Proof: 131
Age: NAS
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Mashbill: MB1
Price: 59.99
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Nose: Allspice, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cherry, Chocolate, Cream, Fig, Musty, Nutmeg, Oak, Raisin, Sawdust, Smokey, Tobacco, Vanilla
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Taste: Sharp/Tannic – Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Brown Butter, Brown Sugar, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cherry, Fig, Grape, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Raisin, Vanilla, Leather, Tobacco.
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Finish: Long Length – Bitter oak tannins hit the palate, letting you know you’re drinking 131 proof bourbon; signature cherry cola, fig, and grape take over for a light, syrupy fruit medley before the spice sets in. Light brown sugar, nutmeg, and chewy caramel round out with a hint of leather and black pepper.
While not an overly complex finish, it is a good one. A lot of flavor hits mid palate – brown butter, molasses, maple syrup, and vanilla cream shine bright, but finish falls pretty flat.
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Overall: Delicious. When found at retail, 59.99, this is of course, as the kids say, a steal.
Comparing it to the newest batch of Booker’s both hit very hard but price helps this one quite a bit. This has all of the good components of a great bourbon and upon the first sniff and sip – you know it’s from Buffalo Trace.
With distilleries and brands raising prices and making products become “premium” or “high end,” I can see this bottle jumping up to 99.99 retail and it would still be worth it – but I would hope for some clarification on an age statement to compete with ECBP and Booker’s.
It’s from BT – everyone will love this regardless of my thoughts, but this is my first batched Stagg (JR) since B13 and it falls a little flat when compared. B18 has as balanced of a finish as a 131 proof whiskey can but falls short. The heat sticks around with the bitter oak and toffee, but it falls pretty flat. This is a great mid palate hitter and shines right after the sip!
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Rating: 8.2/10
Value Rating: 9/10
Total Score: 8.6/10
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