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Monday, September 23, 2024

Benchmark Top Floor Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $17
- 86 Proof
- NAS
- Kentucky

I do love a value bourbon.  And I've already sung the praises of Benchmark Full Proof and Benchmark Single Barrel, two in the Benchmark line that recently got a brand overhaul, and even more recently became available here in Illinois.  There's certainly a place for good bourbon at bottom-shelf prices, and I thought both those products filled that void very well.

So, I felt that it only made sense to go down the line and try the next one -- the "Top Floor."  This one bottled barrels that had matured on the top warehouse floors. Presumably those would be the hotter portions of the warehouse, thus giving the bourbon more interaction with the wood over time. In theory, it sounds great!  And for the price, I had very little to lose in trying it.

The nose had the traditional notes of vanilla and toffee. It also had a bit of a corny note, like that of a young whiskey. While the nose wasn't strong, what was there was "sharp." There was a bitterness on the nose that seemed to prevent nice, rounded notes of caramel and vanilla that I would hope for. There was a bit of oak tanins, which surprised me given that this is not a significantly aged bourbon.

Those sharp edges carried through in the flavors as well.  It had a young note, and while not necessarily "corn," it did have those notes of over-ripe apple that I get in young, craft bourbons. It just tasted young, and that seemed to highlight those same sharp edges I got on the nose.

The wood note was also there, but it was kind an odd oak note. It wasn't the type of note you get from a bourbon that spent too much time in the barrel. Rather, it had a sort of a damp wood note to it. There was certainly a touch of oak, but there was something green to it.

There was a sweetness that did, however, punch its way through, and this was most noticeable on the finish. There was a brown sugar note here that lingered, reminiscent of a Canadian whiskey. So much so that I even got a sweet maple syrup on the finish as well. The odd damp oak note faded away, but it left a lingering sweetness that just wasn't what I want in a good bourbon. 

Grade: C-

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