We continue to march towards revealing the top 5 bourbons in the $25-$50 price range,  However, I am still taking the time to highlight those tasted that didn't make the list as they are all fantastic bottles that deserve some attention.  Today, we're taking a look at Buffalo Trace's namesake bourbon.  

Stats: NAS (assumed 5-7 yrs old); Mashbill 1 (<10% rye); 90 proof; $27

Verdict: For a sub-$30 bottle, this sure seems to be quite polarizing.  Some people write it off simply because of their disdain for Buffalo Trace distillery which, let's be real, stems from their inability to get many of the hyped-up bottles produced by the distiller.  You'll hear things like "It's not THAT good," "There's too much hype," "I can never find it so I don't bother," "There are so many others that are better," yadda yadda yadda. Do I think Buffalo products are over-hyped? Yes.  Do they still make some damn good whiskey? Absolutely.  This is no different.  I believe most experienced whiskey drinkers would agree that yes Buffalo Trace "taters" can be annoying but they still make some great whiskeys and they don't overlook one of the cheaper ones like this.  I could nose this bourbon all day. I love how the fruit notes, primarily cherry, jump out of the glass.  That carries over to the palate as the prominent note while you'll also get fairly heavy vanilla, a touch of citrus fruit, and a note of sweet syrup every now and then.  For 90 proof, the finish is solid and enjoyable.  If we talked about bottles that are only under the $30 price point then this would be a clear top 2 bottle bottle, if not number 1.  However, against some of the other competition at a slightly higher price point, there's not quite the complexity there to compete.