We Put Buffalo Trace’s Best Bourbons To A Six Flight Blind Taste Test Against Its Biggest Competitors

Why can’t you find allocated bottles from Buffalo Trace?

Speculation runs the gamut from carefully calculated chicanery to secondary market malarkey, but Occam’s Razor and conventional wisdom suggest a simpler answer: they’re wildly popular. When demand far outpaces the supply, bottles become scarce in the wild, hunted into near-extinction on liquor store shelves. At this point, however, one might stop and ask themselves, are Buffalo Trace’s most popular bourbons truly worth it?

Your patience and wallet’s pain tolerance may vary, meaning you may be willing to go further (or spend more) than others to buy your favorite bottles from Buffalo Trace. Still, to determine whether you should save your time and money, we decided to do a blind taste test with some of the distillery’s most popular offerings.

Why? Drinking bourbon blind removes label bias and reduces each expression to the variable that matters most: taste.

So we set up six flights featuring Buffalo Trace vs. everybody from Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and more. This isn’t simply to say there are other options out there (although there are!) but also to settle once and for all whether popularity is a direct reflection of unmatchable quality.

Are you ready? This is our personal March Madness; Buffalo Trace bourbon blind tasted and ranked against its best competitors!

• • Here Are The 50 Best Bourbons Under $100, Ranked From Good To Great
  • The 50 Best *Real Deal* Kentucky Bourbons, Ranked
  • These Are The Best Bourbons From Each Of The Past 25 Years
  • The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2024, Ranked
  • These Are The 30 Best Whiskeys To Chase Down Right Now, Ranked

Matchup 1: Buffalo Trace Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

I’m picking up a lot of brown sugar and raisins on the nose with some dilute honey. After the first sip, what’s most impressive beyond the cohesive flavor profile of honey, walnuts, and raisins is the slick mouthfeel.

This is a damn fine bourbon, no doubt about it.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Honeysuckle and orange peel on the nose lead the way for the similarly straightforward flavors on the palate. The texture is pretty quotidian, and in fact, it’s a bit lean.

Overall, this is solid, no-frills bourbon, but it isn’t remarkable in any one way. It’s just a pleasure to sip.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

I like the nose on this one a lot! It’s got lemon zest, a faintly floral aroma, and some gentle nuttiness like hazelnuts. On the palate it’s appropriately medium-bodied with some nice sizzle on the finish.

I’d gladly drink this every day of the week.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Wow, this aroma base is unlike the others; it has a lot of milk chocolate and some coconut undertones with faint oak and brown sugar as well. This is the creamiest whiskey of the bunch on the palate, with a slick mouthfeel complementing the flavors.

Yup, this is a close flight, but I’d say that this one narrowly edges it out for my favorite of the bunch.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. Buffalo Trace Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

Buffalo Trace is one of the biggest names in the bourbon world because it produces legendary expressions like Pappy Van Winkle and bottles from the critically acclaimed Buffalo Trace Antique Collection like George T. Stagg and William LaRue Weller. Their flagship product is the perfect entry point for anyone interested in bourbon and curious about those more elusive expressions.

Bottom Line:

Buffalo Trace Bourbon skews a bit on the lighter side of the sweetness spectrum with vanilla, caramel, and delicate oak, showcasing the classic trio of prototypical bourbon flavors. Not to be overlooked as a mere beginner’s pour, there is enough depth to these flavors to keep even a more seasoned drinker engaged without rebuffing its reputation as a remarkably smooth-sipper…but there are slightly better options in its price range.

3. Michter’s US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon — Taste 1

ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

Michter’s was recently voted the World’s Most Admired Whiskey Distillery, and its flagship bourbon is the most readily available example of why. For this expression and the rest of its whiskey lineup, Michter’s uses a proprietary filtration process to optimize the flavor coming from its barrels.

