BOTM: 4/12 Benchmark Old No. 8

[fishnbowljoe]

Late again. What else is new?

Thanks to a suggestion from one of our members, the BOTM this month is Benchmark Old No. 8.

It's been a long time since I've had this bourbon, so I can't really comment too much on it. One thing I do remember is that I thought it wasn't too bad. A little surprising considering the price. IIRC, I think I paid around $10 or $11 for a 750. Yeah, I know. QPR. :skep: I think this bourbon qualifies as one of those that's a good value pour. A fairly decent bourbon, at a great price.

What do you all think?

Cheers! Joe

[White Dog]

Late again. What else is new?

Thanks to a suggestion from one of our members, the BOTM this month is Benchmark Old No. 8.

It's been a long time since I've had this bourbon, so I can't really comment too much on it. One thing I do remember is that I thought it wasn't too bad. A little surprising considering the price. IIRC, I think I paid around $10 or $11 for a 750. Yeah, I know. QPR. :skep: I think this bourbon qualifies as one of those that's a good value pour. A fairly decent bourbon, at a great price.

What do you all think?

Cheers! Joe

This will make me finally buy a bottle.

I can tell you what Josh thinks of it.

[StraightBoston]

For the first time in a long time, I have the BOTM in my cabinet (and saw this in the appropriate month!)

Unfortunately, tonight I'm drinking the (almost) original Benchmark, post-Seagram's-label but still from Louisville.

[weller_tex]

I had Benchmark No. 8 a couple of years ago. I liked it. Simple, sweet, but with a bit of a bite on the finish (in a good way). Heck of a lot better than EWB. For the price, a heck of a deal.

[Josh]

Benchmark is a fantastic bourbon for soaking woodchips and pouring into coffee. It would probably kill weeds pretty well too, although I'd have to really hate the weeds in question.

I have to disagree with my esteemed colleague weller_tex. Evan Williams black is light years ahead of Benchmark. Not even in the ballpark, it ain't the same league. it ain't even the same !#$%ing sport, as Jules might say.

[White Dog]

Benchmark is a fantastic bourbon for soaking woodchips and pouring into coffee. It would probably kill weeds pretty well too, although I'd have to really hate the weeds in question.

I have to disagree with my esteemed colleague weller_tex. Evan Williams black is light years ahead of Benchmark. Not even in the ballpark, it ain't the same league. it ain't even the same !#$%ing sport, as Jules might say.

This is a much better review than your alter ego's Sipilogy review!:slappin:

[Josh]

This is a much better review than your alter ego's Sipilogy review!:slappin:

[weller_tex]

Benchmark is a fantastic bourbon for soaking woodchips and pouring into coffee. It would probably kill weeds pretty well too, although I'd have to really hate the weeds in question.

I have to disagree with my esteemed colleague weller_tex. Evan Williams black is light years ahead of Benchmark. Not even in the ballpark, it ain't the same league. it ain't even the same !#$%ing sport, as Jules might say.

[Tucker]

I just find EWB so incredibly bland and boring.

[weller_tex]

I would have been happy if the last bottle of Benchmark I had was simply bland and boring. It was offensive.

[unclebunk]

Benchmark is a fantastic bourbon for soaking woodchips and pouring into coffee. It would probably kill weeds pretty well too, although I'd have to really hate the weeds in question.

Too funny, Josh. I'm afraid Benchmark doesn't do much for me either. A friend gifted me a bottle ages ago and even my lush-type friends, who'll drink pretty much anything, tend to steer away from it. But I like the coffee and woodchips idea!

[Steve99]

Not much love for Benchmark around here. . .

For the price, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. Definitely not the most complex bourbon I have had, but I am enjoying sipping on it. I'm not finding anything offensive, just very mild wood and sweetness. Very smooth, probably too smooth, but I can still enjoy it. Will probably follow it up with something a little more full bodied though.

Steve

[LongBeachScott]

I am always open to a value pour, but I am not a fan of this bourbon. I find it one of the most bland I have ever found. I bought it as a cheap mixer, but I found it so bland that mixing it with anything overpowered it completely. It ended up as a cooking bourbon. Thankfully, it is now gone. For the same price, I get EWB.

Scott

[tmckenzie]

I bought some a while back and thought it was a great value pour, but hell, I was raised on cheap bourbon. Is this the same mashbill as AA?

