Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream is a Kentucky cream liqueur built on Buffalo Trace bourbon, bottled at 15% ABV. That is about a third of the strength of the bourbon it starts from. The cream and sweetener soften the spirit, so the oak and vanilla side of bourbon comes through more than the rye spice or char. Expect a dessert-leaning profile: vanilla, caramel and toasted oak over a dairy base. It will taste closer to a boozy milkshake than to a straight pour of whiskey. At this strength it is best served cold. Pour it over a few large ice cubes in a rocks glass, and the dilution thins the body slightly without flattening the bourbon notes. You can also drink it neat from a small glass if the bottle has been chilled well beforehand. A Glencairn adds little here, because the aroma is mostly cream and vanilla and doesn't need concentrating. Water isn't called for, since the liqueur is already diluted. Keep the bottle refrigerated after opening, and shake it before pouring, as cream liqueurs can separate a little. In mixed drinks, treat it as a sweet, creamy modifier and not as a base for a classic whiskey cocktail. It doesn't suit an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan or a Whiskey Sour. The cream would curdle against the citrus in a sour, and the sugar would crowd out the bitters in the other two. It works better in a few places: - Stirred into hot coffee, where it takes the place of cream and sugar. - Shaken with ice and a measure of bourbon for a richer, stronger version of a White Russian. - Poured over vanilla ice cream, or blended with ice cream into a milkshake. - Added to hot chocolate for a drink with a bourbon note. It also pairs well with desserts that already use bourbon flavors, such as pecan pie, bread pudding, brownies and salted caramel.