Bottom Line:

Michter’s US*1 Bourbon perfectly threads the needle of being delicious and affordable. Free from any harsher elements, your palate will take to this whiskey like a fish in water as those enchanting mellow notes wash over your tongue and coat your mouth with a remarkable range of flavors that make this one of the best bang-for-your-buck bourbons on the market today.

2. Jim Beam 7-Year Black Label Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

The new and improved Jim Beam Black Label is the result of tireless tinkering from Master Distillers Fred and Freddie Noe. Revamped in 2024, the long-standing Jim Beam expression now has an age statement and a slightly altered flavor profile designed to optimize the distillery’s 7-year-old bourbon profile.

Bottom Line:

Jim Beam Black Label has the sweetness, spice, flavor, and wallet-friendly price to tip the scales during any trip to the liquor store. Even in a blind taste test, the well-integrated flavors in this expression shine with a great balance between notes characteristic of older bourbon and a light sweetness that brings the vivaciousness of more precocious distillate.

This isn’t just a step above Jim Beam White Label; it’s a giant leap.

1. Woodinville Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

Woodinville Whiskey Co., out of Washington State, has been producing stellar craft bourbon since 2009. Even with the incredible quality they put into their limited edition offerings, you’d be foolish to skip over their flagship offering. Aged for at least five years, Woodinville Bourbon is made entirely with local grains from a mash bill of 72% corn
, 22% rye, and 6% malted barley.

Bottom Line:

Woodinville Bourbon’s borderline tropical appeal is a substantial part of its appeal. Those coconut and milk chocolate flavors work well with the whiskey’s velvety texture to provide a smooth experience that will impress bourbon savants and intrigue any newcomers. This is an entry-level offering that truly represents its distillery of origin.

Matchup 2: Eagle Rare Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Wow, the nose on this bourbon is really alluring. Sweet notes of caramel and cocktail cherries come tumbling out of the glass to greet the senses and on the palate it sticks the landing, albeit with a slightly lean mouthfeel.

This is a nice, balanced bourbon, and though it doesn’t stand out in any one way, it’s definitely a bottle I’d reach for repeatedly. I think the colloquial term for this one would be that it’s “crushable.”

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Coming off taste one, this bourbon is a lot earthier, with only vanilla cream and caramel notes to balance out the oak profile and faint cherry tones. The nice, medium-bodied texture is definitely welcome, and the finish here is nice as well.

The longer I sit with this glass, the more I like it, though it falls just short of matching the first glass in this flight.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This glass has the most distinct cherry note yet, with it appearing on the nose and more prominently on the palate. It also has some good touches of cinnamon bark, oak, and black pepper spice to balance that out. Still, there’s no denying that the flavor of black cherries is the star of the show here.

This isn’t a complex whiskey, but it has great depth and balance. I’m loving it.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is the most viscous whiskey of the bunch. It has a supple texture that introduces honey-roasted peanuts, caramel, nutmeg, and mellow oak tones.

This is the most complex whiskey of the bunch and the flavors come together in impressive harmony. Deciding the best of this flight is really going to come down to preference, because this is as technically sound as any of the others. Perhaps even more so.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

Since its debut in 2001, this bottle has been often considered one of the most classic bourbons on the market, especially given its ubiquity and price point. Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is the flagship of Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve lineup.

Bottom Line:

Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is typically one I reach for if I’m looking for a robust, mature bourbon that doesn’t break the bank. In today’s lineup, it was a step behind its pricier competitive set, but this is still a bottle that I recommend trying for yourself as an Eagle Rare alternative.

3. Penelope Estate Collection 10-Year Bourbon — Taste 1

ABV: 49%
Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

Penelope’s Estate Collection showcases some of the brand’s finest whiskey. A 9-year batched bourbon and a 13-year wheat whiskey join this 10-year single-barrel offering in the series. This hand-selected single-barrel expression is bottled without chill filtration and made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.

