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The Story
When it comes to big names in the bourbon whiskey world, there isn’t a bigger name right now than Buffalo Trace Distillery. It doesn't matter what the bottle is, if it's a bourbon produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery, it's going to be highly sought after and most likely allocated. As a "bourbon guy" its both astounding and exhausting just how desirable Buffalo Trace's expressions of bourbons are. Almost every expression of bourbon they produce sells out in a matter of days, and their most desirable bottles sellout within hours of hitting store shelves.
With all of the success Buffalo Trace Distillery is experiencing, you have to wonder what's going on. Do they have the greatest marketing team ever assembled, or do they actually produce the best bourbons on the market today? To answer that question we're going to review their namesake expression, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. With a suggested retail price of under $30 and moderate availability, it's the perfect bottle to measure whether Buffalo Trace's popularity is marketing hype or bourbon mastery.
It doesn't matter what the name on the bottle is, if it's produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery, it's going to be highly sought after.
Historically speaking when it comes to how whiskey is marketed, what’s on the label has often been more important than what’s in the bottle. So, let's start with the story behind Buffalo Trace name. You don't have to go far to find information on where the Buffalo Trace name comes from, it's literally printed on the back of every bottle of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
The short version of that story goes like this… historians refer to the Buffalo Trace as a massive trail that American bison carved from Eastern Illinois, through southern Indiana, to the salt licks of Kentucky. The earliest days of distilling whiskey in Kentucky are tied directly to the historical Buffalo Trace trail. The lineage of the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky stretches back to the earliest days of distilling whiskey in the United States.
I'm just going to go ahead and say it. The marketing behind the Buffalo Trace brand is expected. It's your typical whiskey folklore type stuff. Find something or someone very old, find a connection between them and your whiskey, then put that something or someone on your label. It's been done countless times before. So in my opinion at least, the massive success behind Buffalo Trace's bourbon isn't tied to their marketing prowess.
The marketing behind the Buffalo Trace brand is expected. It's your typical whiskey folklore type stuff. Find something or someone very old, find a connection between them and your whiskey, then put that something or someone on your label.
Tasting Notes
With the marketing question out of the way, it's time to get down to business and pour a healthy glass of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The nose is very welcoming. Strong notes of buttery caramel hit first followed by vanilla and soft charred oak at the end. There’s almost no heat, but some spice from the rye mash bill does come through.
Surprisingly the pallet matches the nose note-for-note. Upfront it’s creamy with a sweet buttery caramel note, that quickly gives way to pleasant notes of vanilla. The charred oak that was present in the nose is more prominent in the back of the palette. The finish is buttery with rye and cinnamon spice, with nice warmth that sticks with you a few beats after each sip.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a compelling experience. It hits the traditional bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla, charred oak, and rye from nose to finish. What’s most impressive is how the tasting notes flow in a linear fashion from the sweetness of the buttery caramel up front, to the rye spice and charred oak in the finish. As a whole Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a perfect representation of what a standard bourbon should be from a major distiller like Buffalo Trace.
As a whole Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a perfect representation of what a standard bourbon should be from a major distiller like Buffalo Trace.
Final Thoughts
Buffalo Trace's namesake expression isn't so mind-blowingly good that it stands out from it's rivals in the $30 price range like Wild Turkey 101 or Four Roses Small Batch. Where it does standout is in its taste profile. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a sweet buttery caramel expression of the traditional bourbon profile, compared to the robust spiciness of Wild Turkey or the more complex and balanced Four Roses. It makes a lot of sense why the first time bourbon drinker or the beginner enthusiast would prefer the sweeter and easier to drink Buffalo Trace expression. It's the perfect gateway bourbon.
Based on this review, I'm honestly not sure if we can say that Buffalo Trace Distillery makes the best bourbons in the market by reviewing just their namesake expression. But I can say that Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one of the best bourbons you can buy in the $30 and under price range. The problem is there's a lot of great bourbon's in that price range that are almost always available at your local liquor store. I mentioned two of those bottles in this review already. A couple more models would be Jim Beam Single Barrel and 1792 Small Batch. Both bottles are under $30 (before tax) and great bottles in their own right.
So, if next time you visit your favorite local liquor store and they're out of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, don't panic. See what else is on the shelf. If you're looking for an affordable and obtainable bottle from Buffalo Trace, I'd recommend Ancient Age. It's technically their "bottom shelf" offering, but it's very good for under $20 a bottle. While Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a great bottle, it's not worth exhausting yourself over.
Final Score: 195 our 379 Kentucky Miles (Very good bourbon)
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Photo Gallery
I started my bourbon experience with a bottle of Buffalo Trace. I enjoyed the aromas, spice that I found, and pleasant sweetness. Later on, I discovered the brown sugar and cinnamon, which reminded me so very much of the Kentucky pecan pies that I have when I visited Louisville. The long oak finish was pleasant. It is not easy to find it around here, but I make sure I add them to my shelf whenever I find bottles. We have several dedicated bourbon drinkers in our group, and they always go for the Buffalo Trace.