It was intended from the start to be a premium brand a radical idea at the time when bourbon was seen as a working person's drink. Some (a lot sometimes) are hot trash. Woodford Reserve has a historic, upscale feel to it. It must be encoded somewhere in our DNA who doesn't like owning attractive and expensive items? According to the distillery's tasting notes,this 94 proof bourbon smells of "vanilla lemon cake" and tastes like caramel, vanilla, citrus, and spices. Blade and Bow'sconception starts with the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, whose claim to fame is being founded by the man behindPappy Van Winkle (via Whiskey ID). As one individualwrites at Distiller, "it's probably a bourbon your old grand-dad would be content with, but I would suggest you and him trying other things." And while blended whiskies are fairly common, Four Roses is unusual in that almost all of its expressions are blends: the distillery "uses five proprietary yeast strains and two separate mashbills to develop 10 whiskey recipes." Clearly, such heritage brands have stood the test of time here's how they fare in comparison with newer players in the bourbon game. This 95% New York-grown corn bourbon holds the distinction of being the first (legal) whiskey produced in the state since Prohibition . These Are the 81 Best-Tasting Bourbons, According to Experts A beguiling blend of straight bourbon whiskeys (5, 6, 7 and 10-year-old barrels) distilled and aged in TN, KY and IN, and bottled at cask strength (115.34 proof). Best Expression of the Category: New Southern Revival Brand Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The Last Drop Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon - $18,320. There have been some new additions to Wild Turkey's rye lineup in recent years, including the high-end Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye, a blend of nine- to 11-year-old whiskey bottled at 109 proof . Generally, I log those and move on without slagging them off because its pretty obvious that a $7 plastic bottle of bourbon isnt going to be something anyone is going to line up to buy. The term "Bottled-In-Bond" means that the liquor must be the product of one. Literally tastes like dirt." Naturally, Barrell Craft Bourbon Batch 033 comes bottled at cask strength, 58.3% ABV (116.6 proof). And the family resemblance is clear, although Basil Hayden's is smoother, with flavors of oak and nutmeg balancing out the peppery notes from the rye. While some craft bourbon can read a bit young and woody on the palate, this whiskey tastes fully mature and carefully produced. Sometimes only five to ten dollars more. The artificial and chemical taste was also a source of disgust on Distiller, with samplers commenting that it was heavy on the ethanol. If you have access to bourbon and a water-born research vessel, then why not? The result is a full flavored whiskey that goes down easy. The Rankings: All 13 Bourbons, Ranked From Worst to Best. The List: Best Bourbon, According To The Experts. Another chimed in that it was like drinking straight maple syrup. Evan Williams Bourbon. This bottle of 103-proof whiskey is affordable, retailing for around $20 for 750mL (so you're not really gambling your grocery money if you invest in a bottle). Hirsch The Horizon Bourbon. While its not mind-blowingly better, its miles ahead of Kentucky Tavern and that watered-down nature is gone allowing the flavor profile to shine through. Maybe this one should be tossed overboard. Literally any other bottle made at Beam from any of their brands, or just grab a Jim Beam Black Label. Ranking The Big Bourbon Brands, From Worst To Best - TheList.com One Redditor said, "It's seriously the only bottle I've poured down a drain." Maybe an olfactory thief has somehow stolen tasters' sense of smell, because all they seem to be getting is vanilla, and a lot of it, too (via Distiller). Top 10 Bourbon - Most Popular Bourbon Brands 2023 | WikiliQ Double Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon 20 Year Old- $20,400. There's also a sizeable ethanol burn, which ended up leaving some bourbon aficionados in gastric distress. Clyde May's Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Reviews such as the one by Bourbon Culturesound off with regard to the ethanol smell and creamed corn taste, but according to Reddit users, falling for good marketing and paying upwards of $50 is what really grinds their grain. Old Fitzgerald Prime (80 proof, $14) Old Fitzgerald is a wheated bourbon, with a soft, smooth, mildly sweet flavor. Tasting Notes: Spice, sweet tobacco, orange, mint. Don't fall prey to the fancy packaging. Over two centuries, the icon has churned out incredible releases, been named the best distillery in the world and even managed to create its own line of cigars.Sure, the distillery is known for producing legendary drams like Pappy Van Winkle and WL Weller, the stock standard release is . . This 80 proof, light-bodied bourbon is produced by Beam Suntory, the daughter company of Jim Beam and Suntory Holdings (and