Welcome to the fourth and final matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 1’s Number 1 seed, Benchmark Bonded, takes on Number 4 seed, Old Bardstown.
Benchmark Bonded is a product of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY. This bottle was purchased in September 2024 at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago, IL, for $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.33 per pour.
Their opponent is Old Bardstown. A product of the Willett Distillery in Bardstown, KY, it is the only true craft bourbon in the competition. This bottle was purchased at South Lyndale Liquor in Minneapolis, MN, for $21.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.47 per pour.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.
Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.47
Details: 45% ABV
Nose: Vanilla, red fruit, and a touch of oak
Mouth: Strong cinnamon spice notes followed by caramel and bread notes. Reminds me of a good cinnamon roll
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Good cinnamon spice notes
Baffled Toaster (Benchmark Bonded)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.33
Details: 50% ABV
Nose: Brown sugar, apple, and oak
Mouth: Cinnamon, clove, toffee, apple, and leather
Finish: Medium in warmth and length, with notes of cinnamon, clove, and toffee
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Here’s another close one. Baffled Toaster is delicious—I’m really digging the apple notes. However, that cinnamon spice on Rusty Marshmallow is just calling to me. My favorite dessert is a great cinnamon roll, and this captures that.
Post-Reveal Thoughts: Another surprising result. Not only is there the David vs. Goliath angle of Willett vs. Buffalo Trace, but there’s also the proof difference between the pair. But one thing that isn’t surprising is that Willett turned out to be the giant slayer. They’ve been releasing sought-after bourbons for decades, even if they only started putting out products they distilled themselves about 10 years ago.
Winner: Old Bardstown is advancing to round 2.
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