Bottom Line:

While I’m definitely a big fan of the flavor profile on this one and give it credit, especially for having a lovely mouthfeel, it was just a hair behind the top two glasses in this flight. After the reveal, I was a bit disappointed that the priciest bottle from this flight didn’t secure the top spot.

2. Rebel 10-Year Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $115

The Whiskey:

Rebel’s 10-year single-barrel bourbon is an expression marked by a winding history that saw it go from production at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery as a locally distributed bargain brand to becoming a surprise hit thanks to a Billy Idol song, being sold to current owners Luxco, and being repackaged as a premium offering.

Bottom Line:

Rebel 10-Year Bourbon is still somewhat under the radar, but this shows that it’s an outstanding option.

It’s long been rumored that the blend features whiskey significantly exceeding its age statement and that speculation certainly passes the taste test. The liquid is a lush showcase of how depth can overcome the brevity of flavors to deliver a balanced and highly enjoyable bourbon, one of the more staid and consistent single-barrel ranges in all of American whiskey.

1. Eagle Rare Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Eagle Rare is one of Buffalo Trace’s most sought-after mid-shelf offerings. Matured for at least ten years, this bourbon is essentially a single-barrel version of Buffalo Trace Bourbon at a higher age, with the primary difference being that the two brands are hand-selected to cater to slightly different tastes despite the fact they have the same mash bill.

Bottom Line:

Single barrel variability is an undeniable factor when judging Eagle Rare versus its competition, but this particular bottle from the brand is a winner. That rich black cherry note that the expression is famous for is front and center with this one, and it comes complete with balanced baking spice notes.

Bottles like this go a long way in proving the “Buffalo Trace hype” is real.

Matchup 3: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This one has a really robust nose with cherries, milk chocolate, and caramel, all balanced by baking spices like cloves and black pepper. Transitioning to the palate, all of those notes hold true, but the caramel flavor is dialed up a bit, and the finish sizzles with black pepper spice and a touch of green apple and pie crust.

This may only be the first glass of the flight, but it has the potential to be the best of the bunch.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Coming off the first glass, this one is a bit more restrained, making me think the proof is lower. The aroma of hazelnuts and caramel leads the way for nuttiness and silky sweet flavors on the palate, but it feels a bit dilute.

This is tasty stuff, but the mouthfeel is thin, which limits the richness of the well-integrated flavors it has.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey is really fruit-forward on the nose, with cherries and dried strawberries standing out at first. From there, it includes lush caramel, allspice, and lime zest. The palate is bold and medium-bodied, with slightly more spice and some faint floral notes before it concludes with a nice lingering finish.

This is fantastic stuff and one of the best bourbons I’ve tried so far in any flight.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Coming off the last glass, this one is at a bit of a disadvantage, but it does have a lovely nose with peanut shells, honey, and creme brulee, fusing with a touch of youthful oak, cloves, and tobacco leaves. The palate is more restrained, and I’m positive that’s due to it being a lower proof than some of the others.

This is a well-made bourbon that showcases solid balance; however, its proof and tame finish are the main drawbacks.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 43.3%
Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon was transitioned into a Kentucky-exclusive offering in 2022. However, in 2024, the brand announced that it would be distributed in other states for the first time in two years due to a surplus. The word isn’t yet out on whether that trend will continue through 2025 and beyond, but it came as welcome news to fans of the Evan Williams lineup’s only single-barrel bourbon.

Bottom Line:

Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon is one of our favorite single barrel bourbons on the market. Not only is it delicious, but it’s a great value-buy that has seen increased availability outside of the state in the last two years after being announced as a Kentucky exclusive a few years back.

That said, its light flavor profile and restrained proof held it back a bit in this blind taste test, and that’s why it finished last here.

3. Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $135

The Whiskey:

One of the most polarizing and hyped bourbons in all of the land, Blanton’s is the original single-barrel bourbon. Launched in 1984, each bottle of Blanton’s is the product of a single barrel, an idea hatched by Buffalo Trace’s then Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee.

