Seagram's 'Benchmark' Premium Sour Mash Bourbon - 1978 Release

A vintage Kentucky straight bourbon distilled in Louisville, Kentucky during a period when Seagram’s was one of the largest spirits producers in the United States. In the 1970s, Seagram’s operated multiple distilling facilities and was heavily investing in American whiskey brands despite an industry-wide downturn in bourbon demand.

The “sour mash” designation reflects the traditional fermentation method used in Kentucky bourbon production, in which a portion of previously fermented mash is carried over to maintain consistency. Bottlings from this late-1970s period predate the brand’s later ownership transitions and represent an era before the modern bourbon resurgence.