The BEST Buffalo Trace BARREL PROOF (A Blind Flight Fight)

[@Joseph-fr1rs]

I can't get enough of the flight-fights! Such honest results and shocking to see one of my all time favorites Blanton's SFTB come in 4th. Now I have to hunt for some Benchmark barrel proof Great as always Chad & Sara!

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Thank you so much, Joseph!

[@233DDR]

Well done getting rid of the super allocated unicorns. I’ve gotten to the point where unless you can buy it, I’m not even interested.

[@Ethernet480]

This is exactly my thoughts. Too many good available sips.

[@redhousej]

Nothing like a good ol' classic Flight Fight!! Thank you!

[@thomashansen8862]

Definitely did not expect SFTB coming in last! Great video - love the flight fights!!

[@4555766]

I tried Benchmark full proof for the first time, and have tried the other 3 and I kinda agree. But for the price and availabilty, I'M GOING BACK FOR MORE!!! Love your flight fights, I've learned so much, love yous, Bourbon Nana

[@WhiskeyFancies]

Back draft was a great movie and a second place bourbon. Fun flight. Cheers!

[@E_r_i_c_C]

Back to the basics. Well done! Thanks for the review.

[@OldFashionedWays]

such a good flight. surprising with the 2nd and 3rd being so close. thanks for the review. cheers

[@TheLivingstons]

Just did the same blind taste test. Except my Stagg was 16 and my blantons was 129.5 proof. 1st was Stagg, second was blantons, 3rd Taylor and 4th benchmark. Bourbon tastings change depending on the day. Was fun though. Enjoyed the episode!

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Thanks! And thanks for sharing your results, too.

[@Ethernet480]

Don’t lie…your benchmark was 2nd 😂

[@TheLivingstons]

@@Ethernet480 I wish

[@catdad6731]

Remembering waiting in freezing cold line for 6 hours for EH Taylor BP, well worth it.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Time well spent! Bet it made it taste even better.

[@drgallup]

Going to have to look for that Benchmark full proof.

[@oldsoul8330]

The Stagg is a unicorn in Massachusetts. . I travel a lot for work so I stop everywhere. I’ve managed to get a few from stores that know me but I’ve never seen one in the wild just sitting on a shelf.

[@challenja]

I like the added graphics on the bottom

[@Retiredrookiecigars]

Love the content!

[@ItsBourbonNight]

@@Retiredrookiecigars Thanks!

[@Fusion-ed1pv]

Awesome episode!!

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Thank you!

[@ikiruyamamoto1050]

Great video and tasting notes. Is there any reason why you don't go in reverse order on your blind flight fights in order to change the palate influences?

[@floridafishingfanatic55]

Was JUST talking with my local shop about this! So few options for barrel proof BT products and the Benchmark has been staring me down at $29 😂

[@JonHBombOsterman]

I also missed Cracker Time™️. Welcome back!

[@jasono.1629]

Great blind flight! Was surprised Benchmark ended up doing so well. That’s a plus for people who can’t afford the pricier bottles.

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video 🥃

[@martybarrett523]

Have all of these bottles and my Straight from the Barrel is the best bottle in my collection! I know palettes are different and so are single barrels, but my bottle is amazing

[@josephdanko7451]

Best whiskeytube series ever!

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Thank you so much!!!

[@lilannalucey]

I speak from experience here, Chad, women do like to be nicknamed after large mammals no matter how noble your rationale is or how majestic said animal might be. But awesome flight fight. There's definitely a swelling of opinions pushing the 'lower' BT offerings as near equals to the allocated juice. Too bad I still can't get either Benchmark or Ancient Age here in PA. Maybe on our summer trips...

[@thebazaar-jh4rv]

come to Georgia, it's everywhere here

[@Doubie.]

What Rick was that Blantons bottle/barrel pulled from

[@jamessocal8946]

Now my little brain is contemplating a Benchmark/Eagle Rare blend. Maybe 3:1 to keep the proof up. Poor man’s 116 proof Buffalo Trace.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Haha nice!

[@familytrieserichiltz940]

Chad I think you were looking for the “Transverse Property” at the end of the video! You guys are great!

[@jnls463]

I’ve never seen any of these on a shelf where I live. :(

[@jaredpoepping3359]

Eht barrel proof is my #1!

[@jimcoleman7537]

Yay, Flight Fight!

[@dans3294]

Not just the cost, but most of us normal folks will never see anything BT in a store except regular BT and Benchmark

[@peternt2008]

How do all of these hold up against the Jack Daniels single barrel ,barrel proof?