Bottom Line:

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the most sought-after bottles in all of the land, and I’m not saying that hype is undue. It’s rock-solid juice with an incredibly cool bottle, and it has the cultural cache to make it a great conversation starter. That said, due to single-barrel variability and the bevy of awesome alternatives on the market, you can certainly find other options that can outperform it in the taste department.

2. John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon — Taste 1

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

For their John J. Bowman single-barrel expression, the brand selects some of the oldest barrels in their inventory, though the age is omitted. Of note: the Fredericksburg, VA distillery was purchased by the Sazerac Company in 2003, which also owns Buffalo Trace.

Bottom Line:

While John J. Bowman Single Barrels share the exact same DNA as their purebred Buffalo Trace brethren, they manage to fly a bit under the radar, which makes them a great alternative if you can’t find something like Blanton’s. The bump in proof also tends to bring a boost in flavor, and that’s what we’re all looking for.

1. Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon OBSV — Taste 3

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

This bottle, a single-barrel version of Four Roses’ OBSV recipe (learn about all of their recipes here), is an absolutely classic bourbon. The brand describes the OBSV recipe as having a delicate, fruit-forward yeast and a high-rye mash bill.

Bottom Line:

While bourbon snobs tend to prefer the barrel proof version of Four Roses’ single barrel bourbon, overlooking the more standard, 100-proof offering would be a mistake. As this taste test shows, this bottle can hang with the best in its subset by delivering a ton of flavor and just enough bite to confirm that every rose has its thorns.

Matchup 4: Weller Antique Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Right off the bat, this is a funky whiskey with some peanut brittle and dark chocolate notes joining caramel, black pepper spice, petrichor, and clove cigarettes on the nose. That peanut brittle note expands on the palate, picking up tobacco leaves, candied orange peels, and mature oak.

This slick, full-bodied bourbon is a delight. We’re starting on a high note with this flight!

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose of this whiskey is full of light sweetness. White sugar, caramel corn, and Rainier cherries are the standout aromas. Switching to the first sip, those aroma notes hold true, and while the texture is a bit leaner than “medium-bodied,” it keeps all of those flavors together nicely.

This is a tasty, light, uncomplicated whiskey, but one that, despite its well-roundedness, could use a bit more oomph.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is a delight with caramel-drizzled cherries, red licorice, black pepper, nougat, and sage smudge making an impression initially. On the palate, this one is full of vanilla ice cream, cherries, and faint black pepper spice. It all concludes with caramel and an uptick in the black pepper on the finish.

Thanks to its prominent cherry note, I’m willing to bet that this is the Weller. Whether it is or not, this is a delicious glass of bourbon.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose immediately tells you that this is a slightly higher-proof bourbon. That rush of ethanol is paired with a lovely infusion of caramel, corn pudding, Rainier cherries, and vanilla bean. On the palate, the cherry and caramel notes are dialed up, but they’re curbed by the vanilla, along with some allspice and white chocolate.

This is the most nuanced bourbon in this flight, and, in all likelihood, it has the highest ABV. I have to add that it is also the tastiest. Bravo.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. Bardstown Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 53%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series, founded in 2023, began with three initial entrants, but this new 6-year-old High Wheat Bourbon marks the lineup’s first official expansion. By combining a low barrel entry proof with a high percentage of wheat (39%) in the grain recipe, the brand sought to extract the maximum amount of wood sugars.

Bottom Line:

Bardstown Origin Series’ High Wheat Bourbon is easily one of the tastiest entry-level wheated bourbons on the market, seriously, we can’t sing its praises high enough for that simple fact. In this matchup, however, despite its crowd-pleasing flavor profile, this one lacks the dynamic depth and textural experience on the palate to topple the rest of its competitors.

