Mouth: Caramel, mint, and after a little while a little spice builds up.įinish: Short with a little lingering spice. Nose: Green Apple Jolly Rancher candy, caramel. Purchase Info: $13.49 for a 1-liter bottle at MGM Wine and Spirits, Burnsville, MN.ĭetails: Aged at least 36 months. It even has a few flavored spinoffs in the forms of Apple, Brown Sugar, and Peach whiskey flavored liqueurs.
These days, though it is still owned by Sazerac, it lives on the bottom shelf. During the 1970s, the ads for the brand told consumers to "Measure Your Bourbon Against It." By the late 1980s, the brand was up for sale and was purchased by Sazerac who used it and Eagle Rare (also purchased from Seagram's) to get into the bourbon business. The brand was originally launched by Seagram's in the late 1960s. Since I didn't talk about it last time around, let's go over a little history of the brand. It may only be three years old, but there is nothing to keep this from being a nice card playing bourbon. Since I was out this weekend looking around at "affordable" options for bourbon, I thought it might be time to take another look at it. See if the intervening time has been kind to it. Back in 2015, I said the following: It wasn't a formal review as it was part of 2015's Bottom Shelf Brackets, but for the longest time, it was all I offered. Would I pay double the price for this? Probably not, however, if you are like me and like high proof bourbon, you’re not going to find a better value for a 120+ proof bourbon in the $20-$30 range, period.It has been 1,266 days since I last posted tasting notes for Benchmark Bourbon. Bitter, butterscotch, caramel and grain are the most prominent in its. As such, this is a more obtainable bourbon in the markets that you can find it in. See 12 Member reviews and tasting notes for McAfees Benchmark Old No. While the Benchmark line has gained in popularity, it’s nowhere near as popular as other Buffalo Trace staples such as the Blanton’s line, Weller line, Eagle Rare, and the like.
#Rating benchmark whiskey full#
In a sea of ever rising prices, Benchmark Full Proof is still affordable to all bourbon drinkers. Buffalo Trace really should be commended for this bourbon’s price. This is helped by the fact that it’s one of the only 120+ proof bourbons by a major Kentucky distillery in its price range. Add in the fact that this is 125 proof, and it’s arguably, dollar for dollar, one of the best high proof bourbons for under $30. Amazingly, this value-based bourbon does a remarkably good job of delivering an overall above average pour for less than $25. There’s no denying that Benchmark Full Proof Bourbon can’t compete with the likes of Weller Full Proof when it comes to the overall sip delivered. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, more of a realization that this bottle does have an upper limit, and it’s already bumping against it.
It’s well-composed and displays classic bourbon notes, but lacks the necessary components to make it stand out and take it to the next level. Ultimately, Benchmark delivers a sip that, while above average, has a hard time differentiating itself from other high proof bourbons out there. This includes Knob Creek Single Barrel, Booker’s, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and numerous other brands that fit this definition. While full proof aren’t quite barrel proof bourbons, they certainly compete in the same category as other high proof and barrel proof bourbons available in the market.
Sazerac, who owns Buffalo Trace, also owns Barton 1792 Distillery, which produces 1792 Full Proof that follows the same premise. The brand also produces Weller Full Proof, which while bottled at 114 proof, is also bottled at the same proof that it enters the barrel at. Benchmark Full Proof Bourbon isn’t the first full proof bourbon by Buffalo Trace.
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