[Josh]

No, same as Buffalo Trace, Old Charter, Eagle Rare and Stagg.

[Flyfish]

I have never had Benchmark. Someone who likes it (or not), please provide some tasting notes. I'd like more information than the conclusion that "this is swill" or "this is a good value pour." Specifics, please.

[Josh]

I have never had Benchmark. Someone who likes it (or not), please provide some tasting notes. I'd like more information than the conclusion that "this is swill" or "this is a good value pour." Specifics, please.

From the review on my blog:

Nose: Cool Ranch Doritos, caramel, alcohol

On the palate: Thin, a bit of sweetness and that weird cool ranch note again. Not much else going on.

Finish: Very light, slightly sweet with a fruitiness coming through in the end.

Mixed: When Benchmark is mixed, the results are themselves mixed. It’s invisible in manhattans, sours and cola. For whatever reason, it does pretty well in hot drinks like coffee and hot toddies. I have also found it adequate for Bourbon cream pies and soaking woodchips...

At under $10 for a 750 ml bottle, it’s hard to expect too much, but $2-$3 more opens up many better possibilities. Even the mediocre Ancient Age shows up better. In light of all that, I cannot recommend Benchmark.

[StraightBoston]

Drinking the Benchmark No. 8 (against a 7yo age statement version of EWB).

Very young, with predominant corn husk. Not a pushover like Ten High, but I would agree a good cooking bourbon. It might hold up to a mixer -- unfortunately I'm out of ginger ale.

The Evan comes off a very different beast -- the mint is pronounced, and in comparison to the young corn of the Benchmark I'm finding an off-note that I've tasted in EC18(!)

In NH, the Benchmark goes for $16/handle vs. EWB at $19 -- that's a 19% premium (although only a couple bucks.)

[mosugoji64]

Josh - I'll have to try some of that bourbon cream pie. Sounds delicious!

[Josh]

Josh - I'll have to try some of that bourbon cream pie. Sounds delicious!

I have an old cookbook with close to a dozen bourbon cream pie recipes in it. I'll post one of the good ones soon.

[thezenone]

Wasn't a big fan of this when I last had it. I ended up infusing it with bacon fat and making some "breakfast old fashioneds" with it which was delicious.

[Enoch]

Did a flight of 3+ decades of Benchmark:

A. ~1979 86 proof - Louisville

B. ~1990 80 proof - NOLA

C. ~1999 80 proof - Frankfort (McAfee's)

D. Current 80 proof - Frankfort (McAfee's Old No. 8 Brand)

You can see the picture in the general discussion forum: Spring enjoy...

(I wish we could post pictures in this forum. It would help when distinguishing between variants.)

Ranked in order of enjoyment:

A. ~1979 86 proof - Louisville (Way, way, way above the other three!!!)

C. ~1999 80 proof - Frankfort (McAfee's) (drinkable)

D. Current 80 proof - Frankfort (McAfee's Old No. 8 Brand) (mixable)

B. ~1990 80 proof - NOLA (nasty - I don't think this is Seagram's juice.)

It is interesting that B, C, and D are quite available in the Columbia area. I picked up all three this week.

I will always buy the Seagram's version when I find it. It's one of my favorites. But I will not replace the other three. (Probably give to my daughter's friends.)

MHO

[Young Blacksmith]

That bumps my time line for the NOLA bottle I have up quite a bit. It's shaped like your Louisville one, short, squat, with the big bottom.

No need for nasty bourbon to take up valuable bunker space!

[Josh]

That bumps my time line for the NOLA bottle I have up quite a bit. It's shaped like your Louisville one, short, squat, with the big bottom.

Sounds like a girl I was dating around that time.

[Young Blacksmith]

NOLA dusty bottle, paid a little under $11 for it. Not sure of the age, but it looks like the fat bottom bottles in Enoch's post. Sazerac bar code and govt. warning.

Smells sweet, nice, basic bourbon nose. Nothing special. a touch of citrus?

Taste is OK, again nothing special, very little alcohol burn, sweet, sugary, a touch of vanilla, but just a dab.

Finishes nicely though, a tingle on the tongue that lingers for a while, a warming in the belly.

Vaguely reminds me of 4 roses, mostly on the nose,

I've had both worse and better, and will not search this out again, but glad I tried it. Luckily I know there are two more at a store not far from here. When I forget what this is like, I'll see if it's still there.