Benchmark Full Proof Bourbon Review

Benchmark Full Proof is raising standards and blazing trails.

Well at least, its namesakes were. The Benchmark collection from Buffalo Trace was named for the McAfee brothers who explored Kentucky back in 1773. The brothers worked as land surveyors, moving through the land, marking boundaries and landmarks, and essentially discovering the piece of land where the distillery currently resides. To keep track of where they’d been, the McAfee brothers left behind benchmarks. And the rest was history.

Being a Buffalo Trace product is reason alone for the Benchmark collection to become popular, but the flavor certainly doesn’t hurt. In total, the collection includes Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand, Top Floor, a small batch, a single barrel, a bottled-in-bond, and Benchmark Full Proof. This bottle in particular has garnered attention and after a few sips, it’s easy to see why.

Benchmark Full Proof, as the name might imply, is the high proof bourbon of the collection weighing in at 125 proof. While there is a Bottled-in-Bond bourbon in the family, the rest of the collection sits between 80 – 95 proof. So what does an additional 30 – 45 proof get you? A whole bunch of flavor.

At the beginning, Benchmark Full Proof is a bit hot, but that’s quickly soothed by a dry, dark chocolate and rich, honey taste. Just when you’re getting comfy, that taste then melts into a sweet, thick brown sugar flavor followed by a long, pepper filled finish. It’s an incredibly delicious and flavorful bourbon that manages to keep a lease on its high proof.

Benchmark Full Proof is full proofed and full of flavor and the $27 price point doesn’t hurt either. There’s just one problem – you’ll need McAfee-level surveyor skills to find a bottle.