Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand Bourbon Whiskey
Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand Bourbon Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and aged in new charred American oak. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
- Mash: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (low-rye; exact percentages are not published by the distillery)
- Maturation: New charred American oak barrels
- Recognition: Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2025; Silvers at the Global Whiskey Challenge, IWSC, Whiskies of the World, American Whiskey Masters and SFWSC 2024 (per the producer)
Named for the Surveyors Who Marked Kentucky in 1773
Per Buffalo Trace, in 1773 the McAfee brothers travelled from Virginia to survey the land that became Kentucky, reaching the great buffalo crossing where the distillery now stands — the surveyor's marks they left behind were called "benchmarks," and this bourbon honours those pioneers. The brand itself was created by Seagram's in the 1960s as a premium bourbon and passed to Sazerac in 1989; today Old No. 8 is the original expression of the Benchmark family, made at Buffalo Trace on the same Mash Bill #1 that underpins the distillery's flagship bourbons. Explore the family on the Benchmark vendor page and the wider shelf in our bourbon whiskey collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the producer: a nose of caramel with a delicate stone-fruit backdrop; a sturdy palate with fine leather, dry tobacco, a touch of oak and a hint of dried cherries; and a smooth, calming finish.
How to Enjoy
The distillery recommends it neat, on the rocks, and in cocktails — it is an honest, easy-drinking base for an Old Fashioned, a Whiskey Sour, or a Kentucky Mule. More everyday bourbons are in our whisky collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes Benchmark Old No. 8?
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company), from its low-rye Mash Bill #1 — the same mash bill family used for the distillery's flagship bourbon.
How strong is Benchmark Old No. 8?
80 proof (40% ABV), in a 750mL bottle.
What does Old No. 8 taste like?
Per the producer: caramel and stone fruit on the nose, leather, dry tobacco, oak and dried cherries on the palate, and a smooth finish — a drier, more old-school profile than sweeter value bourbons.
Buffalo Trace's benchmark bourbon, priced for every day — order Benchmark Old No. 8 online today from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.