is created with help from the Chicago Rabbinical Council.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose here features some bright cherry and juicy orange notes and a persistent butterscotch-topped vanilla ice cream aroma to go with a surprisingly gentle oak tone, making for an overall light and approachable combination.
Palate: On the palate, there’s a lovely welcoming note of honey absent from the nose and the red cherries transform into Golden Delicious apples with a bit of glacé raspberries, vanilla extract, and clove.
Finish: The finish welcomes the persistence of the honey from the opening sip, along with the return of the cherry notes as it gently and pleasantly puckers the mouth before trailing off after medium length.
Bottom Line:
Overall, Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat is a bit lighter and has less depth than the Gentile-friendly version but its far more readily available and delivers 90% of the quality while also providing a a few variations on the theme that make it worth exploring in its own right.
23. Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 47.8%
Average Price: $5,000
The Whiskey:
Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year is the priciest bottle in the Van Winkle core range, featuring the highest age statement among all of Buffalo Trace’s annual releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A wallop of mature oak finds your nose, and it takes some getting used to. Leather and tobacco leaf, along with the familiar aroma of old books, are joined by a faint touch of brown sugar and wheat bread.
Palate: On the palate, again, the oak here is overwhelming, though not necessarily off-putting. It’s simply that the single note occupies so much space on the palate that few other notes are able to provide input. One imagines its low proof point helps to curtail some of that oak, which would be a positive if not for the fact that it also thins out the texture, leaving this with a faintly sweet albeit lean mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish does introduce a bit of honey, and the leather note found at the periphery of the palate transforms into some black cherry sweetness. Still, as it quickly dissipates, it primarily leaves dry oak and black pepper in its wake, throwing the balance a bit askew.
Bottom Line:
Pappy 23, despite having some merit as a case study on hyper-aged bourbon, is arguably the most overpriced whiskey that the distillery produces. For those with a deep appreciation for mature oak tones, this will surely be up your alley, but it’s such a far departure from the rest of the Buffalo Trace range that it will be almost unrecognizable to most fans of the brand — and not simply because it’s almost impossible to find.
22. Daniel Weller
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $3,000
The Whiskey:
Daniel Weller is one of the newer additions to the Weller lineup, having debuted last year in 2023. This expression is unique because it incorporates Emmer wheat, an ancient Egyptian grain, in its mash bill — something that no other Weller product uses.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose comes across as significantly grain-forward, with wheat toast aromas emanating from the glass, along with a pleasant strawberry jam note coupling up with herbal tea, nutmeg, and burnt caramel.
Palate: On the palate, Daniel Weller begins a bit grain forward before becoming delightfully sweet, with fruit bursting. It’s also surprisingly lively, with the strawberry jam from the nose becoming more like a plum on the palate and welcoming the addition of some faint citrus notes with a quotidian mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish is surprisingly drying despite the liveliness of the liquid on the palate, but it also has a moderate length which begs for repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Daniel Weller was initially launched with much fanfare and intrigue, but now a year removed from its release, it has become an afterthought, with Weller Millennium replacing it at the top of the Weller pyramid. Despite that, Daniel Weller is still a solid bourbon that’s well worth enjoying, although there aren’t many people who will have the pleasure due to its extremely allocated bottle count.
21. Rock Hill Farms
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $380
The Whiskey:
Rock Hill Farms follows that trend from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #2, which has almost exclusively been used to produce single-barrel bourbons. Named after the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, this hard-to-find bottle clocks in at 94 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins with baked apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and nutmeg, instantly reminiscent of Benchmark Full Proof.
Palate: On the palate, however, Rock Hill Farms comes across as the true “Stagg Jr., Jr.” with a flavor profile that veers into that classic Stagg territory with rougher edges. Think of hazelnut spread, brown sugar, and Memphis barbeque spread with oak, black pepper, and leather notes keeping the sweetness in check.
Finish: The finish is medium-length but marked by a punch of ethanol and the lingering influence of mouth-drying oak.
