Buffalo Trace Binny's Small Batch Select Batch #27 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $27

- 90 Proof

- NAS

- Batch #27

- Kentucky

As I've said in the past, I have a really hard time passing up on Buffalo Trace Single Barrel or Small Batch Selects. Whether I'm in Jewel, Binny's or any other liquor store, I just can't pass up the value that these bottles always bring. I've never had a dud, and I've been very pleasantly surprised by some of the bottles I've tasted.

I was just on a wine run with my wife when I grabbed this one. In fact, I still have a bottle of their Batch #25 sitting unopened in my desk at work (neglected due to the pandemic). Despite that, as she was loading her purchases onto the counter, upon noticing this bottle sitting there, I grabbed it and plopped it down next to her bottles of wine. Of course I got the "really?" look from her, but even she was willing to look past my yet-another-whiskey-purchase given the price.

The nose was very pleasant. I got a good, sweet cinnamon note, as well as a lot of vanilla. It reminded me a bit of cinnamon rolls, with an emphasis on the vanilla notes.  I also got some root beer notes, which gave it a sort of a root beer float smell. I also got some fresh baked bread notes from time to time. This really was a good smelling whiskey, and I found myself just sniffing my glass constantly with each pour.

The flavor seemed to follow suit, and the first note that I got out of it was a sweet, soft vanilla note that was a bit like soft serve ice cream. Along with that I got some of the more traditional notes, with a decent amount of toffee and a bit of light cinnamon. I even got a little bit of chocolate. On first pours it came across as a sweet milk chocolate, but on later pours I likened it to more of a rich, dark chocolate.

These flavors all together really reminded me of a Heath Bar, one of my favorite candies to steal from my kids' Halloween haul each year (they just don't appreciate the Heath Bar).  It also had that sort of creamy quality, not necessarily in texture but more in the way the flavors came across my palate. Much like the nose, at times I got a mix of all these flavors here that together reminded me of a root beer float.

On the final few pours, a certain richness came through. I got darker fruit notes, like raisin and plum. I also got a bit of an anise note, but not enough to offend me (I'm not a huge fan of anise). Just enough to add a bit more character and make it just that much more interesting. 

As I said, I haven't opened Batch #25 yet, so I can't compare it to that. However, this is one of the better Buffalo Trace picks that I've had in a while, and I feel like I've had a run of some good ones lately. If this is still sitting in stores, and you happen to like Buffalo Trace, I'd say definitely pick one up. I know some people would rather see Binny's doing Single Barrel Selects than Small Batch Selects, but if the Small Batch Selects are going to taste like this, then it really makes no difference to me.

Grade: A-