Benchmark Single Barrel Bourbon (95 Proof)

Given what I know about people being hyperbolic and overrating the things they like and underrating the things they don't, a community ranking of 3.5 makes perfect sense for Benchmark Single Barrel. What you're getting here is a lower-end single barrel bourbon priced about $29. It's rare these days that I drink bourbon in this range (your standard Maker's Mark, Larceny, Knob Creek offerings), so I don't have much of a point of comparison. I would venture that Knob Creek 9 Year Bourbon is the better buy but it's about $10 more. I'd be interested in picking up a bottle of standard Maker's as a comparison, but truth be told, I'm always buying their Cask Strength or Wood Finishing if I'm buying Maker's these days. So my closest point of comparion is Evan William Single Barrel, which I'm really glad has reemrged in wider markets after it went distillery only for a while. That too is about $8 more than this, but I think it's worth it, since it's better. But that said, Benchmark isn't a bad budget bourbon. You get a swirl of caramel and vanilla on the nose like you're expect from a bourbon. It's not the wildest most complex nose, but it gets the job done, and I probably would have loved this as an option when I was in my twenties, especially if you're deflating the currency and a bottle of this might have been 15 bucks then. To that end, it's close to Evan Williams BiB in terms of value and I know a lot of people would swear by EW BiB over this but I've never been a huge EW BiB fan. The palate is more of the same, unassuming but also inoffensive with a bit of an apple note as well. It doesn't really evolve beyond that, but on the finish there's some cinnamon, again nothing to write home about but there's also nothing really awful here either. No youthful overly saccharine flavors or bitter oak. Benchmark seems to have found a niche in the budget category and as such, they deliver. I'm interested in trying the other products since they're promoting them at the local stores, Top Floor, Bonded, Full Proof, but I've been trying to avoid too high a proof lately just because of how hard hitting they are and the ways they can limit your enjoyment of the night. But I don't think you're going wrong if you're picking this up, given that it's probably got enough character to work in cocktails as well, but that's just venturing a guess because my wife it the cocktail drinker in the house and hasn't weighed in. I give it a 3 because it's pretty average, and a 3.5 seems to me the rating of someone who's thrilled to discover you can get something that doesn't taste like piss for under $30. I already know that, so I'm not astonished.

So let me get this straight. BT can't produce enough EHT, Stagg, ER or BT such that we can find a bottle of any retail price? But they have enough to expand the Benchmark line? They have seriously increased production capacity and several new mammoth rick houses. Two years has passed since they introduced this (In Indiana only) so this fall this stuff should be ready for prime time? Enough of the rant and it is nice to see some affordable product other than the 80 proof bottom shelf stuff that barely qualifies as bourbon. It took me well over a year to round up the full line, but the product is pretty easy to find now. Every product in this line is an anathema to me. I have tried them all and like them one night but not the next. The top floor version had more flavor and fragrance than the old 80 but there is an off-putting paint thinner element. The small batch was a step up and fairly rich with traditional bourbon notes. I was hoping for a poor man's BT and it is if you can get past the little bit of turpentine in the background. Having read numerous reviews on the bib, I had great expectations. The 100 proof packs some punch and the typical dark fruit caramel is there. I was hoping to get close to the basically unavailable EHT smb but it's way off the mark with too much young ethanol on nose and tongue. Enter the single barrel. Now I like this one but ymmv as sbs do. It has an expressive nose with lots of caramel, candied cherries and a touch of nutmeg. The taste is true to the nose and it satisfies my bourbon cravings. I put it on a par or maybe above standard BT. It's youth is mostly in the background. The full proof is not a knock off of Stagg Jr and frankly does not even come close. It's difficult to get past the ethanol but a few drops of water helps. It's true to the family but won't make a regular pour around my house A year ago next week, I was in the hospital with covid. Lost my smell and tastes were screwed up. In the three months I was tasting these Benchmark offerings my smell would arbitrarily go away and tastes got weird. Hopefully, I sorted those out. Doc says this may go on forever. I know that I don't enjoy my bourbon as much as in the past so it will be a while till I try any of today's premium offerings. I will be sampling them through your senses so keep up the great reviews.

