Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 100% French Oak Barrel Aged

I didn't anticipate seeing this specific bottle listed, but here it is. So, for $50, is it worth buying? Considering the price? Absolutely not. OK, now that's out of the way. Aroma - OAK and more oak. Beneath that, there's a subtle sweet vanilla and caramel note, characteristic of Buffalo Trace. This is a powerful French oak expression, which I quite enjoy, but it's followed by dull Buffalo Trace. It's like a $100 bottle's oak paired with $20 Buffalo Trace. Taste - I detect oak and apples, then some vanilla and spice. The oak finish is pleasant, long, and lingering. So much oak, and it's clean, crisp, and actually good. It starts very sweet with all the sweet malt of Buffalo Trace. The finish is long for a Buffalo Trace, but not for a good whiskey. It's medium for good whiskey, so better than most of their lineup. The final result is a strangely oak-forward bottle, proofed far too low, and it largely tastes like standard Buffalo Trace. It's an interesting bottle, but regular Buffalo Trace at this low proof, especially with heavy, rich French oak or most of their other efforts in this series, doesn't make sense. Skip ALL these bottles. They're a cynical cash grab and quite embarrassing. 1.5 stars. The oak here is good, but it overpowers the light Buffalo Trace to the point where two good components create a bad one. The bourbon needs more richness to balance the bold French oak. But hey, Buffalo Trace... they're like that perfect 10 who never had to develop intelligence. I doubt anyone is critical enough to notice these shortcomings.

Buffalo Trace EQ Edition. Barrel number 25.

Scored 84.