Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Region: Kentucky
Age: 8 Year.
ABV: 47.50%
Price: Sample courtesy of /u/iDriveAVolvo
Cask Type: New American White Oak Barrel
Color: 1.5, Auburn/Polished Mahogany.
Nose: Confectioners sugar is the most prominent note. I can almost feel it wafting in when I take a sniff. It’s very sugary sweet. There’s a bit of varnish and orange liqueur.
Palate: This needs a drop of water to get going, at full strength it has a strange paint thinner-esque note. Thankfully, it vanishes with a drop of water. Vanilla, cream, and caramel are the main notes. There’s a bit of the oak coming through as well. Easy drinking but nothing particularly memorable.
Finish: Short. Cherry vanilla cola.
Conclusion: Buffalo Trace named this Weller release C.Y.P.B. or “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon”. I’m not sure I would call this my perfect bourbon by any stretch of the imagination. It’s not bad at all. It’s sugary sweet and full of other dessert flavors in vanilla and caramel. The finish is this pleasant cherry vanilla cola note that vanishes all too quickly. That said, it’s simple and lacking overall in flavor. It’s an easy drinker, which might explain some of the hype, but it is far from perfection. Would I buy a bottle? Maybe at MSRP, definitely not at secondary prices.
Final Score: 76.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 
