Buffalo Trace Kosher Rye Recipe Straight Bourbon (2020 Release)

This concludes the series, marking the third and final installment of my review of the BT Kosher collection. The Straight Rye and Wheat Recipe Bourbon were quite good. Let's see if this Rye Recipe offering meets the same benchmark. Nose: Gala apple, black cherry, and leather notes are present. Alongside the apple, I detect apple cider. Caramel and vanilla are also noticeable. Hints of raisin and dried apricot, along with black licorice. Dill and rye spice come through, as does sawdust. Orange peel and a touch of tobacco. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak complete the aroma. A solid scent profile. Palate: More gala apple, black cherry, and leather. Vanilla, caramel, and milk chocolate are evident. Orange peel and tobacco notes appear. Dill and rye spice are present. Sawdust is there too. Raisin or perhaps Craisin. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. There's very little divergence from the nose. The palate introduces only a few new elements, and given the strength of the nose, this is even more impressive. Finish: Black pepper and dill are prominent on the way down. Pistachio and almond notes emerge. Further cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice are detected. The finish has a moderate length. This particular bottling not only meets the standard but has become my preferred choice from the group. The flavor profile remains consistent throughout. It delivers a respectable impact at 47% ABV, and the spirit's character significantly benefits from this proof. Considering this, I propose that 47% ABV should be the minimum proof for all Buffalo Trace products. If you disagree, you'd better be suggesting an even higher minimum proof. For those who appreciate the characteristic Buffalo Trace profile, these Kosher releases represent a worthwhile investment. I purchased this for $50. While it might not rival some of the more highly sought-after Buffalo Trace releases, the ability to acquire two to three bottles of this for the price of one allocated bottling (and those are accurate figures) leaves me very pleased with the value for money. That alone elevated this from a 4.0 to a 4.5. Excellent product.

This is the third Kosher bottling I've sampled. The "Rye Recipe" name is misleading as it's not a rye whiskey; they have a "Kosher Straight Rye" for that. This "Rye Recipe" is actually a bourbon using rye as the secondary grain, unlike the "Wheat Recipe" bourbon. The "Recipe" names refer to the secondary grain in the mashbill. I wanted to clarify this, as I was initially confused too. On the nose, there's sweetness with notes of dried fruit, raspberry, baking spices, leather, and a hint of rye. It strongly resembles the Buffalo Trace (distillery) profile. The palate is sweet and has an oily texture, featuring dried fruit, a pleasant leather note, chocolate, baking spices, and a touch of oak. The finish is somewhat lengthy, with persistent dried fruit and spices. Another very enjoyable release from the Kosher collection. It echoes other Buffalo Trace products while still being distinct. All the Kosher releases offer a deeper, more robust flavor than their comparable standard bottlings. I attempted to determine if this bourbon used mashbill #1 or #2 by comparing it to Buffalo Trace and Blanton's, but it didn't provide a clear answer. I then raised the proof and compared it to EH Taylor Small Batch and Rock Hill Farms (both 100 proof). This made it more challenging as it shared many characteristics with both. From the start, I suspected mashbill #1, but occasionally, Rock Hill Farms (mashbill #2) would present a similar note, causing some doubt. It's possible the Kosher Rye Recipe is even a mix of both mashbills. However, if forced to pick, I'd lean towards mashbill #1.

I managed to acquire this for around $43, which definitely influences my assessment. The buzz around this is that it's essentially Blanton's for a lower cost. After finishing half the bottle, I believe that's largely accurate. To my palate, it certainly has more rye than Blanton's, but everything else is quite similar. A bit more spice, a little less fruit, and a very enjoyable, relatively uncomplicated dram. It's not changing my perspective on anything, but it's nice to be able to get a well-crafted, pleasing product now and then. In summary: It's Mash Bill #2 with a slightly more pronounced rye tingle for a good price if you can find it.

A companion provided the kosher rye and wheat for me to compare. To reveal the outcome: I preferred the wheat. This is still very good. It uses the standard Buffalo Trace mashbill, which is always excellent. It presents more of a fruit and subtle licorice character alongside the honey and vanilla. There's a greater amount of wood spice compared to other Buffalo Trace offerings. I approve.

This is just okay for me, honestly. I notice a lingering warmth on my mouth and lips, but I don't detect any of the aromas or flavors that others mention. It's decent, but you can find better value elsewhere. Maybe my palate is off right now. I'll give it another go later.

An improvement over the wheat version. Cherry and spice on the nose. Berries at the start, followed by caramel, apple, raspberry, and vanilla. It then moves into notes of baking spices, nutmeg, and a touch of clove. Quite enjoyable overall. It brings to mind the standard Buffalo Trace.