Origin: Kentucky (USA)
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: New toasted American oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Sazerac Company (Age International Inc.)
Average price: € 30.00
Official website: www.buffalotracedistillery.com
Since 1999, this Buffalo Trace has represented the quintessential bourbon in the Sazerac portfolio, the company that purchased its historic distillery seven years earlier. The name comes from the tracks that buffalos leave on the ground as they roam across the United States, and one of these trails leads to the banks of the Kentucky River, where the distillery is located.
As is often the case, the mash bill recipe (the composition of the grains mashed before fermentation) is not disclosed; one can only infer that the rye component is rather low (less than 10%) and that the corn content is quite high (around 80%). As for the age, given the Straight Bourbon designation it is certainly at least four years old, and unofficially it should be somewhere between eight and ten years.
Tasting Notes
Lightness on the nose, which means not only a low alcoholic note but also a minimisation of the solvent note, giving way to the bourbon’s sweetness. So toffee, maple syrup, vanilla, honey, orange blossom, dried apricot and nutmeg, with a backdrop of wood shavings. It cannot be called profound, but it is certainly pleasant.
On the sip, it shows its lack of impact, with an elusive texture on the palate that carries forward notes of cane sugar, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), russet apple and candied orange, followed by what emerged on the nose, with a greater presence of wood and a bitter-sour undertone somewhere between cinchona and licorice root.
The finish is not long but not weak either, with a slight alcoholic and spicy tingle that accompanies the return of the sweetness with tangy touches.
Review: In this price range you can’t expect fireworks; it proves to be a good entry point into the world of bourbons, with enough delicacy to guide you towards your first impressions of a unique profile.
Vote: 82/100