Buck 8 Year

I stumbled upon this about 10 years ago before the bourbon craze fully hit. I loved it and hadnt been anle to find it again. Saw they had bottles in kentucky when i was there and grabbed one. It still holds up. Very pleasant mix of oak and sweet taste very sippable and smooth. Not the most complex bourbon and the mystery around where it comes from keeps us guessing but youd be hard found to find a non allocated bottle for thus price range as good

A nice bourdon. Caramel, orange, touch of smoke. Not too thin, spice is nice but not overwhelming. Easy to drink. If you haven't tried it, you should!

Young oak, candy corn, perhaps bubble gum? A bit thin, low proof

Nutty, bubblegum, baking spice, mint. A little harsh.

On the nose fruity and chocolate at first. First sip offers char, chocolate, and apple. Ice doesn’t add much for me. Ice does soften the burn slightly but overall not much change in flavor. Not very complex.

BUCK 8YR *NOSE: Dense Musty Oak, Citrus, Grilled Pineapple, Brown Sugar, and some Ethanol Heat. A Little Sour note, but not enough to be objectionable. *NEAT: Dense Musty Oak is front & center, joined by Eggnog and Canned Peaches up front. Mid to Back of Palate gets Cocoa Powder and Slightly Bitter Tannins. Mild KYHUG and a wonderful layering clingy coating of that Oaky Funk follow a Medium Length Finish. *SPLASH: Add a little water and a Sweet Pink Bubblegum note joins the nose and palate to compliment the Musty Oak. *VERDICT: This one punches way above its weight class. 8YR KSB for under $30? I figured this had to be sourced from reject barrels and was prepared to regret my purchase. Not the case. I expect this is HH sourced, as I tend to get the Eggnog and Musty Oak from some of their older stuff (especially HMcK10). Keep in mind that YMMV as the Funky Oak/Eggnog vibe is just squarely in my wheelhouse, but I heartily recommend this at $30 as an everyday sipper if you can find it. Very close to 4 Stars, and given the incredible value, I'll round up.

I feel like I’m a pretty seasoned bourbon drinker, so I don’t understand all the moderate reviews. There’s a definite confirmation bias effect among many bourbon drinkers I know (ironically, this doesn’t exist in the wine community, in my experience). Price doesn’t always equal taste, although there’s a lot of subjectivity in that regard. I love Buck and At about $35-40, it’s reasonably priced. I didn’t detect any heat or sharpness. It does seem a little like a smooth rye to me. Very good.