Bottom Line:
Rock Hill Farms is full of flavor, to be sure, but it’s a bit muddled and comes across as a bit rushed with more ideas than it has time to express itself. While it’s still a solid bourbon, one that is enjoyable, it would probably benefit from measured expectations and a bit more time in the barrel.
20. Weller Single Barrel
ABV: 48.5%
Average Price: $700
The Whiskey:
Weller Single Barrel is the most recently launched member of the extremely allocated core Weller lineup. This expression is the only single-barrel wheated bourbon in Buffalo Trace’s entire portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Crisp red apples give way to a slightly savory barbeque sauce note with a bit of honey, vanilla, and oak on top.
Palate: On the palate, there’s the familiar balance of red apples and red berries that Weller is known for, but the fruit notes are more nondescript. There’s a moderate bit of nuance, but overall, this is a pleasant and straightforward bourbon marked by juicy orange notes playing off of the red berries and modest oak tones melding well with vanilla ice cream flavors with a fairly viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish finds caramel sweetness covering the crisp red apples from the palate and a rising oak prominence joining black pepper spice to balance those sweeter notes.
Bottom Line:
Typical of single barrel bourbons, each one will be different, but Weller Single Barrel delivers a fairly full-bodied and nuanced sipping experience despite clocking in at a fairly low proof. While it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself significantly from the rest of the lineup (particularly when one considers the fact Old Weller Antique is offered in single barrel format) that doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a rock-solid wheated bourbon.
19. Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $9,000
The Whiskey:
Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Bourbon is the second-highest age-stated bourbon in the Van Winkle lineup. Made with the same wheated bourbon barrels comprising the entire Weller lineup, it showcases what Buffalo Trace’s wheated mash bill can do after two decades of maturation.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Oak is front and center on the nose with an intriguing polished leather note and a medicinal cherry aroma which all work well together despite the imbalance in their attenuation.
Palate: On the palate, you’ll find the imbalanced attenuation even more noticeable as dry oak hits the tip of the tongue, then invites some honey and bright cherry sweetness in along with semi-tart orange rind, tobacco leaf, and polished leather. Once those flavor notes cycle through, the oak again returns and begins to dry out the palate before the austere liquid even makes its way to the finish.
Finish: Once on the finish, the palate is sufficiently dry as some sage, barrel char, and allspice join the mature oak note on the palate. Fortunately, there is a bit of caramel and cherry on hand to balance those drying, earthy tones, but not much.
Bottom Line:
Some people trace the Pappy Van Winkle mania to Anthony Bourdain, who famously said, “If God made bourbon, this is what he’d make.” At the time, Bourdain was referencing a Stitzel-Weller sourced version of the 20-year Van Winkle, which is no longer in production. While some bourbon snobs (rightfully) get their feathers ruffled about the fact that Van Winkle of old is not the same as the contemporary offering, the expression in the lineup that best exemplifies this is the 20-Year, which has some perfectly delightful elements, but never fully congeals resulting in a disjointed albeit still pleasurable experience.
18. Weller 12 Year
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $280
The Whiskey:
Weller 12 is one of only two age-stated wheated bourbons in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. The popular expression first debuted in 2001.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Weller 12 has an interesting aroma bouquet of brown sugar, black tea, and hazelnut spread combined with clove cigarettes and gentle oak tones.
Palate: On the palate is where Weller 12 becomes worth savoring, as its rich flavor notes find a way to prevail despite its relatively thin texture. Look for all of the notes from the nose to return to the palate with brown sugar, clove, and tobacco leaf, claiming the reigns before ceding control to hazelnut spread, maple candy, oak, and black tea before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish of Weller 12 is where the oak is dialed up a notch, drying the mouth a bit and, unfortunately, curtailing the development of some of those rich flavors. Still, before it peters out, each pour leaves plenty of space to appreciate the depth of those earthy and darkly sweet flavors.
