Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Benchmark · Buffalo Trace Distillery
Benchmark Old No. 8 is the hidden well beneath the walls of Buffalo Trace's storied campus — the same legendary limestone-filtered water, the same meticulous distillation, packaged without fanfare at a price that defies logic. It won't compete with its higher-shelf siblings for depth, but as an everyday sipper or cocktail foundation, it punches remarkably above its weight and rewards anyone willing to look past the label.
Nose
Clean and approachable with gentle waves of caramel corn and vanilla custard. Faint wisps of toasted grain and a light floral note emerge with patience, suggesting depths beyond its humble packaging.
Palate
Soft entry of buttered corn and brown sugar with a light rye spice that builds slowly at mid-palate. There's a pleasant nuttiness and a touch of baking spice that keeps things interesting without complexity overwhelming the easy-drinking character.
Finish
Short but clean, fading with light caramel sweetness and a whisper of oak tannin.
- Mash Bill
- Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (believed to be approximately 10% or less rye, with corn and malted barley)
- Barrel Type
- New charred oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Hidden Spring — 2 oz Benchmark Old No. 8 · 0.75 oz honey syrup (1:1) · 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir honey syrup with bourbon to dissolve, add lemon and bitters, shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass over a large cube, garnish with a lemon twist.
Food Pairing
A wedge of cast-iron skillet cornbread, its edges crisped golden and caramelized, served warm with a generous spread of salted honey butter. The corn-forward sweetness of the bourbon mirrors the cornmeal's toasty depth while the honey butter echoes the whiskey's caramel notes.
Born from the same storied limestone spring and copper stills that produce some of America's most coveted whiskeys, Benchmark Old No. 8 is Buffalo Trace's quiet, unpretentious secret — proof that greatness sometimes hides in plain sight on the bottom shelf.
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