Benchmark Full Proof Bourbon (125 Proof)

Verk bold & spicy but also sweet. Great value! Nose is caramel, hint of orange, oak, & baking spices. Palete - rye & baking spices are front and center with a long finish but sweetness does come thru on backend with caramel, orange. Hint of tannic oak on finish as well

BENCHMARK FULL PROOF *NOSE: A little Hot (like the others) until it breathes for a few. Then you get notes of Brown Sugar, Barrel Wood, Orange Peel, a Hint of Barnyard, and a dusting of Cornmeal. There is an occasional whiff of Floral Sweetness. Overall Dry and Slightly Savory. *NEAT: The first sip is Very Hot and Overly Tannic, but I discover on the second sip that if I purposely bypass the front of the tongue and direct the liquid to the back of the palate it is MUCH better. I get Chocolate & Caramel, Cornmeal, Orange Peel, and Drying Oak. Great Coating Mouthfeel with a Ling Hot Finish with Caramel and Slightly Bitter Oak layering the Palate. *SPLASH: Water doesn’t change the Nose much, but the Orange and Oak really take over the palate. *VERDICT: My least favorite of the three, but still a solid pour and one that i may grow to like more with some time open and experimentation. Seems like it would do very well with ice or in an over proofed Old Fashioned. DEFINITELY worth the $23 price tag. FINAL RANKING OF THE THREE: 1) Single Barrel 2) Bonded 3) Full Proof