Bottom Line:
Weller 12 is both enjoyable and frustrating in that it displays a great depth of flavor, some promising potential, and a forestalled finish. It’s impressively rich, given the proof it’s bottled at, and deftly shows off what maturity can bring to a well-made bourbon. However, with a little more oomph in the proof department and slightly more runway on the back end, it’s easy to see this bourbon being even more awesome.
17. Weller Full Proof
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Weller Full Proof was officially launched in June 2019. This expression is called “Full Proof” because it isn’t bottled at cask strength but blended and bottled at the ABV point the liquid entered the barrel, which is 114 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose of Weller Full Proof features some of the brand’s hallmark cherry notes but also a bit of Tobasco, sticky toffee, and green tomatoes to go with a touch of caramel sweetness.
Palate: When tasting Weller Full Proof, those disparate and well-developed flavors from the nose hit you all at once, with green tomatoes and some cayenne pepper coming across the palate in lockstep with brown sugar sweetness, toffee, and black cherry pie notes. The texture is robust but a bit prickly, as the ABV can be felt along the edges of the tongue, forming a ring around the sweeter and more savory notes at the tip of the tongue and midpalate.
Finish: The finish is lengthy albeit a bit drying and that allows plenty of space for the density of those flavors to reveal themselves as the alcohol blows off and your palate becomes acclimated to its brash texture.
Bottom Line:
Weller Full Proof is a bit imbalanced but overall full of flavor. That makes for a slightly disjointed sipping experience but one that will be a flavorful challenge for high-proof lovers looking for a rocky ride with atypical sights to see regarding Weller’s more mellow profile.
16. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $1,000
The Whiskey:
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-Year Bourbon, known colloquially as “Lot B,” is the second youngest whiskey in the Van Winkle lineup. Featuring an understated, white paper label and housed in a classic wine-shaped bottle just like the rest of the Van Winkle whiskeys, this wheated bourbon is aged for 12 years and comes from the same lot of barrels that go into the Weller 12 expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Faint cherries, indistinct honey, and black pepper are the hallmarks of the nose on this whiskey. After a few swirls in the glass, things liven up a bit with tobacco leaf and nutmeg, adding a bit of depth while maintaining the overall muted and slightly dusty impression of this bourbon.
Palate: On the palate, things are seemingly suppressed, with the fairly impressive range of flavors coming across as a bit “tight” or muted. The flavor of bright cherries is joined by the welcome addition of spiced Brazil nuts, orange pith, brioche bread, and a touch of honey, but the texture is relatively thin, which detracts from the intriguing assortment.
Finish: The finish gently undulates away with short-to-medium length but is buoyed by citrus zest, clove, and cherry notes.
Bottom Line:
One might want to place blame on Lot B’s proof when considering why the promising flavors it contains never fully hit their stride, but after repeat sips, you’ll realize that’s simply by design. Intended to be a mellow and well-rounded representation of the Van Winkle wheated bourbon profile, Lot B does display a fair degree of depth and complexity but it also would seem to indicate that the “bell curve” of maturation begins to hit a valley around the 12-year mark.
15. Weller C.Y.P.B.
ABV: 47.5%
Average Price:
The Whiskey:
Weller C.Y.P.B., which is shorthand for “Choose Your Perfect Bourbon,” was first introduced in. Prior to its launch, Buffalo Trace had an interactive feature on their website encouraging consumers to input their ideal conditions for bourbon, including age, mash bill, and rickhouse location as options. The brand has said this bourbon was created to reflect their site visitors’ most popular input choices.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on CYPB is full of white chocolate, vanilla, and Rainier cherries with some accenting notes of milk chocolate, allspice, and nougat.
Palate: On the palate is where those Rainier cherries and the white chocolate from the nose come out in full force but those notes are also joined by some black pepper, honey, and vanilla cone. Overall, the texture is robust and the flavors themselves are highly dialed-in and refined.
Finish: The finish is just barely medium length, but thanks to the depth of the flavors, you’re only left wanting a little more length but a lot more sips.
