Thanks to explosion of popularity driven by Pappy Van Winkle, all things Buffalo Trace became scarce. This didn’t just impact rare and high end products like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but also impacted everything from the under branded Hancocks to the dusty Weller Special Reserve on the bottom shelf. Not spared from this desire to taste the distillate was Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Lest you think this is just some trendy fad, Buffalo Trace Bourbon had fans like Death & Co recommending their product for your home cocktails well before the current hype.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Sight: A deep copper
Smell: Big notes of caramel and cherries come floating out from the op. Red strawberry licorice and notes of oak slowly waft out. Slight notes of ester or banana come in before getting big pops of brown sugar, molasses, and a touch of vanilla.
Sip: The sip starts out easy to drink and moderate bodied. There’s a good amount of brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel that lead things off. Cherries come in big and bold here, with a mix of preserved and fresh notes. There’s a lot of other nice fruity notes in here as well, ranging as light as strawberries to as dark plum. There’s a slight uptick toward tannin near the end and a little clove or tobacco note.
Savor: The ending is smooth, not particularly aggressive, instead lingering with nice caramel, spice, and red cherries.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon is iconic and easy going. The flavor profile is quintessential bourbon layering spice, sugar notes, and fruitiness. The result is a great bourbon that’s doesn’t make you work hard to find the fun in it. Experts will find it isn’t the most complex bourbon in the world, but the quality is exceptional in the mid $20 range, and is easily enjoyable on it’s own.
In Cocktails
In a Manhattan Buffalo Trace Bourbon is graceful, smooth, and elegant. The resulting Manhattan is caramel laden, fruit forward, and at times almost funky or full of banana notes. The vanilla of the vermouth and herbal notes balance this, giving it a sweet and creamy character. The angostura even gets space to shine, showing off clove and spices in spade. As Manhattans go, it’s beautiful and inviting if not the most complex or extreme.
In Review – Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Buffalo Trace Bourbon is easy going and perfectly priced at an MSRP of $25. While the availability can be low, it’s worth a pick up if you find a bottle on sale. The result is a bourbon that’s perfect for both enthusiasts and new drinkers. It also has an advantage of being both firm in cocktails, but elegant enough to allow other flavors through. Overall, this is an easy recommendation for starting your home bar or keeping around for guests.