3. Preservation Pot Still Wheated Bourbon — Taste 1

ABV: 57.3%%
Average Price: $125

The Whiskey:

This 100% in-house distilled expression from Preservation features liquid between 6-7 years of age using an undisclosed mash bill blend of corn, toasted wheat, and dark toast malted barley. Each release comes from 1-3 barrel blends and is made on Preservation’s pot still.

Bottom Line:

While the proof certainly made this bourbon stand out in the blind tasting, the well-developed flavors were most arresting. Pot still funk combined with wheat funk can be a tricky balancing act to manage, but the distillery knocked this expression, their first 100% self-distilled product, out of the park.

2. Weller Antique Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

Old Weller Antique, or Weller 107 as it’s commonly called, is the second expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. With an estimated age range of about seven years, it shares a grain recipe, warehouse location, and proof point with Old Rip Van Winkle.

Bottom Line:

Weller Antique has long been a favorite of mine, beating out even Weller Full Proof and Weller 12 in my ranking of Buffalo Trace’s 42 best bourbons. It remains an incredible mid-shelf bourbon capable of besting far more expensive wheated bourbons in blind tastings — provided you can find it at MSRP.

That said, I’ve also been a longtime fan of the bourbon on this panel that ranked ahead of it, and that one is much more available, which underscores the point of this matchup.

1. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is the fully amplified, small-batch version of one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world. Released in small batches, with their identifying codes found on the front label, this expression showcases Maker’s Mark in its purest form.

Bottom Line:

While it might be a bit unfair to throw a cask-strength bourbon in the ring with the proofed-down Weller 107, there’s a method to the madness. For one, this bottle is comparably priced (at SRP) and far easier to find. Secondly, even at full barrel-proof, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength isn’t bottled at a significantly higher ABV which helps balance the scales.

With that said, if you’re in the market for a wheated bourbon and the Weller lineup has proven too elusive or expensive, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is an even tastier, readily-available alternative.

Matchup 5: Stagg Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with the aroma of Cracker Jacks, with honey-roasted peanuts, caramel corn, and almonds making an initial impression. On the palate, this bourbon welcomes hazelnuts and black pepper to the fray.

This is balanced, punchy bourbon that delivers multiple layers of flavor. There isn’t a single flaw to speak of here.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this whiskey rings a bit hot, and with the first sip, that impression comes true as black pepper spice, apple leather, and pipe tobacco notes linger before barrel char, black cherries, and vanilla extract emerge on the finish.

Overall, the flavors are solid, but they don’t really come together harmoniously, which is my biggest knock against what’s in this glass.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you can tell that this is potent stuff, but the dense aroma notes of caramel, brandied cherries, and mature oak are up to the task of fleshing out that ethanol punch with robust flavor on the palate. It’s a bit rough around the edges, with baking spices doing little to obfuscate the alcohol nipping at the edges of your tongue, but overall, this is a fun sipping experience.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Coming off the last glass, this one is far more tame and well-put together. Vanilla ice cream and cooked red apple notes on the nose open the door for its buttery mouthfeel to introduce those flavors to the palate. Those notes are joined by honey, black pepper spice, and mature oak for a satisfying balance.

This is wonderfully rich, impressively balanced bourbon that delivers at every step of the journey.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. Ben Holladay Rickhouse Proof Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 60.05%
Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

Holladay’s patiently aged bourbon has been an industry darling since it first hit the scene in 2023, but in the intervening years, the brand has only improved — expanding its core lineup to include two “Rickhouse Proof” releases, one from soft red wheat and this one from their standard mash bill. This bottle was aged for 6+ years and bottled at full cask strength.

Bottom Line:

I’ve always found that Holladay’s Rickhouse Proof expressions are full of brilliant baking spices and unexpected heat, but this one dispensed the heat with a slightly heavier hand. While some bourbon enthusiasts might prefer as high-octane an experience as possible, that robust spice profile felt out of balance in the tasting, and as such, it didn’t crack the top 3 in this flight.