Bottom Line:
Far from the perfect bourbon, Weller C.Y.P.B. is actually a really high-quality representation of the Weller lineup. It’s as crowd-pleasing as Old Weller Antique but with a bit less nuance as well as fewer rough edges.
14. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel bourbon is fairly unique in the Buffalo Trace lineup because it is an ongoing single barrel, bottled in bond expression. While it’s more coveted by consumers than its small-batch counterpart, it should be noted that they’re both bottled in bond expressions and thus bottled at the same 50% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel and oak each appear on the nose of E.H Taylor Single Barrel, with the caramel coming across as gooey and freshly made and the oak indicating maturity. From there, further aromas of honeyed toast, toasted almonds, and a faint black cherry note can be found hanging in the air.
Palate: On the palate, the faint black cherry note from the nose presents itself with more gusto, and it’s joined by welcome guardrails of oak and fresh hazelnuts. After a few waves of the hand and a second sip, it becomes easier to detect accenting flavors like raisins, walnuts, rye spice, and toffee.
Finish: The finish has some mature oak notes and black pepper to go with even more toffee and candied walnuts. It’s not impressively long, but it lasts enough time to savor the evolution of each of those flavors.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon is chimeric as all single barrel bourbons are, but the vast majority of them are very, very good. This bourbon has become more elusive even than Blanton’s, making it one of the harder-to-find single-barrel bourbons in Buffalo Trace’s portfolio, but that’s not merely a coincidence. People keep buying them up because they tend to be worth every penny.
13. Blanton’s Gold Bourbon
ABV: 51.5%
Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
Blanton’s Gold was formerly an expression only available in foreign markets, but in 2020, the popular offering was sold for the first time stateside. Bottled at 10 proof points higher than Blanton’s standard edition, this version is easily identifiable by its golden bottle topper and see-through bottle design.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Blanton’s gold is full of bright cherries, candied apples, caramel, and honey. It’s only after further investigation that you’ll find baking spices like cinnamon, clove, and a faint bit of ginger as well.
Palate: In the mouth, Blanton’s Gold contains a multitude of the aforementioned sweet notes with bright cherries, vanilla ice cream, caramel, and crème brulée. There’s a bit of black pepper and barrel char, but not much, and the guilty pleasure derived from all that sweetness is enhanced by the liquid’s impressively viscous, almost syrupy, mouth-coating texture.
Finish: The finish finds candied ginger and fresh red apples fused with black pepper spice and caramelized sugar. The finish is only medium length, but the richness of the flavor notes makes every moment of that finish quite delightful.
Bottom Line:
One can’t shake the feeling that the flavor of Blanton’s Gold is what Blanton’s standard should be. While it is decidedly sweeter than its lower-proofed brethren, it contains a level of refinement that, relative to its ABV, borders on decadent. Approachable and perfectly polished, Blanton’s Gold is easily the most crowd-pleasing bourbon in the Blanton’s lineup.
12. Old Weller Antique
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Old Weller Antique, or Weller 107 as it’s commonly called, is the second expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. With an estimated age range of about seven years, it shares a grain recipe, warehouse location, and proof point with Old Rip Van Winkle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Old Weller Antique is befitting of its packaging as candied red apples and honey combine with soft pastry notes, a touch of honey, allspice, and butterscotch.
Palate: On the palate, those candied apple notes achieve an impressive depth, almost mimicking the flavor of apple cider as waves of caramel, mellow oak, and milk chocolate come crashing in. The well-balanced whiskey is aided by a viscous mouthfeel underlined by a prickly infusion of ethanol, black pepper, and tart apple cider vinegar.
Finish: For its closing word, Weller Antique offers a fresher note of stone fruit and Rainier cherries, dipped in milk chocolate and closing with vanilla ice cream. The finish is medium-length but substantive, allowing enough space for each flavor note to have its say before tapering away.
Bottom Line:
Old Weller Antique is highly sought after for existing under the halo of the Pappy Van Winkle lineup and William Larue Weller wheated bourbon, but the truth of the matter is that this might be the most versatile and underrated whiskey in the Weller portfolio. More well-rounded and staid than most others, Old Weller Antique checks many boxes and leaves little to be desired.
11. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Formerly Stagg Jr.)
ABV: 62.95%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
Stagg, formerly known as Stagg Jr., is the younger, more commonly found member of the George T. Stagg lineup. Named after the founder of the George T. Stagg Distillery, which is what Buffalo Trace was called before their 1999 rebranding, this bourbon is released in semi-regular batches at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Stagg is brash with vinegar-based barbeque sauce, brown sugar, and oak, making the initial impression. There are also aroma notes of caramel, bruised cherries, and palo alto emanating from this bourbon.
Palate: Stagg Jr. comes across as bold immediately on the palate, with its high-ABV streaking down the center of the tongue before the flavors diffuse over the palate. Among the flavors, you’ll count black cherry, allspice, caramel, vanilla, tamarind, and tobacco leaf as chief among them, though a substantive oak backing isn’t lagging far behind.
Finish: On the finish there is some black pepper and dark chocolate, though the oak is the most prevalent note to be found. The finish is medium-to-long and trails off slowly but satisfyingly with a kick of charred red pepper.
Bottom Line:
We can debate whether or not contemporary bourbon drinkers are waning in their thirst for full-throated, proofy pours, but what isn’t up for debate is whether or not Stagg fits the bill for such a consumer. This incredibly bold bourbon goes beyond the flash and provides substantive flavor and a fulsome mouthfeel.
10. Old Rip Van Winkle 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $950
The Whiskey:
Old Rip Van Winkle is the opening entry in the Van Winkle family’s insanely popular range of wheated bourbons. Aged for 10 years, this whiskey is bottled at 107 proof and pulled from the same lot of barrels that make up most, if not all, of the Weller range of bourbons.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is somewhat simple but incredibly satisfying, as the aroma of cherry hand pies fills the air, complete with a bit of caramelized sugar, cinnamon, and honeyed pastry tones.
Palate: In the mouth, those nosing ring true, but unlike hand pies which are led by the boldness of their fruit tones, the cherry note found on the palate of Old Rip Van Winkle is more restrained and less tart. It comes across as a more subdued maraschino cherry note, nestled in the aforementioned bakery notes of honeyed pastry and caramelized sugar, along with some freshly cracked black pepper, vanilla extract, and gentle oak.
Finish: The moderately lengthy finish on this viscous bourbon is where the oak notes are most forceful, though they’re curtailed by a faint touch of hazelnut, honey sweetness, and white pepper.
Bottom Line:
Buffalo Trace simply does a great job with wheated bourbon at 107 proof and while Weller Antique has the brashness of youth and nuance of flavor to impress, Old Rip Van Winkle adds finesse and depth to that trick bag with a richness that pushes beyond the substantive and scratches the surface of being superlative.
9. Weller Millennium
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $7,500
The Whiskey:
As the newest and most expensive member of the Weller lineup, Weller Millennium has received considerable attention this year. It is comprised of a blend of vintage straight bourbons and wheat whiskey that was initially distilled at the turn of the millennium from barrels produced in 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2006. This bottle doesn’t carry an age statement, but one can surmise there may be whiskey as mature as 24 years old in this release. Also of note: this is the first Weller release to feature wheat whiskey in the blend, and not just wheated bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of sweet cocktail cherries, with a slightly brandied aspect, mature oak, cinnamon bark, polished leather, and vanilla ice cream hang in the air after pouring this bourbon.
Palate: Butterscotch, vanilla ice cream, and oak tones splash across that palate at first, but a strong hit of cherry syrup comes in at midpalate with a few drizzles of honey in tow. Weller Millennium is surprisingly mouthcoating for the proof, bordering on syrupy as it clings to the palate and soaks into every crevice between the teeth.
Finish: The finish introduces some cardamom and white pepper to the palate, and though it’s not particularly lengthy, it does hang around for a fair bit with honey and sweet cherry juice making the final impression as it implores more sips.
