I do enjoy the Full Proof quite a lot, but for a daily drinker that I might have a few pours of, I prefer to stick well below 125 proof. That flavor profile just hits the nail on the head for me. If I had to choose a very satisfying daily drinker from the 6 bottles in the Benchmark (unflavored) bourbon collection, I would have to go with the Bonded. Since it is a bottled in bond bourbon, there can’t be any older bourbon blended in (it has to be the product of one distilling season), so the woodiness is a bit surprising for its age. The bottle states that the bourbon is aged four years. What’s interesting is that there is more oak presence than I would have expected. The flavors are far from complex, but they are fairly classic, if a bit on the sweet side. Summaryīenchmark Bonded bourbon is a very easy to drink enjoyable bourbon, and is a nice addition to the value Bottled in Bond family. When I compare it to the regular Benchmark 8, the original version tastes light and thin next to the Bonded. It is less fruit forward, with more rich flavors, but still fairly sweet. The balance of flavors is better, too at least for my palate. Not sure where that comes from – maybe it is a function of the proof. The Bonded also is the only one that has noticeable butterscotch. □□Finish: White pepper and cinnamon spice build throughout the finish some rye spices and a bit of sweet fruit and brown sugar continue moderate overall spiciness fairly long finish with a moderate burn dry wood increases towards the end and lingersīenchmark Bonded Bourbon may have the fullest flavors of the bunch, short of the Full Proof, which has 25 proof points on it. □□Taste: Brown sugar, lightly burnt caramel touch of butterscotch, too □□Nose: Apple, cherry candy, light brown sugar, rye spices and cinnamon light oak moderate alcohol Enjoy the rich flavor and long smooth finish.” Tasting Notes This 100 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged four years to meet those standards. The only information available is what is on the bottle: “The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 set strict standards for bonded whiskey. Today we will look at the Benchmark Bonded Bourbon. What can I say?□□♂️ I’m sure someone else did that too – am I right? Since I have a great FOMO, I had to drive to Indiana to get them when they were first released. Then, over a year later, they started showing up elsewhere, including in Kentucky. They were all released simultaneous in late 2020, apparently only in Indiana. I put “new” in quotes because I don’t really understand the way that these bourbons were introduced. Have you seen the “new” (as of 2020) additions to the Benchmark bourbon line from Buffalo Trace Distillery? They are: Top Floor, Small Batch, Single Barrel, Bonded and Full Proof. Please enjoy my Benchmark Bonded Bourbon Review! The “New” Benchmark Bourbons There’s just one problem – you’ll need McAfee-level surveyor skills to find a bottle.Distilled, Aged & Bottled By Buffalo Trace Distillery Just when you’re getting comfy, that taste then melts into a sweet, thick brown sugar flavor followed by a long, pepper filled finish. It’s an incredibly delicious and flavorful bourbon that manages to keep a lease on its high proof.īenchmark Full Proof is full proofed and full of flavor and the $27 price point doesn’t hurt either. So what does an additional 30 – 45 proof get you? A whole bunch of flavor.Īt the beginning, Benchmark Full Proof is a bit hot, but that’s quickly soothed by a dry, dark chocolate and rich, honey taste. While there is a Bottled-in-Bond bourbon in the family, the rest of the collection sits between 80 – 95 proof. This bottle in particular has garnered attention and after a few sips, it’s easy to see why.īenchmark Full Proof, as the name might imply, is the high proof bourbon of the collection weighing in at 125 proof. 8 Brand, Top Floor, a small batch, a single barrel, a bottled-in-bond, and Benchmark Full Proof. In total, the collection includes Benchmark Old No. And the rest was history.īeing a Buffalo Trace product is reason alone for the Benchmark collection to become popular, but the flavor certainly doesn’t hurt. To keep track of where they’d been, the McAfee brothers left behind benchmarks. The brothers worked as land surveyors, moving through the land, marking boundaries and landmarks, and essentially discovering the piece of land where the distillery currently resides. The Benchmark collection from Buffalo Trace was named for the McAfee brothers who explored Kentucky back in 1773. Benchmark Full Proof is raising standards and blazing trails.
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