I've been seeking good lower proof bottles lately. This one grabbed my attention, and so I took a gamble... Color: Medium Copper Nose: Sweet. I heard a review on YouTube that mentioned, "Juicy Fruit gum" — and I totally get where they were coming from. Leather. Oak. Totally recognize this as a "Buffalo Trace" nose. Reminds me of, dare I say, Eagle Rare?!. Now let's see how this stuff tastes... Palate: (First sip neat) Slightly syrupy on the tongue, which surprised me. Was not expecting that at this proof. "Spicy" kicks things off. Gentle chest hug. Somewhat nutty on the second sip. Let's add a large ice ball and see what that does, if anything... Still spicy. I'd say "spicy" is the predominant profile — on this maiden voyage, at least. More sweetness comes out as the ice melts. Again, I am tasting "Eagle Rare" here! Wow. I have some of that left. I think a blind between these two is warranted! Finish: Somewhat short, but nice with caramel. I love when I "discover" a relatively cheap bottle that delivers the goods. I can see this earning a spot on the Bottom Shelf. 3 solid stars. Added 2/19/24: As I mentioned above, I was curious to see how this Benchmark SiB would stand up against its longer-aged Buffalo Trace cousin, Eagle Rare, in a blind. I conducted it last night, and the results were not too surprising. Suffice to say, one can tell the difference pretty easily between a 10 year bottle and what is probably, at most, a 4 year bottle (probably less). Eagle Rare was the clear winner. But that is not necessarily a slam against Benchmark SiB. I still detect a lot of "Buffalo Trace" in it. It's just not as "developed" and "nuanced" as its older cousin. My thoughts on it remain unchanged: It's a good low-price option.

N: Sweet corn, spiced cherries, cherry cough syrup, wood and char, toasted nuts, ethanol. P: Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, baking spice, mild cinnamon, bitter tannins, medicinal notes, cut wood, pencil shavings, peanuts. F: Cinnamon, barrel char and spice, dried herbs, baking spice, lingering bitter tannins, wet paper, wood. I've enjoyed this bottle. I think it slots nicely between Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek 9, and the Evan Williams Single Barrel. It's not really better than any of those, but it's different, and I appreciate that. Price is right. This is the one of the Benchmark line I'd be most likely to pick up again. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

BENCHMARK SINGLE BARREL NOSE: Like the Bonded, this starts out HOT. Let it breathe and there is a rotation of Tart Peach, Lemon Custard, Oak Spice, Pipe Tobacco, Dry Brown Sugar, and some Fall Spice. Very good! NEAT: Vanilla/Maple/Butterscotch Sweetness dominates the front end followed by Orange Peel, Lemon Custard, Oak Spice, Baking Spices, and Black Pepper. Short Slightly Drying Finish with a mild, yet building KYHug. Spicy Tingly Oak Oak & Vanilla coat and layer the palate. The longer you spend with this, the sweeter it gets. SPLASH: Orange Marshmallow Circus Peanuts show up on the Nose and Palate, along with a Waxy Leather note. Ghh be e Finish gets a bit more spice as well. VERDICT: This is another winner. I LOVE when i get that Circus Peanut note on a whiskey. This is more complex and sweeter than the Bonded, but at the cost of some of the clingy mouthfeel. This would be good at $45, but at $25 its great. This is a Single Barrel, so YMMV.

Alert! For a limited time buyers in the state of Georgia should be able to get the Benchmark series at a fantastic deal. If your store isn't selling the Benchmarks including the Single Barrel and Full Proof for around 10$ YES TEN DOLLARS a bottle then be sure and look at some other stores near you. This is due to the on going legal battle between Sazerec and RNDC,,, it apppears RNDC is literally dumping their warehouse stock of BT products, naturally they have very little of the higher end labels but fantastic deals on the Benchmark series exist and continue until ??? Pretty sure this is ONLY in the state of GA, but if anyone knows of other areas doing this feel free to chime in.