Bottom Line:
Weller Millennium is a dazzling display of what a well-managed depth of flavors can overcome despite maintaining a dearth of flavors. By eschewing variety for a well-honed straightforwardness, Buffalo Trace has made Weller Millennium into a sumptuous sipper that tastes expensive and approachable.
8. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Blanton’s is one of the most polarizing whiskeys in the bourbon world, oftentimes serving as a superfluous litmus test. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel is the premium offering from the range, bottled at cask strength for the fullest flavor and matured between 6-8 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Brown sugar, stewed apple chunks, and substantial oak tones fill the air with this bourbon in your glass. There are a few oddities to be found, like singed apricot, yellow curry, and cranberry fruit jelly, as well as some classics like caramel and vanilla.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon comes across as densely packed with flavor and a bit muddled. Give it a second sip, and those flavors become far more distinct as brown sugar can be picked out along with sweet vanilla, toasted almonds, cooked apples, undercooked dough, and cinnamon bark. The texture is burly, and the high proof combined with its relative youth indicates it is “hot” on the palate, which I prefer to describe as being bold.
Finish: The climax of each sip continues that bold streak as a touch of apple cider vinegar pairs well with brown sugar, oak, and chocolate-covered vanilla cone notes for the lengthy finish.
Bottom Line:
Blanton’s is at times ballyhooed for being tater-bait, but Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel exists on an island of its own as proof positive that this mash bill and flavor profile just works. Don’t overthink it or allow snobbery to cloud your judgment; this is absolutely excellent bourbon.
7. Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $4,400
The Whiskey:
Pappy Van Winkle 15 has been cited by Julian Van Winkle III himself as his favorite among his family’s range of vaunted bourbons. Aged for 15 years, this wheated bourbon is cherry-picked from among the best barrels in Buffalo Trace’s inventory and given the final okay by the Van Winkle family.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pappy Van Winkle 15 is marked by honeysuckle, vanilla ice cream, and Rainier cherries — not an uncommon bouquet of aromas for a Buffalo Trace wheated bourbon. However, the richness and definition of those notes are simply remarkable, with each of them penetrating the senses and seemingly sitting on your palate before you’ve even taken your first sip.
Palate: A gentle backbone of oak tannins offers structure to the sweet honeysuckle, stewed apples, Rainier cherries, and mellow allspice that hits your palate after the first sip of Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year. What you may immediately perceive as complexity is instead depth, as you’ll discover nuance in each of those entrancing flavor notes. With regards to the texture, it’s impressively viscous, rolling over the tongue with the ease of rainwater over an oil slick.
Finish: The finish finds a touch of allspice and oily vanilla pod as the oak tones get ratcheted up a bit, and the honey provides a gentle landing spot for those baking spices. It’s medium to long in the finish, and that’s the perfect amount of time for the depth of those flavors to fully unfurl.
Bottom Line:
There are a spoiled few who lament that Pappy 15 ain’t what it used to be. Then there are the rest of us who only hope for the opportunity to try this beautiful, mythical whiskey at least once per year. For the latter camp, rest assured, Pappy 15’s unicorn status is well earned as it takes everything there is to love about Buffalo Trace’s wheated bourbon and showcases that flavorful bounty of riches at a mature age.
6. Double Eagle Very Rare
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $10,000
The Whiskey:
Double Eagle Very Rare, launched in 2019, used to be the most expensive whiskey in Buffalo Trace’s portfolio, with an MSRP of $2,000. For this expression, the brand takes Eagle Rare barrels, ages them for at least 20 years, and houses the liquid in an elaborate crystal decanter, which features one eagle in the bottle and a second on the bottle topper.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It should come as no surprise that cherry can be found on the nose of this whiskey, but it comes across as a semi-sweet cherry liqueur with a cedar-like woodsiness bolstered by just a faint touch of honey and vanilla buttercream.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is surprisingly supple, with a gentle texture that entices the flavors to seep into your tongue. Here, you’ll find more honey and candied walnut notes as the fainter flavor of cherry juice and vanilla pod begins to pool at midpalate. Finally, there are some butterscotch and mellow oak tannins to be found as this transitions to the finish, along with a faint bit of black pepper and stewed raspberry tartness.
