Benchmark Top Floor Bourbon (86 Proof)

“Whiskey Credit Score.” It’s a concept a friend and I came up with to describe what you’d be willing to spend on a new bottle you knew nothing about, purely based on the distillery. For example, for me Journeyman has a WCS so low, you’d have to pay me to take it. And I still might not. What do you want me to do with this? Hotel Tango has a very high WCS, and if I ever get into gin, it’ll probably be because they make one and I get curious. Similarly, Buffalo Trace has a very high Whiskey Credit Score with me. I’m a little concerned that it’s a blank check. If Rock Hill Farms ever did the collectible topper thing like it’s younger sibling, maybe each glass topper came in different colored glass and you had to collect the whole rainbow... I’d probably have to sell my car and start biking to work. So there’s the scene. Enter Benchmark, stage bottom shelf. Out of thin air, one day my local liquor store had 5 new Buffalo Trace products on display that I had never seen. Thankfully, they were all under $20... because again, those bastards own my wallet. The question wasn’t which one, it was: “Where’s the nearest ATM?” So here’s the Benchmarks: Benchmark 8 (80 proof) Benchmark Top Floor (86 proof) Benchmark Small Batch (90 proof) Benchmark Single Barrel (95 proof) Benchmark Bonded (100 proof) Benchmark Full Proof (125 proof) These are all made using Buffalo Trace mashbill #1, which is BT’s low-rye mashbill. People that are smarter than me think it’s about 10% rye, 5% malted barley, and 85% corn. They think this, but I don’t think anyone outside of BT actually knows. I wanted to do a true mashbill #1 round robin, so I threw in: Buffalo Trace (90 proof) EH Taylor Small Batch (100 proof) Eagle Rare (90 proof) Stagg Jr. Batch 13 (132.3 proof) 10 mashbill #1 bourbons. 45 blind taste tests in glencairns. Only one can be the best. 10th place: Benchmark Small Batch 9th place: Benchmark 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8th out of 10: Benchmark Top Floor. Nose is sugar, lemon, oats. It’s a lemon-frosted oatmeal cookie. Is that a thing? Body is caramel, honey, vanilla, milk. Mild apple and oats, but that milk is dominate. Finish is baking spices, citrus. This is the place in my experiment where mashbill 1 starts becoming enjoyable for me. This is a tasty whiskey at an incredible price. It’s a bit nuttier that I typically care for, but for $13.29 I don’t know if you can find a better bottle. Very low proof, so if you’re used to bonded or higher, this is going to taste like water to you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have a few more Benchmarks, so if you want to play along next time, feel free to skip the intro. However, I did have trouble deciding which BT stopper to rainbowify, so I may have some fresh material next time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fun new discovery about mashbill #1: The oats/oatmeal/oat cookie note is always there, but I never would have noticed it if it hadn’t been for these cheaper iterations.

This is another release from Buffalo Trace, so I bet it will sell out fast. Someone told me it's like a budget Stagg. I haven't tried Stagg yet, so I can't make that comparison, but maybe someday. This represents Buffalo Trace's entry into the budget-friendly market, and the Top Floor brand does a commendable job. I suggest letting it sit for a bit before sipping, whether neat or on the rocks. The initial flavors are quite subtle, but they improved after about 5-10 minutes. I tasted it neat in a rocks glass. Nose - Subtle, with notes of cherry, toasted caramel, and butterscotch, a touch of oak, and clear hints of tobacco. Palate - Generally well-rounded flavor with slight sweetness. The texture and mouthfeel are very light. It almost evokes a campfire with a burnt caramel taste, a hint of cherry, followed by oak and tobacco with a touch of pepper. Finish - It's surprisingly pleasant if you enjoy a sweet tobacco profile. It brings to mind a cigar, specifically the aroma of Black and Milds. The glass afterward carried a strong tobacco scent, as if you'd just left a cigar lounge. If tobacco isn't your thing, you might want to skip this one. However, if you like that flavor, it's an easy drink for the price, very smooth. The flavors won't blow you away, but it's nicely balanced. I could easily enjoy this while camping or relaxing outdoors on a crisp autumn evening. If it remains in the $20-$25 price range, I'd definitely purchase it again without hesitation.

Nose: Sweet corn, dust, earth, hay, mint, some shaving cream. A little wood funk too. Intriguing, but not overly captivating. Palate: Sweet caramel, vanilla, sweet corn. Toffee, something like a vanilla ice cream flavor, some herbs and dried grass. Thin body, almost watery. Finish: Decent warmth, but short and lacking distinct flavors. Some corn, vanilla, caramel. It's a typical bourbon finish. Acquired all four of the main Benchmark (this, Bonded, Single Barrel, Full Proof) bottles during a recent restock. This was my least preferred of the four. That said, it's a perfectly acceptable bourbon (and the first I've finished, though the Bonded will be right behind it). It resembles a pretty good young MGP. I'd consider that a reasonable compliment. Well-priced, solid whiskey, but the thinness in the mouth detracts. The other bottles don't have that issue. I might get this again, but it's not on par with something like an Evan Williams Single Barrel, when those are available, and only a few dollars cheaper. It's also not better than standard Buffalo Trace (but I'm a BT devotee, so your mileage may vary).

BENCHMARK TOP FLOOR *NOSE: Surprisingly light in color with considerable heat. Predominantly woody notes (Oak, Cedar, Sawdust) are present, with lighter hints of Vanilla, Brown Sugar, and Orange Peel. *NEAT: A thin, watery mouthfeel delivers subdued flavors of Vanilla, Cinnamon, slightly bitter tannins, and an almost peaty campfire char. The finish is slightly bitter with oak and a minty/menthol sensation that coats the palate. *SPLASH: Adding a small amount of water significantly improves it. The Orange Peel becomes the dominant aroma, joined by a Grape Jelly note (but the heat persists). Those fruity notes also appear on the palate, and the overall character becomes sweeter. It also gains a pleasant peppery spice/tingle. *VERDICT: Water improved this significantly. It reminded me of Ancient Age (which also had a camphor/menthol note on the finish) and EH Taylor (which provides jelly notes). Quite a contrast! It's definitely an outlier in this series, and at $18, it's the least expensive (along with the Small Batch, which will be reviewed soon). So far, it's my least preferred of the group.

Nose: A light aroma of brown sugar, oak, mixed citrus, and baking spices. Palate: A dusting of cinnamon, assorted baking spices, and brown sugar on burnt buttered popcorn. Also, cherries and a touch of malt. Finish: Barrel char, buttery, and a bit of cherries. Tannic and unpleasant. Very buttery mouthfeel with a lot of “burnt” notes. I anticipated this would be an oak monster, but it wasn't quite as overwhelming as I thought it might be. Perhaps the low proof helped with that, but I doubt it had a significant impact. I expected this to be the worst of the Benchmark Series, and it was. It was also the cheapest at $15.99 a bottle. I wouldn't suggest this except out of curiosity.

2.3 out of 5. My least favorite pour from the group. It’s the weakest offering in the Budget-Benchmark Bourbon lineup. (Caramel Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Cherry Cough Drops, Apple Pie Crust, and some light Anise/Floral notes hiding in the back.) This somewhat reminds me of a softer Evan Williams 1783 new release. Nothing special or spectacular. It’s a tad bit boring for my palate and taste buds, but for the overall value and price to proof point. It’s a solid sipper or cocktail mixer.