3. Stagg Bourbon Batch 24A — Taste 3

ABV: 63.8%
Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

Stagg, formerly known as Stagg Jr., is the younger, more commonly found member of the George T. Stagg lineup. Named after the founder of the George T. Stagg Distillery, which is what Buffalo Trace was called before their 1999 rebranding, this bourbon is released in semi-regular batches at full cask strength.

Bottom Line:

Stagg Bourbon has surprisingly become one of the more inconsistent expressions under the Buffalo Trace banner. I say ‘surprisingly’ because the rest of the brand’s offerings are remarkably staid, and Stagg has long been one of its better, high-quality releases.

While Batch 24A is tasty, bold, and delivers on the core profile that makes Stagg Bourbon so beloved, it isn’t by any means an unbeatable experience, which is why it landed outside of the top two in this flight.

2. Rare Breed Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 58.4%
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Wild Turkey Rare Breed was initially introduced as Wild Turkey’s (really Jimmy Russell’s) response to the launch of Jim Beam’s Booker’s. Launched at a time when high-proof bourbon was less en vogue, it reflects Jimmy’s prescience in predicting the market’s future.

Bottom Line:

I like to think I’m one of the world’s foremost believers in the exceptional quality of Rare Breed Bourbon. It’s a bottle that always hits the spot, like peanut butter and jelly, delivering creamy, comforting flavors with a consistency that’s unmatched in all of bourbon. Due to that high-quality and its classic flavor profile, it landed comfortably ahead of Stagg Bourbon in this tasting.

1. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch A125) — Taste 1

ABV: 59.1%
Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Elijah Craig is well known for putting out three different batches of this exceptional barrel-proof bourbon each year, and the A125 batch marks the first of 2025’s offerings. Aged for 10 years and seven months and clocking in at 118.2 proof, this one is as classic as it gets.

Bottom Line:

Elijah Craig’s A125 batch of its Barrel Proof Bourbon is par for the course with this expression, which is to say it’s almost ordinary in its excellence. It’s only upon further review and close inspection that you realize this isn’t just average whiskey, but rather, excellent whiskey is the Elijah Craig lineup’s baseline.

In the ongoing battle for “best barrel-proof bourbon,” Elijah Craig will always have a dog in the race.

Matchup 6: Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon Flight

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey opens with a lot of mature oak tones, some black cherries, caramel, Brazil nuts, and even a touch of sassafrass. It’s a simply intoxicating nose, and it delivers much of the same on the palate. Sadly, the Brazil nuts and sassafrass flavors are absent on the palate, but some tobacco leaves and brown sugar do well to compensate for their disappearance.

This is really delicious, medium-bodied bourbon. It’s only the first glass of the flight but I have a sneaking suspicion this might end up as my group favorite.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This is one of the more robust nosing experiences of this entire blind taste test. Black cherries, apple leather, mature oak, and milk chocolate all initially inform the nose. Once I took my first sip, I couldn’t stop smiling. Milk chocolate leads the way before cinnamon, mature oak, and cloves come tumbling over the palate, barreling towards a finish that features rich Chelan cherries, tobacco leaves, and caramel.

As it reaches the finish, this whiskey thins out significantly, but its rich flavors and initially medium-bodied mouthfeel make this quite a delight.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose is full of leather, with an almost artificial backbone of black cherries reminiscent of fresh plastic. The black cherry note has a bit of a medicinal twinge on the palate, but the flavors of barrel char, leather, and wet leaves help curb that unpleasant development, allowing the cherry sweetness to shine.

The flavors in this bourbon are a delight, and they force you to think a bit. My only complaint is that the texture is a bit lean, and thus, the finish is a bit brief.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens nicely with a floral aspect joining allspice and candied orange peels. On the palate, it takes a surprising turn, with some caramelized banana notes that recede behind the flavor of vanilla custard, white pepper, and peanut shells.

