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Booker’s vs Buffalo Trace
Booker’s and Buffalo Trace sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | Buffalo Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +35 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$28 – $35 ~$66 less |
- Booker’s and Buffalo Trace do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Buffalo Trace
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s Buffalo Trace
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/4 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 4 out of 10
nuttiness 8/4 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 4 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 5 out of 10
oak 8/6 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 6 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 6 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, Buffalo Trace 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- Buffalo Trace: The reference-point Kentucky bourbon: balanced brown sugar and vanilla sweetness, a whisper of mint, and just enough oak and spice to keep it interesting. Nothing is loud, which is exactly the point at 90 proof.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with significantly more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Buffalo Trace if you want the balanced, everyday Kentucky benchmark that does nothing wrong at a fair price.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Buffalo Trace).