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Good question! Will have to try it some time.

[@peternt2008]

@@ItsBourbonNight you already have and you loved it. I was just wondering how it stacked up against these? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ3SooZujLmgZtE

[@ItsBourbonNight]

@@peternt2008 haha yeah we’ve had them before, but I meant in a blind flight! That’s the only way to really know :)

[@jamestaylor9258]

I'll admit, EH Taylor BP is fantastic.

[@ronhamilton515]

BMFP super value and a go to for me😎🥃

[@pbkayakyer]

Well there's 4 bottles that I haven't seen in 4 years... and I'm not even talking about the Barrel Proof versions!!

[@Dafoodmaster]

you haven't seen benchmark?

[@pbkayakyer]

@@Dafoodmasterin bars, but not in the stores. I'm sure it's pure bad timing but about the only Buffalo Trace product that I see with any regularity is Ancient Age. Aside from the Indian owned stores that jack the price up on just about everything. Trying to sell regular Buffalo Trace for $45....

[@Dafoodmaster]

@@pbkayakyer i live in the netherlands, and it's always weird to me how we have better distribution on some bourbon than some US places - although we do usually have a mark up of about 20-30 for the more premium bottles. i can regularly find buffalo trace and eagle rare, and it's not too big of a hunt to get an E.H. Taylor small batch - that being said the Buffalo Trace is a watered down 80 proof version that's really not so great at all: if you want the real stuff you pay about 50. blantons (SFTB, gold and regular) seem to be available when they drop, but very expensive and quickly sold out. i haven't seen stagg junior, though supposedly it has been sold some places. we do have our bourbon nuts here, but the scene isn't as big as in the US yet: so there is more chance of finding older batches, if you visit brick & mortar stores. (but they do have to be good stores, or they won't have a good bourbon section) i think i can still find a bottle of ECBP C918 on shelf at one of my local spots. anyways, i wish you good hunting, and a flood of reasonably priced buffalo trace.

[@mdstrobe]

I feel like Chad knows every single one and is trying his hardest to not give it away. :)

[@ItsBourbonNight]

You give me too much credit, but thank you :)

[@cartermayfield]

It is interesting… everyone calls Stagg Jr. by the batch, but we don’t usually do that with EHTBP. I know the ‘21 is Batch 10, but I had to look it up. SFTB is all across the board. I have a lower proof barrel that tastes hot to me.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

That is interesting. It may be because the EH Taylor is only released once a year, so they get referred to by the year, while Stagg gets released twice a year, so the batch numbers come into play.

[@9abuilder]

"Cracker Time" LOL 🤣🤣

[@MarkO-ni3qc]

Sipping with you. About a quarter of my Stagg bottle is gone. Mine is 131 proof, not 130. I was wondering if you knew why? It's so good! Loved your review.

[@CruiserDawg]

Do a Barrel Proof blind flight with Stagg, EH taylor, 1792 and Rare Breed, JD SBBP would be good in this flight also.

[@HOOKEM1963]

I've never even seen a single one of these.

[@applecrow8]

That Benchmark Full Proof has won a couple of our Blinds and only been beaten by ECBP (B22) so far.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

I was watching this on my TV when Chad was calling out for a Tracy to be friends with. Which then made me think of a drunk Chad wandering up to women and saying "hello, is your name Tracy? Because I want to buffalo you" 😄

[@jimm8799]

Guess I need to pick up the Benchmark…

[@ChristopherOSU]

When I had Stagg Jr it improved a LOT after being open for a few days. Not a small difference either. So, next week maybe it would beat the EHT?

[@gregponder8332]

You really should have asked Peter McKinnon to have joined you on this one. haaaahaaaahaaahahhahaaaaa

[@ItsBourbonNight]

He never returned the phone call. hahahaha

[@FakingANerve]

I've never come across Stagg for less than $300, so I've never picked it up. I now feel better about that, since I picked up three bottles of Benchmark FP at less than one tenth of that price. 😁

[@elle8062]

Not surprised at all 🤣 EH Taylor Barrel Proof is hardest bottle to locate Never seen them on online shop or primary shop Only in secondary shop LMAO

[@mjohnson8122]

I Wouldnt have bought benchmark, but the owner gave me a sample, and it went home with me 😂

[@watussi4511]

It must be nice for y’all, cause I can’t even find the benchmark full proof in NC

[@ItsBourbonNight]

We can't find it here in KY either. Ours came from IL thanks to some friends.

