Benchmark Bonded
Overall Score: 6/10
Overall Value: 3.75/5
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Sazerac Company, Inc.
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 100
Age: 4 Years
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Color: Copper
MSRP: $20-25 (2024)
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose of the Benchmark Bonded is sweet and fruity, reminiscent of orange Starburst and grape with a woodiness that leans toward cedar. There’s also a light honey graham cracker note. A classic Buffalo Trace profile emerges, with sweet notes of chocolate-covered cherry, Tootsie Roll, and marshmallow. With patience, darker hints of butterscotch and caramel appear.
The mouthfeel is light but coats the palate well. Initially, the youthfulness of the pour comes through with a medicinal edge on the taste. It’s not overly woody, with the primary flavors being fruit-driven—orange and cherry, balanced by a chocolatey sweetness akin to a Tootsie Roll. However, the $20 price point shows here as the proof hits hard, and some of the sweetness fades.
The finish is where Benchmark Bonded stumbles. It doesn’t offer much complexity, with a lingering hint of chocolate and orange from the palate, along with a light burn. The youthful aspect comes forward, with little else staying behind.
For a bottle priced at around $20 MSRP, Benchmark Bonded offers a sweet and fruity nose that promises more than it delivers. The classic Buffalo Trace notes are there, but the experience falters when it comes to taste and finish. While it shows its age and lacks the depth of higher-end Buffalo Trace offerings, it’s still a solid option for budget-conscious drinkers looking for an easy pour.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 6/10
Value: 4/5
THE NOSE:
The nose is sweet and very fruity, reminding me of orange starburst or grape.
There is a woodiness present, somewhat cedar.
I also get a bit of Honey Graham cracker.
THE TASTE:
The mouthfeel is very light, but it still coats the mouth extremely well.
I get a bit of proof and I would say there is a bit of youthfulness to the pour that comes off almost medicinal.
However, this is very easy to drink. For the flavors, I get very little woodiness. This is all fruit, mainly orange, but also a bit of cherry.
It’s not overly sweet, but the sweetness that is there is somewhat chocolatey like a tootsie roll.
THE FINISH:
There isn’t much of a finish here.
The flavor that sticks around the most is that tootsie roll flavor and maybe a hint of orange.
BUY OR PASS?
Not many options at $20 are going to be able to compete with this, but it does show its age!
It’s a good budget friendly offering.
The Hunter Says
Score: 6/10
Value: 3.5/5
THE NOSE:
Very sweet with that classic Buffalo Trace profile, but surprisingly, it doesn’t come off as young.
While it’s missing some of the depth you’d find in other Buffalo Trace bottles, there are still some great notes.
Think Honey Nut Cheerios, chocolate-covered cherry, Tootsie Roll, marshmallow, and nougat.
If you take your time with it, you’ll start to pick up darker hints of butterscotch and caramel.
THE TASTE:
This is where the $20 price shows. It’s harsh, and the proof hits pretty hard, leaving behind most of the sweetness from the nose.
However, if you give it some time and come back to it, there are some darker oak and caramel notes, though they’re faint. After such an amazing nose, the taste is a bit of a letdown.
THE FINISH:
Not much going on here.
The youthful side comes out, and what lingers is mainly a burn at the back of your mouth.
BUY OR PASS?
It’s tough to be too critical of a $20 bottle, but the experience promised by that great nose doesn’t carry through. It has the classic Buffalo Trace sweetness up front, but the rest falls flat.
That said, for $20, it could still be a solid budget pour for some!
