Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye Recipe Straight Bourbon (2020 Release)

This is very good! I can’t stop drinking it! A very pleasant and strong rye flavor!

Time to close out the series. This is entry 3/3 in my exploration of the BT Kosher line. The Straight Rye and Wheat Recipe Bourbon were solid. Let's see if the Rye Recipe upholds the standard. Nose: Gala apple, black cherry, and leather. In addition to apple I get apple cider. Caramel and vanilla. Raisin and dried apricot. Black licorice. Dill and rye spice. Sawdust. Orange peel and a puff of tobacco. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Solid nose. Palate: More gala apple, black cherry, and leather. Vanilla, caramel, and milk chocolate. Orange peel and tobacco. Dill and rye spice. Sawdust. Raisin or maybe Craisin. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Very little difference from the nose. The palate only adds a few notes, and since the nose was solid, this is even better. Finish: Black pepper and dill hit heavy on the way down. Pistachio and almond. More cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Moderate length finish. Not only does this one uphold the standard, but it happens to be my favorite of the lot. The profile is consistent throughout. It packs a nice punch at 47% ABV, and the character of the spirit benefits greatly from that. With that in mind, I think 47% ABV should be the new floor for every single BT offering--if you want to debate me on that, you had better be proposing an even higher ABV floor. If you enjoy the classic Buffalo Trace profile, these Kosher releases are a good line to invest in. I paid $50 for this. Sure, it may not be as good as some of the more glorified BT releases, but when I can get 2-34 of these bottles for the cost of one of the allocated bottlings (yes those are real numbers), I'm quite satisfied with the VFM. That alone bumped this from a 4.0 to a 4.5. Good stuff here.

For the price point this is good. Strawberry note on the noise is delightful.

Nose: sweet fruit, cherry, caramel Taste: toffee, cinnamon, cherry, late light oak Heat: moderate+, long

Nose: oaky, woody, honey, smoke Taste: smooth, Smokey