[@jeromepeters6935]

Just in Atlanta over the weekend and picked up Benchmark bonded and single barrel. Have "putgrown" standard Benchmark, and Full Proof was nowhere to be found. Eagle Rare was just under $50, and for MD residents, that was a steal.

[@nighthawk05]

I think a fun idea would be to set up a large bracket, and see which ones advance to the next round and ultimately the winner

[@archipelago93]

2:10 Yes because any woman would just LOVE to be called “Buffalo” lol 😂

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Tracy can also be a guys name! Haha

[@877-MASH-NOW]

WHISKEY CHEERS 😎😎😎😎

[@donfingers3320]

Taylor barrel proof is such a great bottle, but Batch 11 buyer beware🤮 Batch 12 is fantastic

[@detroyt232323]

Exactly why I REFUSE to pay $1 over MSRP for Blanton's. I'll take 2 Full Proofs instead

[@nickentros]

I could do this Flight Fight if I sub the EHTaylor BP for a GTS....might do that when I get home

[@wood4d570]

Amen! I was caught in the hype. Now the palate rules.

[@archipelago93]

I still don’t have any clue how you can say Benchmark Full Proof is *that* close to the others. I just got my first Stagg the other day (a store pick actually) and it’s phenomenal. I’ve had EH Taylor Barrel Proof and it was also phenomenal. Meanwhile, I (sadly) bought a bottle of Benchmark Full Proof a few weeks ago, and it’s not just that it’s not as good. I’m saying it’s one of the top 5 worst *trash* bottles of bourbon I’ve ever bought. It’s like if you took high proof bourbon and then added some old school brown Listerine to it. Ugh. Just, no. No no no.

[@FakingANerve]

I would happily take it off your hands. 😏

[@LP23D6]

I need to revisit my Taylor BP. I already know how "nice for the price" Benchmark is. Did a 6 bottle Stag Jr. shoot out at a friends house a few months ago. 17 came in last. Just sayin'

[@tommyjusz]

I am not a fan of Stagg 17, It tastes like I shoved a box of hot tamales in my mouth. I've only had EHT BP, and I still have dreams about it. By far best I've ever had

[@johnhunt1725]

Good luck finding any of these besides the sub-par Benchmark.

[@cristinosanchez]

there out there, sometimes you gotta pay to play

[@sammylo6200]

Love how all these bourbon channels do blinds and when the big guns don’t do so well and then they find out they get all apologetic because they don’t want to offend anyone from Buffalo Trace because they get hooked up with bourbon. Stick by what you say and own it.

[@jebsingleton]

This is very interesting. I found the Benchmark Full Proof just hot and grainy. Almost like bourbon flavored alcohol as I assume it's probably quite young. It was a drain pour for me.

[@Eskimohow]

I bet Chad loves flight fight night 😂

[@Loot_Train]

Ya'll just push stagg because you feel like it gets you clout with the community if you like it

[@davemarkowski1057]

So you're telling me that you prefer Mash Bill #1 over Mash Bill #2! Interesting

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Not necessarily, just this particular single barrel bottle didn't hold up as well as the other 3. But, in general, I would say number wise there are more things to like from MB#1 than all the single barrels from MB#2.

[@ChrisDominey]

I've only had the chance to try two of these, EH Taylor and Stagg Jr (not sure which batch) but the Taylor was just so much more enjoyable. Stagg Jr just smacked me around and it wasn't really a pleasant experience. Every time I've been able to try EH Taylor, it's just not the fistfight that Jr is.

[@roscoe9988]

AM I THE ONLY ONE ??…….I feel like your initial tasting experience is honest. But then your final rankings seem adjusted to what you think the audience will find acceptable. The footage you shared sure seemed like Benckmark had a shot at #1 and stagg jr 3rd or 4th. Have Noticed this in a few of your videos. Maybe it’s your editing that makes this feel scripted.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

I can see that on some Flight Fights. I can assure you it's do to the editing. A typical Flight Fight is about 40 to 50 minutes of filming cut down to 20 minutes or less. For the past year or more, we've been been including the A/B testing part in our "Another Round with Chad & Sara" that we include as a perk for our Patreon. I'm not suggesting you become a Patron just to see that part or anything, but in the Another Round episode for this Flight Fight, you do see us come around to the order we end up going with based on having things back-to-back that were not tasted back-to-back in the round one and two. Benchmark ALMOST took that #2 spot, and if we did the same flight another day it probably would have. But I do have to say, Blanton's SFTB taking the #4 is not a popular opinion! Haha! Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Cheers :)

[@obibaddad1991]

Great. A video for those who can find these and afford to buy them if they do. Sorry, no thumbs up today. Waste of time.

