Blade and Bow vs Buffalo Trace: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Blade and Bow vs Buffalo Trace in this in-depth comparison and decide which bourbon is better for You!

Blade and Bow

Nose	Cherry, vanilla, oak, ethanol
Palate	Fruit, vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, peanuts
Finish	Oak, spice, roasted peanuts
Alcohol content	91 proof (45.5% ABV)
How to drink	Add water
Similar to	Blanton’s, Weller, Basil Hayden’s

The nose is a bit heavy on ethanol, but it fades into a cherry scent, along notes of vanilla and oak.

On the palate, B&B the first sip delivers a fruity flavor of ripe cherries up-front, along brown sugar, vanilla, baking spice, oak and just a touch of roasted peanuts.

The finish has a medium length, burns on the way down, but nothing too severe. Brings a fair amount of spice, along oak and more roasted peanuts.

Adding a dash of water tunes down the heat by a notch, while releasing a bit more of brown sugar and oak.

Nothing wows me about the Blade and Bow, but is a good option for those who want an everyday sipper with a little heat to it.

Price is reasonable as it doesn’t break the bank.

You get a decent bourbon in a nice bottle, with a cool backstory and a key that gives you a glass if you ever visit the distillery. The terms seem acceptable to me.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Blade and Bow:

• It does no have an age statement.

• The mash bill is undisclosed.

• This whisky pays homage to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery which closed in 1992.

• Blade and Bow is aged in a solera-style system, using some of the last stocks of whiskey from the old distillery. Is later blended with other bourbons and bottled at Stitzel-Weller.

• 5 keys are a common theme in the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. These 5 keys represent the steps in the whiskey-making process: grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging.

• Blade and Bow is owned by Diageo, a British spirits giant, who holds Johnnie Walker among 200+ brands.

Buffalo Trace

Nose	Caramel, cinnamon, baking spice, cereal
Palate	Caramel, vanilla, oak, espresso coffee, chocolate
Finish	Vanilla, baking spice, oak
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Neat, rocks
Similar to	Bulleit Bourbon, Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve

Buffalo Trace is one of the best-selling bourbons for two good reasons: it delivers a smooth yet tasty taste and is attractively priced delivering good value for the money.

On the nose the Buffalo Trace is very subtle with notes of caramel, vanilla and a touch of baking spice. 

Taste hits the spice a little harder, displays oak and fruit and the underlying sweetness is still there, a little caramel and vanilla goes a long way. Mouthfeel is soft and approachable, light on the heat.

The finish has a decent length, rich in vanilla and baking spice, although flavors don’t sit on the tongue for long but leave a refreshing sensation in the mouth.

The Buffalo Trace is a well-rounded bourbon, making a nice easy sipper with a medium to full body, soft with a chewy feel, fruity and oaky with a medium spicy finish.

Neither intense nor mind-blowing, but it gets the job done delivering a pleasant and satisfying bourbon.

Overall, Buffalo Trace is a good mid-shelf bourbon, a sipper that does not need neither water nor ice. Makes a solid option for an “everyday whiskey” but not the best whiskey mixer as it lacks the punch to deliver tasty cocktails.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Buffalo Trace:

• Buffalo Trace is made from corn, rye and malted barley in undisclosed amounts.

• Buffalo Traces uses a unique aging process of 8 years in which the barrels are stored in the middle floors of the warehouse where temperature fluctuations are the greatest; these variations get reflected in the bourbon creating deeper flavors.

• 40 barrels at a time are chosen to create one single, small batch of Buffalo Trace.

Blade and Bow vs Buffalo Trace: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Blade and Bow	$55
Buffalo Trace	$35

Blade and Bow vs Buffalo Trace: Which is better?

Blade and Bow is marginally better than the Buffalo Trace

Whiskey	Blade and Bow	Buffalo Trace
Nose		✅
Body	✅	✅
Palate	✅
Finish	✅
Value		✅

• Blade and Bow is a more tasty bourbon, just be aware that it has some warmth on the finish as it burns a bit on the way down. Nothing terrible, but this is something you should consider before buying.

• This bourbon is overpriced as you are paying for the key that includes a glass that you get if you ever visit the distillery and for the backstory.

• The juice is not bad, not too complex or particularly interesting but well worth trying at least once before moving into the next new thing.

Blade and Bow is a more tasty bourbon, just be aware that it has some warmth on the finish as it burns a bit on the way down. Nothing terrible, but this is something you should consider before buying. This bourbon is overpriced as you are paying for the key that includes a glass that you get if you ever visit the distillery and for the backstory. The juice is not bad, not too complex or particularly interesting but well worth trying at least once before moving into the next new thing.