BeppeCovfefe
Benchmark Bonded Bourbon (100 Proof)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
October 14, 2021 (edited October 24, 2024)
Starts with a rich cherry nose, in fact the cherry is more prevalent than just about any BT product I've consumed to date. Hints of cola, cinnamon and corn sugars, it's not refined but it is bourbon.
At the front the cherry indeed hangs in there, the richness of a nice sweet cornbread and cola are the meat of this juice, and that cola nut hangs in through the finish. It isn't complex but it is rich and pretty good even though the finish doesn't come off as anything special.
The 4 years and 100 proof are just enough to give it a true heavy weight booze feel and makes a somewhat similar(Evan BiB) seem harsh in comparison. This blows standard Benchmark out of the water and makes Buffalo Trace namesake bourbon seem pretty pedestrian too. Finally a Benchmark label product I can enjoy.
I'd give it higher marks if it was bit more refined or complex but for a BiB under 25 dollars this really makes the BT distillery seem like they actually care about us for a change. The typical BT fan should certainly pick this up and even if doesn't appeal to you the way it has to me, you've at least got a cheaper bottle you can make some really nice cocktails out of. Talk about a poor mans Eagle Rare.. Definite recommend.
Cheers!
22.0
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@te yes I have, the lower end products(ie Top Shelf/Small Batch) are, and it should be no real surprise, much closer in line with the standard Buffalo bottle and standard Benchmark products. Truthfully I don't see much point in them, when for a few dollars more you can get something much closer to the top end BT products.
@BeppeCovfefe have you tried the benchmark top floor or full proof by chance? those two ended up some of my favorites and in regular rotation.
@te this is the exact same mash bill as Eagle Rare as well as many other BT products, made in the same distillery. No it's NOT Eagle Rare but it has some similarity in other BT products and now that Eagle Rare seems to be back on the market you can easily NOT sacrifice and just buy the ER. For me it's just now there is FINALLY a reason to buy Benchmark, when before there wasn't.
I tried this. I liked it more than I expected, and even more than I liked the first Benchmark SiB that I've tried. But what exactly are you thinking, when you say, "poor man's Eagle Rare"? I like ER a lot as well but for me the flavor profiles are every different.
thanks @ghill40509 I really like what BT did with the 3 top bottles in this line, they make for some interesting offerings and make for a fun round of taste testing, I'd highly recommend these 3(or 5) bottles for anyone doing blind tastings.
I haven't run into the Benchmark as yet. But being a fan of the other MB1s, I will be on the lookout. Never cared for basic Benchmark due to its low proof. Nice review