[@chrishunter2323]

Batch 17 is weak on Stagg JR when compared to 16 imo

[@YoJimBo851610]

661👍

[@dustinquick5594]

The youth of Benchmark is easily discernible in this flight. If you’ve ever tried the white dog you would, on nose alone be able to pick it out. SFTB is worlds better than Benchmark.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

On paper I agree with everything you said! We've tasted Benchmark Full Proof on its own and found flaws in it. But in this flight, on this day, things didn't shake out how we (or most people) would have predicted. We could do the same flight again and possibly get different results, or even the same results. One of the bigger variables in this flight is Blanton's is the only single barrel here, and as we all know, single barrels vary. We once had an E.H. Taylor single barrel that tasted like wet hay, and we've had spectacular ones, too. I think the important thing to take away from this particular flight is this is how it shook out and it's good to recognize that upsets can happen, even if they might end up being the outlier if the flight were recreated 10 times over.

[@HuntingLease]

You guys seem like two sincere, friendly people and I don't doubt that for one minute. But please don't get to pretentious with this. Feel like you are starting to move down that path. "pallette fatigue" cmon.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

Thanks, we appreciate that! We can't agree with you on palate fatigue being a pretentious thing, though, at least not in our minds. We get it, there's a lot of stuff that whiskey reviewers and just whiskey buffs in general can do that could come off as pretentious. From an outsiders view, I bet we all look pretty silly with our glencairns up to our noises waving them about and then talking about this and that note that we're getting, and then we swish it around to kick up more things up in the glass before we tip our heads way back to get a taste, etc. But palate fatigue is something we're definitely come to experience and believe enough in to try to avoid if we're doing a review or ranking, especially with high proof whiskey. Maybe it would taken better if we called it frying your tongue? But the idea is still the same, drink too much high proof whiskey in a short amount of time and you won't be picking up the same nuances that you would on a fresh palate. Now, if ever stop brushing our teeth a week before we do a whiskey review, please call us out on it :) Cheers!

[@FilmMavericks]

Shhhhhhh Benchmark FP is actually terrible. No one should ever buy it. Just trust me.

[@oldmantwofour5561]

You mentioned neck pour. Logically and scientifically speaking, even if it's a thing, it would have an absolutely minimal effect of the flavor. The bottle is sealed. There's a tiny surface area in the neck for oxidation to occur. Even if the bottle was never agitated or jostled in anyway (which it absolutely was) the liquid doesn't remain static inside the bottle. Temperature variations inside the bottle would cause small amounts of "mixing" of the liquid in the neck with the rest of the bottle (warmer liquid rises while colder liquid falls). The liquid also mixes when you physically tilt the bottle to pour it. I suggest "neck pour" , or the perception of it, is actually a product of the varying of your palette from day to day. It's not a product of anything going on in the neck of the bottle.

[@KillinItWithFire]

Correct. It is a thing with some bottles but it doesn't have anything to do with the neck. Just lack of opening up the bottle. The juice just needs to breathe a little bit. Which happens as soon as you unseal it. I went to someone's house for a tasting. Amazing local get together. The homeowner popped some new bottles and actually poured the first couple ounces down the drain. It was sad watching it and some crazy thinking.

[@TG-qr4jr]

You can find reviews of people comparing the exact same barrel of an unopened bottle and a bottle that's been opened for months. Typically the opened bottle performs noticeably better.

[@kamahhl]

Barrell proof flights are not a good idea. You'll blow off your palate before you can identify what pour is the best.

[@ItsBourbonNight]

I don't know, we take small sips and try to put some time in between bourbons. Ideally we would take even longer in between them, though, but bourbon is just too good to wait too long! haha

[@kamahhl]

@@ItsBourbonNight Maybe I just can't accept SFTB on last place lol

[@ItsBourbonNight]

@@kamahhl hahah! Yeah, it’s a single barrel though, they do vary, especially when at cast strength.

[@cristinosanchez]

i respect yall's opinion, but bmfp and it's young grainy self did not "almost" tie stagg jr and definitely didn't beat out blanton's sftb. from my experience, i prefer the blanton's over stagg jr. have only had eht bp once and didn't find it as balanced as blanton's. i'm no blanton's fanboy but i'm thinking it's one of, if not the best, barrel proof bourbons (excluding btac of course)

[@mw906]

FFS another 18min video? no wonder your viewership is tanking. LOL