Finish: The finish is silky with baking spices like star anise and allspice, opening the door for returning the cherry flavors, which come across at their richest here. The finish is medium to long and tapers off pleasantly thanks to an extra dollop of vanilla buttercream dusted with cinnamon.
Bottom Line:
Double Eagle Very Rare has such an ostentatious presentation that you feel immediately drawn to either lavish it in superlatives or lambast it as everything that’s wrong with bourbon today. Luckily, you can’t drink the looks. Once tasted, you’ll find that any criticism of this bourbon should be reserved for its price tag and those creeping concerns that you’ll break the elegant bottle topper. As for the whiskey itself, it’s almost beyond reproach.
5. Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $1,900
The Whiskey:
Eagle Rare 17 is the most well-aged whiskey in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s bourbon lineup. This 17-year-old expression was also the pinnacle of the Eagle Rare lineup prior to Double Eagle Very Rare’s launch in 2019.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Eagle Rare 17 delivers milk chocolate in spades, vanilla ice cream, leather, cocktail cherries, and nutmeg. There’s also a slightly dusty aspect that indicates this is a hyper-aged bourbon — the leather comes across as old, as opposed to the freshly shaved nutmeg and clove aromas that beguile the senses.
Palate: On the palate, Eagle Rare 17 continues its impressive magic trick of delivering an almost youthful bouquet of flavors in conjunction with old leather and mature oak. The effect makes this immediately perceptible as an older bourbon, but the vibrancy and richness of flavors like milk chocolate, clove, cherry syrup, and vanilla ice cream push back against those more mature notes.
Finish: The finish fits squarely in the “medium length” box. Due in all likelihood to its age and proof, this bourbon is unable to last long on the palate, but as it trails off, you’ll find yourself desperately seeking more — hopefully, you’ve got plenty in your glass.
Bottom Line:
Eagle Rare 17 isn’t always a marvel, with certain years coming through stronger than others, but the 2023 version was the best of the BTAC bunch, indicating the heights that this expression can still reach.
4. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 65.5%
Average Price: $480
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Barrel Proof bourbon is the pinnacle of the E.H. Taylor range, bottled at cask strength and released in annual batches.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there’s a distinct vinegar-based barbeque note that comes through, along with cornbread, cinnamon, and cocktail cherries. It’s a complex assortment of aromas that begin a bit muddled, but because they bleed together, it makes it more intriguing to tease them out.
Palate: The palate very much holds true to the nose’s indications that this would be a densely packed pour with secrets to uncover. In the mouth, the flavors of Manuka honey and cocktail cherries become evident but elusive, weaving in and out of perception behind layers of mature oak, vanilla cone, allspice, and tobacco leaf.
Finish: The finish is long and heavily dominated by baking spices like allspice and cinnamon, while the sweet cocktail cherry flavors from earlier in the sip power through to the end, offering balance.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Barrel Proof Bourbon is one of the most underrated whiskeys in Buffalo Trace’s entire portfolio. While, yes, like most of their range of products, this bourbon is highly sought-after and only infrequently available, it truly deserves a wider reputation for delivering a flavor experience that is on par with the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
3. George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 67.5%
Average Price: $1,000
The Whiskey:
George T. Stagg, perhaps the most well-regarded member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, is named after the founder of the George T. Stagg Distillery, which is what Buffalo Trace was known as prior to their 1999 rebranding. This cask-strength bourbon comes from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1 and is typically released after north of 15 years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich oak, a strong black cherry presence, and gooey caramel come tumbling over the top of the glass to find the nose with this whiskey. Charred red pepper, the piquancy of Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and singed orange peel can also be detected.
