Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Buffalo Trace.
Region: Kentucky.
Age: NAS. Dumped on July 26th, 2021.
ABV: 46.5%.
Barrel Number: 21, Warehouse H, Rick #4
Price: $85 (with $20 going to Angels Among Us).
Color: 1.4, Tawny.
Nose: Rich baking spices all over the place. There’s a lot of oak along with a caramel cream note.
Palate: Warm and pleasant. Much like the nose, a lot of oak comes through but not an unpleasant level of it. There’s a woody, nutty caramel along with freshly polished leather. With a splash of water and some time, the oakiness does die down and that nutty caramel note becomes stronger.
Finish: Medium in length. Cherries and cream come through the most. There’s some more of the woody, nutty note from the palate as well.
Conclusion: I’m not the greatest fan of Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace, I usually find it overoaked and just not geared toward my palate. Still, the picks by the staff at Proof in Omaha have always been good ones so I figured I’d give this a whirl. I’m pleasantly surprised. While there is a ton of oak present from start to finish here, this barrel pick manages to tow the line of “just enough” incredibly well. The caramel notes that starts off a bit creamy before turning a bit nutty is fun. The little bit of cherries and cream that comes in toward the back are tasty as well. Not a bad pick by Joel & team, not bad at all!
Final Score: 80.
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 
