Benchmark No. 8 Bourbon

“Whiskey Credit Score.” It’s a concept a buddy and I came up with to describe what you’d be willing to drop on a new bottle you knew nothing about, purely based on the distillery. For example, for me Old 55 has a bottom shelf WCS. Maybe $15. This is why I will likely never own another Old 55. Wild Turkey has a very high WCS, particularly when it comes to the master’s keep series. I didn’t blink when given the opportunity to buy a Cornerstone online for about $200. Fingers crossed for a BiB. Similarly, Buffalo Trace has a very high Whiskey Credit Score with me. I’m a little concerned that it’s a blank check. If I was in their gift shop and they showed me a bottle of Hancock’s that was bottled by a Willie Wonka style contest winner who’s name was John and they printed a custom label that read: John’s Hancock’s... well I might have to see how much one of my kidneys is worth. So there’s the scene. Enter Benchmark, stage bottom shelf. Out of thin air, one day my local liquor store had 5 new Buffalo Trace products on display that I had never seen. Thankfully, they were all under $20... because again, those bastards own my wallet. The question wasn’t which one, it was: “If I buy a sixth, can I get a Benchmark box too?” So here’s the Benchmarks: Benchmark 8 (80 proof) Benchmark Top Floor (86 proof) Benchmark Small Batch (90 proof) Benchmark Single Barrel (95 proof) Benchmark Bonded (100 proof) Benchmark Full Proof (125 proof) These are all made using Buffalo Trace mashbill #1, which is BT’s low-rye mashbill. People that are smarter than me think it’s about 10% rye, 5% malted barley, and 85% corn. They think this, but I don’t think anyone outside of BT actually knows. I wanted to do a true mashbill #1 round robin, so I threw in: Buffalo Trace (90 proof) EH Taylor Small Batch (100 proof) Eagle Rare (90 proof) Stagg Jr. Batch 13 (132.3 proof) 10 mashbill #1 bourbons. 45 blind taste tests in glencairns. Only one can be the best. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First runner-up-loser: Benchmark 8. If you ain’t second, you’re second loser. Nose is almost nonexistent. I get maple syrup and lemon. Body is lemon, caramel, peanuts. Mostly peanuts. This body is extremely similar to small batch, with noticeably milder flavors. Finish is peppermint. Like toothpaste peppermint. It’s weird. I don’t like it, but it gets better over the course of the drink. I don’t like this whiskey. This tastes young, possibly Canadian. (Joking, of course.) There’s not a ton of classic bourbon notes, it’s got an unpleasant alcohol presence (which is impressive at just 80 proof), and it’s just not worth the sip for me. That’s the funny thing about blind taste tests. The only whiskey this guy beat out was Benchmark Small Batch (which I generally do like). There must’ve been some odd interference between the two. On its own, in a glencairn, this is a hard pass. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have a few more Benchmarks, so if you want to play along next time, feel free to skip the intro. However, I did have trouble deciding which non-president to use for my presidential select, so I may have some fresh material next time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fun new discovery about mashbill #1: A palate cleanser is required. These whiskeys are more similar than they are different. This is true for the expensive ones too...

Nose: very light nose. Only thing I get is caramel from this. Maybe some coffee cake too. Palate: light but very spicy for 80 proof. Lots of caramel and decent flavor for being $12. Finish: vanilla on the finish and very short. Overall: not bad. I can definitely see the Blantons/buffalo trace feel to it. But much like AAA10 it’s just very watered down and plain. Yes, a great ~$10 bottle but not worth buying again for myself. There are too many other bottles that are amazing to me to have this one take up room in the cabinet.

Has a light sweet vanilla with a hint of caramel on the nose and a caramel taste. The finish is a medium barrel finish. Not toasted barrel or charred barrel, just a wet barrel finish. Very plain.

Fine. No depth. Session whiskey

I can't think of a better bourbon at this price point. Better than entry level Jack Daniels and Jim Beams. I'd even say it gives a good run against Monkey Shoulder and Makers Mark.