As I am writing this, I am looking back at the notes I wrote when I started this blog. I am comparing my Road to Dram roadmap (pardon the pun) with the journey so far. I just realised I diverted quite a bit from the original plan. And that is good; I loved my detours and have come back energised by them. The next series of reviews is another little detour away from Scottish whisky – I am taking a quick dip into Bourbon, starting with this review of Buffalo Trace.
And yet, this time, the detour is somewhat bittersweet. I have a few bottles of Bourbon and Rye in my collection, but once these are gone, I doubt I will buy more soon. It all has to do with the current tariff wars. A tariff war initiated by the deranged orange Cheeto. A trade war which is damaging the trust and friendship built by decades of collaboration and partnership between historical allies. If only he had learned something from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
And things are changing daily.
I wrote this article yesterday after the US announced the introduction of 25% tariffs on European steel and aluminium. The CE announced a 50% tariff on US spirits in response. And today, Trump threatened to up the ante and introduce a 200% tariff on European wine and spirits. And we have not seen the end of it. However this evolves, the uncertainty of what’s to come in the next months will do nothing to help the wider and the spirit business economy. In the end, the already suffering industry will bear the brunt. And inevitably, we as passionate consumers on both sides of the Atlantic will suffer the consequences either in price or reduced availability of our respective whiskies.
It would be easy to let those antagonistic feelings take over. Rather than letting justified anger take over, I want to think about whisky’s convivial nature—how it brings people with different backgrounds and opinions together in a shared interest. So, instead, I raise a glass to my US friends and colleagues, hoping for better times to come.
Time to get back to whisky, or rather, whiskey.
TL:DR: 4, some promise
Score*: The disappointingly thin palate lets this down – can Sazerac please up the proof for Export to 90, please?
Most wanted: Buffalo Trace
Even for the slightly Bourbon-curious, the name Buffalo Trace has a special aura. The brands associated with this distillery, from Stagg to Colonel E.H. Taylor, Weller to Eagle Rare, and the unicorn Van Winkle line, are among the most sought-after bottles in the US. Unsurprisingly, their allocated status and, at times, absurd secondary prices have only increased the hype.
There are articles upon articles defending or attacking Sazerac, Buffalo Trace’s owners, for the allocation. For some, it is understandable and natural—just an effect of available output vs. demand. For others, it is something created ad hoc to drive up demand and price. The latter is actually ironical—Buffalo Trace’s recommended prices arguably offer some of the best value for money. Unfortunately, from what I read and hear through friends, finding these bottles at MRP is close to impossible.
From the other side of the ocean, the whole allocation thing seems a bit crazy. But then I have waited online for hours for the sale of certain bottles to start, so talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Most of the Buffalo Trace lineup appears very rarely here in Europe, and often at inflated prices. The two notable exceptions are the standard Eagle Rare and the standard Buffalo Trace, which is not the same as the US counterpart.
The standard US release is bottled at 90 proof, 45% ABV. The Export version, which we get here in Europe, is 80 proof or 40% ABV. Can this Bourbon still deliver with the extra dilution? Time to review the export strenght Buffalo Trace and find out.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Specs
Price paid: €27.50
Lot: L23019 0105:03B
ABV: 40%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: No
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1, the formulation of which is not declared but is commonly known as the low Rye mashbill, made of mostly corn with less than 10% Rye and a small proportion of malted Barley
Tasting Notes
Colour: Dark honey
Nose: It’s not the most intense Bourbon, but it is no slouch either. It starts with sweet and spicy notes of caramel, sweet corn, cinnamon, and allspice, with an underlying oaky note. There are fruity notes of crisp apple, cherry pits, vanilla, and slightly unripe banana. As time goes on and air exposure increases, it starts to lose power quickly. The oaky and spicy notes remain, and a cardboardy grain whisky character slowly emerges.
Taste and finish: Like many 40% ABV whiskies, this one has a disappointingly thin texture. I would even describe it as watery. The chill filtration, which is less necessary here than in Single Malts, makes things even worse. The taste is just OK. It comes across as quite spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg) and oaky. There is some caramel, cherry cola, and vanilla.
The finish is short to medium, oaky and with more of that cherry cola vibe.
Score*: 4, shows some promise
It’s been months since I have had a 40% whisky, and I see why. While I was tasting this Buffalo trace for my review I get flashbacks of some of my first reviews (especially the Glenmorangie 10): pleasant nose, but disappointingly thin palate. What makes things worse is that I have tried the US 90 proof (45%) ABV, and the taste is amped up significantly, so much so that the nose is weak in comparison.
If I had reviewed this a year ago, it would probably have been marked a 5, like the Glenmorangie (which is still a 5 in my book), but a year removed, I have to recognise many of my votes would be lower. So a four it is – it fits this perfectly: it has some pormise, but the dilution to 40% waters it down to a pale imitation of what is sold in the US.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here is another review of Buffalo Trace that I enjoyed:
SLB Drinks (comparing the export 80 proof to the US 90 proof)
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