Palate: In the mouth, George T. Stagg leads with brown sugar and dense oak, a deceptive trick that lulls you into a sense of security before the complexity of each sip is unleashed. Singed citrus notes and a bevy of baking spices from clove and nutmeg to sage and Aleppo red pepper flakes can be found out the periphery of the tongue as you sit and savor the bourbon. Chewing it unlocks some caramel and milk chocolate as the ethanol pushes each sip deep into the pores of your palate, insisting on its overall excellence.
Finish: The finish is perhaps the longest in the entire Buffalo Trace portfolio of bourbons, and it introduces black pepper, stewed red apple, and cinnamon to the rest of the party guests.
Bottom Line:
If you’re into bourbon, then the name George T. Stagg should most certainly ring a bell. Well, once you first sip this bourbon, that bell can’t be unrung. The complexity is off-the-charts impressive, and those flavor notes are so well-developed and rich that you’ll be sucking the back of your teeth, mining for every drop long after your final sip is gone from the glass. This is a strong contender for whiskey of the year every year.
2. William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 66.8%
Average Price:$1,700
The Whiskey:
William Larue Weller bourbon is frequently cited as one of, if not the best, bourbon to come out of Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s the premier expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup, and aside from their Pappy Van Winkle lineup, it features some of their most premium wheated bourbon barrels at an age that tends to fall in the mid-teens.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of dense black cherry, cinnamon bark, and clove — all incredibly rich and dialed-in aromas that entice you even as you find yourself resisting in order to savor them a while longer.
Palate: Take a sip of William Larue Weller, and you’ll find your palate ensconced in the delights of the nosing notes, but you’ll find the richness of each flavor cranked up to 11. It’s a weighty sip, and you feel that density as it rolls over your tongue, bringing dark chocolate, almond butter, and cooked red apple anywhere your tastebuds might hide.
Finish: The finish is lengthy but marked by a slow and seamless transition from the richness of the flavors at midpalate to an equally complex and persistent climax.
Bottom Line:
William Larue Weller is simply a magnificent whiskey that stands tall as the gold standard for what wheated bourbon can be. While the Pappy Van Winkle lineup continues to turn heads as perhaps the most sought-after expressions in the entire bourbon world, the very same distillery is putting out a well-aged, high-ABV competitor that quite handily leaves it in the dust.
1.Eagle Rare 25
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $10,000
The Whiskey:
Eagle Rare 25 is not only Buffalo Trace’s most expensive and rarest expression, but it also features the oldest age statement. For this expression, they age Eagle Rare whiskey for 20 years before transferring the barrels to their experimental Warehouse X for an additional five years of maturation.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Highly mature oak notes and tobacco leaves hit the nose at first, but those more prototypical aromas of hyper-aged bourbon are soon joined by an incredibly lush black cherry note that envelopes the senses. Little chunks of dark chocolate hang in the air as a surprising bit of vanilla custard, clove, and brown butter serve to enhance the nosing experience further.
Palate: The greatest trick up Eagle Rare 25’s proverbial sleeve is that it hits the palate with an incredible effervescence and youthful aspect texturally, which is to say that it avoids the common pitfall of hyper-aged bourbon — which can come across as densely packed with flavor, but with a limp, almost stale, mouthfeel. The flavor notes also evolve as this whiskey goes from nose to palate, with the flavor of candied ginger, dense caramel, and brandied cherries fanning out over the tongue and seeping themselves into every corner of the mouth.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is remarkably long and worth savoring as the black cherry notes find themselves on a bed of dense, mature oak, which never comes across as woodsy but rather exists as a foundational flavor that others can build off of.
Bottom Line:
There isn’t a bourbon like Eagle Rare 25 in existence, and that (say it with me) rarity is worth noting. However, Eagle Rare 25 isn’t just a curious oddity; rather, it’s a superlative sipping bourbon that defies most expectations for what hyper-aged American whiskey can be. On the other hand, the expectation it does live up to is that of an incredibly well-crafted bourbon, given its prohibitive price point. Cost be damned, this Eagle’s got wings, and if it’s any indication of what Buffalo Trace can do with Warehouse X’s hyper-aged maturation program, then the future is bright.
