Company on Label: Buffalo Trace
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10%)
Proof: 90°
Age: 10 years
Further identification: Standard offering, ~2020 purchase
Nose: That wonderful @buffalotrace sweet candied apple I know and love leads the way. Immediately followed by the syrupy cherry & slight cinnamon spice that really noses similar to a Stagg Jr early on here. An absolute clinic of bourbon scent presentation; a well-aged oak carries a sweet, sugary caramel forward on it's latest layer. Some very faint spices appear as a foreshadowing to the continued evolution of this pour. Some evidence of a faint lemon cake is starting to present post-sip. Vanilla helps the cake feel along further. A swirl unleashes more of the cherry sweetness that overpowers the apple & caramel notes. It has also lost its rich intensity it started with, revealing that this may well fall short in a Stagg Jr head to head. Some dryness like clay under hot sun now. A hint of funky dark chocolate. Now that some of the other flavors have subsided I can really appreciate the quality of the oak note here, which is stronger than I may have let on. Some buttery silky characteristics do well to tie this whole glass together. Empty glass is peppery vanilla.
Palate: Big first sip (whoops) presents a very light maraschino cherry forward profile. If you blinded me you might be able to convince me this is a light old fashioned. Unbelievably approachable; despite my large sip there is zero ethanol to uncover. At the same time a thick syrupy mouth coating doesn't actually carry much in the way of flavor. Another sip is just the perfect viscosity and approaches some molasses and a touch of earthy oak. The oak is almost muddy in a way. I envision a wet barrel sitting outside on a well-trodden path surrounded by a rainy day like today. Flashes of spice can be pulled from the depths of this dark oak. I do love the quality of the mouth coating on this that sets it apart from BT for me. The after taste has a nice lemon meringue pie feeling to it. I thoroughly enjoy this as a sipper, but not enough to give it a 5 in my book; this is a very solid 4/5.
Rating: 4/5
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