Benchmark Top Floor is a Kentucky straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, aged on the warm top floors of the warehouse and bottled at 86 proof (43% ABV).
McAfee's Benchmark honors the McAfee brothers, who explored and surveyed the area around Frankfort, Kentucky, in the 1770s. The brand is made at Buffalo Trace Distillery, and its label carries the motto elevation matters, a nod to the idea behind Top Floor.
Bourbon that matures on the top warehouse floors tends to age faster, because heat rises and the barrels there see bigger temperature swings, pushing the whiskey deeper into the charred oak. Top Floor is selected from those barrels in new charred American oak and bottled at 86 proof, a little stronger than standard Benchmark.
Smooth and well rounded, it shows caramel, vanilla and toasted oak on the nose, a palate of brown sugar, baking spice and light dried fruit, and a warm, gently spicy finish.
Benchmark Top Floor is made to be enjoyed straight, with ice, or in your favorite cocktail. Its extra proof and oak make it a great everyday base for an Old Fashioned with orange peel and bitters, a Manhattan, a Whiskey Sour or a Boulevardier. Mix it with ginger ale or cola for an easy highball, or try it in a Kentucky Mule with ginger beer and lime. Pair it with barbecue ribs, smoked brisket, burgers, sharp cheddar or pecan pie. From one of Kentucky's most famous distilleries, it is a dependable, flavorful bourbon to keep on the home bar for both sipping and mixing.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Caramel, vanilla, toasted oak.
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Palate: Brown sugar, baking spice, light dried fruit.
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Finish: Warm, gently spicy.
Specifications
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Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
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Maturation: Top warehouse floors, new charred American oak
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Style: Kentucky straight bourbon
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Proof / ABV: 86 proof (43% ABV)
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Enjoy it straight, on ice, or in an Old Fashioned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Top Floor mean?
It is aged on the warm top floors of the warehouse, where heat speeds aging.
Who makes it?
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
How strong is it?
86 proof (43% ABV).
Explore more in our Bourbon collection.