The finish is pretty brief, but a fresh infusion of black pepper spice rounds things out nicely. This is a nice, albeit slightly tame, pour.

Part 2: The Ranking

4. 1792 Bottled In Bond Single Barrel Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

When private groups and retail partners elect to select a barrel from the 1792 lineup, they’re typically given a few options: Do they want it under the “single barrel” banner, at full proof, or bottled in bond? While the two former choices are the most popular, groups occasionally choose the single-barrel, bottled-in-bond option, which aligns with similar specs to Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel bourbon.

Bottom Line:

I should state upfront that when it comes to Sazerac’s ‘satellite brands,’ I tend to prefer the work of the Bowman Distillery to the juice that Barton. That said, the Single Barrel tends to hit the sweet spot for me, and this particular expression landed well, it just didn’t have enough zip or a singularly impressive note to make it stand out from the field.

3. Early Times Bottled In Bond Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

Early Times is a historic brand first launched in 1860 by John Henry “Jack” Beam, Jim Beam’s paternal uncle. In 2021, it was announced that the production of this bourbon would be moved from Brown-Forman, the brand’s previous owner, to the Barton 1792 Distillery under new owner Sazerac.

Bottom Line:

While it isn’t a single barrel expression, Early Times matches E.H. Taylor’s Bottled In Bond bonafides but over-delivers in the value category thanks to the fact it comes in 1-liter bottles instead of the more standard 750ml size. Value aside, Early Times Bottled in Bond has a great cherry-forward flavor profile and impressive consistency, which makes it a great alternative to its harder-to-find competitors.

2. Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon — Taste 1

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel bourbon is fairly unique in the Buffalo Trace lineup because it is an ongoing single barrel, bottled in bond expression. While it’s more coveted by consumers than its small-batch counterpart, it should be noted that they’re both bottled in bond expressions and thus bottled at the same 50% ABV.

Bottom Line:

Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon is exceeded in price only by its Barrel Proof and Limited Edition counterparts. Still, thanks to more widespread availability, this is typically the best of the bunch I can enjoy regularly. As we’ve seen above, single-barrel variability should always be considered in comparisons like this. Though this is a superb bottle with great flavors and impressive balance, it was slightly outdone today.

1. Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled In Bond Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Henry McKenna is Heaven Hill Distillery’s critically acclaimed 10-year-old single-barrel bourbon. Due to that critical acclaim, this expression has become far less readily available (and more high-priced), but it remains a stellar value in the Heaven Hill portfolio.

Bottom Line:

Heaven Hill’s sole 10-year-old single barrel bottled in bond bourbon is notoriously inconsistent, with hits that have landed it at the top of “bourbon of the year” lists and misses that made one of my followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) say, “McKenna is a meh in liquid form.” Ouch.

Setting aside that penchant for variability, there’s no denying that it’s like a rainbow after the rain when you find a delicious barrel of this stuff. This bottle, in particular, is terrific.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

In six matchups, Buffalo Trace expressions finished in the following order: first place (Eagle Rare Bourbon), second place (Weller 107, Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon), third place (Stagg Bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon), and fourth place (Buffalo Trace Bourbon). That tells us that while half of the Buffalo Trace bottles we blind tasted were essentially the best of the bunch, the other half couldn’t keep up with the competition.

Does this mean Buffalo Trace is overrated swill, which you should completely disregard? Of course not (unless you want your fellow enthusiasts drinking your share). Instead, what this tasting shows is something savvy spirits fans have known all along: no distillery has a monopoly on quality. If that’s your jam, I encourage you to continue enjoying Buffalo Trace, Stagg, and Blanton’s. Don’t let anyone yuck your yum.

However, it pays to keep your eyes peeled for similar expressions from other brands. Your new favorite bourbon could be one purchase away, and compared to Buffalo Trace’s bourbons, it could be more readily available, more affordable, or both!