third-largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide in 2020, per Statista). Zackariah Harris Straight Bourbon is usually released to the public after it has been left to age for a couple of years. It's most definitely a science and craft that takes extensive knowledge, time, practice, and patience to master. "And it's the best cocktail bourbon out there." It'll be interesting to see how Widow Jane evolves once its own distilled products start to enter the picture. Today, many of Old Forester's expressions are formulated and marketed to evoke the brand's long history. The juice is aged in a fairly heavily charred oak barrel for an undisclosed amount of time (the youngest barrel is likely older than four years). So, that sounds like granola? This claim, however, has been disputed by the Century House Historical Society, the current custodians of the mine and surrounding properties, as Blue Stone Press reported. 15+ Best Top-Shelf Bourbon Whiskeys in The World (2023 Guide) According to The Manual, it turns out the two whiskeys are one and the same. Kentucky Gentlemen is brought to you by the Sazerac Company (known for Fireball,Myer's Rum, and Southern Comfort, to name a few), and distilled by the seventh-largest distillery in the world,Barton/1792 Distillery(via Whiskey University). Thats just math. Sipped or mixed, these star-studded faves are bar cart essentials. The 10 Best Wheated Bourbons Money Can Buy $38.49. Get $150 in bonus bets no matter what! Booker's Bourbon "Charlie's Batch" (2023-01) Review What if you were told that the inspiration for this bourbon comes from a famous racing horse? Detailed review . Wolcott Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The nose is all about the nuts and fruit with a trail mix vibe next to more standard notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. Produced and distilled at Beam Distillery, Old Crow Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the least expensive option on this list, available at around $10 for a 1.75-liter bottle with a discount (via BevMo.com). The Whiskey Reviewer further noted that it doesn't offer those drinking it "any surprises," as "there are no twists or particularly subtle nuances." 17 of the Best Cheap Bourbons Under $50 (2023) | VinePair 3. Well, according to Lexington Bourbon's website, that's the case. Whiskey Advocate writes that this is called the TerraPURE process, and it utilizes ultrasonic waves to speed up the aging process from years to a mere day (and a week or so to rest). The Michter's range includes bourbon, rye, American whiskey, and sour mash whiskey. In short, Barton 1792 is nothing to write home about, but it offers solidly made bourbon that hits the right notes for those with traditional tastes. The 12 Best Bourbon Whiskey Brands to Drink in 2023 - Esquire As one commenter on The Whiskey Jug says, it "tastes like someone spilled vinegar in sweet whiskey." The test barrels remained on OCEARCH's vessel for three years, even passing through the Panama Canal numerous times according to the bourbon company. Unfortunately, Thirty One Whiskey agrees, stating that it's "fairly mediocre." 15 Best Bourbons: Top Whiskeys To Drink (2023) - Luxe Digital This whiskey is aged for four and a half years in new American charred oak barrels. Founded in 2012, the brand is so young the bourbons it produces in its own distillery in upstate New York are not yet sufficiently aged for consumption, according to31 Whiskey. But all things considered, it's a . Best budget bourbon under $30: Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon - See at Total Wine If you want complex flavor without breaking the bank, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon offers a pleasant burst of flavor while remaining smooth. Thirty One Whiskey says that using it as a mixer doesn't really help much, so if you're shopping for affordable, bottom-shelf bourbon, do yourself a favor and don't be a rebel. Yes, its a shooting and mixing whiskey but its so much more complex than this and only costs about $5-$7 more. Distilled in Tennessee and aged in Kentucky, it's a 112-proof flavor bomb, offering everything from tropical fruit to thick clotted cream. Beyond these basics, the details of bourbon's history are murky. KOVAL Distillery doesn't believe in limiting itself to crafting just one single artisanal spirit, as evidenced by its varied selection of spirits includingbourbon,gin,and flavored liqueur. Somehow, you'll get everything from cherry to ginger to wasabi to brown butter, with a hint of grassiness. This delayed batch proved to have a winning flavor, which the current distillers reproduced via a secondary six-to-nine-month maturation in heavily charred barrels. Tasters on Distiller claim that this bourbon is flavorless, hard to get down, and incredibly bland and boring. 1792 Sweet Wheat - $35. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Angel's Envy takes pride in creating small-batch spirits that are finished in one of four different casks: port, rum, sherry, and tawny. My 5 Worst American Whiskies. Redditors echoed this sentiment, saying that it tastes artificially sweet and bitter, and is more "like watered down bourbon mixed with watered down wine.". Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon 2. . Old Grand-Dad doesn't do much for modern-day tasters, since it's only palatable as a mixeror preferably, not at all. 5) Best Single Barrel Bourbon - Henry McKenna. Jim Beam may not be practicing the world's most ambitious blending and distilling, but for a brand to have lasted over 200 years, it must be doing something right. Dating back to the 1880s, Four Roses boasts both an unusual history and an unusual way of making its bourbons. While not as big a name as Jim Beam or Wild Turkey, it's a widely distributed brand that you can serve at a big party without breaking the bank, yet won't be ashamed to mix into a cocktail for that bourbon snob friend. Best for Cocktails: Four Roses Bourbon Yellow Label or . And while some bourbon fans love this rough-and-ready style (Lynyrd Skynyrd gave the brand a shout-out in on of their songs, as noted byWhiskey Reviewer), it's definitely not for everyone, which is why we're putting it low on our list. The 16 Best Kentucky Bourbons | GearMoose Its producer, Heaven Hill Distillery, wasn't founded until 1935, according toMalt. What's even more mind-boggling is that in 2018, this bourbon won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. And this is where brands like Evan Williams come in handy. It's not memorable. This cocktail mixes Scotch and/or Bourbon with maple syrup and bitters for a smoky-yet-sweet drink. One taster compared this bottle to "grass clippings and gasoline aged in turpentine barrels," which doesn't sound like anything we'd want to put in our mouths (via Distiller). Apparently not, because it's also pretty thin. No, Widow Jane is not Basil Hayden's elderly aunt. Check out GAYOT's 10 Top Bourbons from the least expensive offerings to the priciest bottles. Though KOVAL has received over 100 international awards, perhaps it should focus its energy on perfecting one spirit instead of tackling multiple products all at once. Beyond that, its cut down to 80 proof with plenty of Kentucky limestone water and bottled in plastic. Garrison Brothers is the first legal whiskey distillery outside of Kentucky, meaning they've obtained the proper permits from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to lawfully produce and distribute spirits through different businesses, vendors, and retailers (via Cobb & Counsel). And just because a bottom shelf bottle is made by, say, Willett or Heaven Hill or even Buffalo Trace does not mean its worth your time or money. Bourbon drinkers unanimously agree thatPaddleford Creekis pretty vanilla. Whiskey Thief Uncut Unfiltered may sound like it's coming to a theater near you, but it's actually a bourbon brought to you by Three Boys Farm Distillery. 10. Aged not less than 15 years, George T. Stagg is a rare bottle found only in high-end whiskey bars. 10 Rare Bourbons and Ryes Worth Hunting Down - Men's Journal Now 52% Off. "There's some vanilla and brown sugar in the beginning, but it's immediately replaced by an overwhelming flavor of oak. I think my wife's comments sum it up perfectly: "You can't make me put more in my mouth.". While one of the most familiar bourbon brands, Jim Beam is not known for its depth or subtlety. It's called common sense. The 7 Best Bourbons in 2023 | Saveur While experimenting is cool and all, it's not cool to try and act like the bourbon that has been aging for 24 hours is going to taste just as good as the whiskey that's been aging for five or more years. It was neither founded by anyone named Barton nor was it founded in 1792 (rather, that date refers to the year of Kentucky's statehood, according to Malt). Someone thought it was a good idea to hook up withTabasco brand hot sauce and bottle and sell the offspring for around $25. Hayes Parker Reserve: Terre Pure bourbon aged at least six months. The 15 Bottles of Bourbon Every Whiskey Lover Needs To Try in 2022 - MSN While Basil Hayden's tasted watered down and not worth the money, Old Grand-Dad pivots 180 degrees into the land of long-lasting acetone burn devoid of taste (via Distiller). This expression is the bottom rung in bottle form. If you're looking for a top-notch bourbon and willing to search high and low to get your hands on a bottle, W.L. Best Bourbons of 2022 | Wine Enthusiast - winemag.com Quite frankly, Cascade Hollow Distillery jumped the shark on this one. I probably wouldnt even mix this with Coke. The 18 Best Bourbon Whiskey Brands to Drink in 2023 - Town & Country How else can you justify Redditors when they say that "It's bad enough to make you want to curl up into the fetal position and sob like an infant.". Whoever Old Grand-Dad was, he didn't pull his punches. It's the bestselling bourbon in the entire world (via VinePair ), so chances are that when the average consumer thinks about this particular whiskey type, Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the taste at the tip of their tongue.