Buckhorn Kentucky Straight Bourbon: MINI

NOTE: This selection was part of a “mini week” I did where I reviewed 50ml bottles that were available from Total Wine.

Nose: This is another very light smelling bourbon that doesn’t have much going on in the scent department. There is a hint of lemon and some raisin. Palate: The first sip of this comes across with a good deal of sweetness. The mouthfeel is on the thin side, but not overly watery or uncomfortable. There’s almost no heat, with only a small amount showing up near the finish and then quickly disappearing. On the second and subsequent sips, a bit of rye spice starts coming through. The last sip of this one was a bit “larger” than previous minis from “mini week", and came across with a little more heat. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Overall, this is a very easy drinker. It is smooth but mostly because it isn’t not very complex. Its base is your standard caramel and vanilla “classic bourbon” taste, but it doesn’t stray much from that. Comments: Once again, I am surprised that a mini pick is better than I thought it would be. Although there’s nothing special about this one, I have to say that I enjoyed it and would drink it in the future if I was in the mood for a simple, easy to drink, bourbon that wasn’t going to tax my taste buds. I won’t go out and buy a big bottle of it, but I would buy future minis to use on plane trips or on vacation. I also wouldn’t turn down a taste if offered this by anyone. This guy is 80 proof and the label states that it is "distilled, bottled and aged in Louisville, Kentucky” and that it is aged 36 months. And, although it also states that it is “distilled, aged and bottled by the Clear Springs Distilling Co.” the UPC code trick indicates that the UPC codes belongs to Buffalo Trace. Ah……..so that may explain things. A 3 year old Buffalo Trace product? Even if they come from their lesser barrels, it is still going to be drinkable……and it is. The next time I have a mini of this, I’ll do a side-by-side with some other Buffalo Trace products to see if I can noodle which mashbill or which Buffalo Trace product is its closest cousin. This 50ml/mini bottle cost $1.99 at Total Wine. They sell a 1.75l bottle for $29.99.