Belle Meade Single Barrel
Average Price:$89
The Whiskey:
This expression is all about the prowess of the team at Nelson Green Brier. Each of these MGP barrels is hand-selected for its beauty and then bottled at cask strength to let that barrel shine through in the finished product.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with deep vanilla that mingles with hints of dark chocolate sugar cookies with a touch of mint. The palate centers the creamy vanilla while adding in a cinnamon bark vibe with notes of black pepper and floral honey moved into the background. The end is long-ish and carries more of that vanilla cream while that cinnamon becomes slightly chewy with a dried choco-mint tobacco buzz on the tip of the tongue.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon is a great example of how important barrel selection can be. It also helps shine a light on how diverse the bourbon coming out of MGP really is. On top of all of that, its also delicious and makes for a great sipper with a little water.
Bernheim Original 7 Year Old
Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
The Bernheim Original 7 Year Old is a product of Heaven Hill Distillery and is the first American whiskey introduced since the prohibition.
It was chosen as the Best Wheat American Whiskey in 2013 by World Whiskies Award.
The scent of this bottle is very pronounced sweet cornbread with mint, pine, and oak. There is a good blend between sweet and strong.
The soft notes of sweet corn and caramel entwine with the restrained flavors of tobacco, oak, and leather. Each 750 ml bottle is sold roughly at $32.99 .
Is Bourbon A Whiskey
A discussion of which bourbons are best to sip straight starts with a definition of bourbon itself.
Bourbon is a type of whiskey. This distilled spirit was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, hence the name. Government regulations state that it must be made from a minimum of 51% corn and must be aged in a new barrel. Other whiskies, are made primarily from other grains including barley, wheat and rye, and often use the spelling of whisky.
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These Bottles Turned Up Highest In A Statistical Analysis
Disclosure: I might earn a referral fee when you click a link. This article is strictly intended for persons 21 years of age or older.
Bourbon is a true American classic. For a spirit to be legally called bourbon, it must be produced in the United States. Additionally, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau requires bourbon whisky to be:
- Produced from at least 51% corn mash
- Distilled at 160 proof or below
- Aged in charred new oak barrels at 125 proof or less and
- Absent of coloring, flavoring and blending materials.
State of origin is one thing that the TTBs regulations dont stipulate. Its a myth that bourbon whisky must come from Kentucky, and therefore, its a myth that Jack Daniels isnt bourbon because it comes from Tennessee. The U.S./Mexico/Canada Agreement requires Tennessee whiskey to be a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee. In other words, Jack Daniels is Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey because its maker chooses for it to be called that.
Heavens Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol Content: 46%
Why We Like It:
Heavens Door is a Tennessee mash bill bourbon that stayed inside Heaven Hill Distillery for at least years.
This collaboration bottle of Bob Dylan and Marc Bushala is a recipient of many awards from different institutions worldwide.
This bourbon has sweet flavors of vanilla with a subtle hint of baked bread toasted in oak. It also has that distinct taste of caramelized pecans and stone fruits.
At 46% ABV, this is a product you can drink straight with no harsh alcohol flavor. Every 750ml bottle is priced roughly at $47.99 .
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Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2019
Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2019 ticks all the right boxes in the absolute best bourbon department. At an average price of $5,000 per bottle, it’s also one of the world’s most expensive bourbons. With only 277 bottles ever released, the elegant blend is the first offering from Dan McKee as Master Distiller at Michter’s in collaboration with Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. Nevertheless, it’s not the first offering in the Celebration Sour Mash label. Michter’s, which started distilling whisky way back in 1753, had two prior Celebration Sour Mash releases one in 2013 and one in 2016 .
There is absolutely no doubt why Michter’s Celebration South Mash is considered to be one of the best bourbons of 2021. The 115.6 proof bourbon has been blended from six “extraordinary” barrels two straight bourbons and four straight ryes each aged in fire-charred American white oak barrels from over a decade to 30-plus years. Smooth and delicious, Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2019 showcases a harmony of flavors including truffle, dark chocolate, and a hint of spice. Hand bottled, the final product comes with an 18-karat gold lettering on its label for extra fancy appeal .
Wl Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey
Made by Buffalo Trace, W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Whiskey is a wheated bourbon with a light and moderately sweet profile that highlights the flavors of toffee, caramel, and cherry . The aromas of almonds, lanolin, corn, and vanilla with a smooth and oaky finish complement the pour’s wheated flavor . Representing some of the world’s absolute best bourbon, the W.L. Weller bourbon line is named in honor of the industry pioneer said to have been the first to produce wheated bourbon in 1849.
Billing itself as “the oldest continuously operating distillery in the US,” Buffalo Trace remained open to make whiskey for “medicinal purposes” during the prohibition. According to Whiskey Bon, the original Buffalo Trace distillery was constructed in 1812. The same website claims that the distillery also built the first climate-controlled warehouse for whisky production in the U.S. Whatever the real story, Buffalo Trace gets its name from its location in Kentucky’s capital of Frankfort, which is said to have been settled by explorers who followed an old buffalo trail . It’s not a particularly cheap bottle and seems to jump in price from $200 to well over $300.
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Evan Williams White Bottled
Price: ~$18
Tasting Notes: Citrus, vanilla, pepper
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Review Summary: This is another one of the best values in bourbon. You cant get much better for $18. Again, this is super controversial. People either love it or hate it. But at $18, I think you really cant expect the best bourbon ever. And you get a solid pour for a ridiculous price point here. I still prefer Early Times BiB, but this is a must-have in your home bar. Our Insiders have mixed opinions on this bottle. Some think its great, while other think its the most overrated bottle on this list.
Tasting Notes: Ripe apple, oak, bakery spice, and caramel
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery
Review Summary: You really cant go wrong with Old Forester 100, but its lower on my list because its flavor profile isnt as balanced as the rest and its a bit thin in my opinion. That being said, its a smooth sipper and has some notes others dont really have on this list like apple and bakery spice.
Russells Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why We Like It:
Russells Reserve 10 Year Old is part of Wild Turkeys Russel Reserve Line.
This is in honor of the father and son Master Distillers, Jimmy and Eddie Russel, who were part of the distillerys success.
This bottle is for a bourbon drinker who simply wants to enjoy and relax.
It has a patented blend of vanilla and caramel with a strong note of cardamom.
It has a warming effect on the palate, especially with the spices, but it also had that undeniable bitterness in the finish.
It is a well-aged bottle with a good price of around $41.99 per 750ml . But whats our favorite everyday bourbon?
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Peerless Double Oak Bourbon
Average Price:$134
The Whiskey:
The whiskey is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another barrel that lets the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as is.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge. The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices , dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather. That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.
Bottom Line:
A lot of Peerless drops could be right here. But this new release just hit too many high marks to be overshadowed this year. Its highly sippable and really blooms when you add a little water, so take your time enjoying this one.
Four Roses Kentucky Small Batch Straight Bourbon
Best buttery bourbon
ABV: 45%
Blended from less than 35 barrels, there’s a tale to this bourbons name. In 1884, Paul Jones Jr. transported his grocery business from Atlanta, Georgia to Louisville, Kentucky. Four years later, now a whiskey maker, he trademarked the name Four Roses, according to legend, after sending a proposal of marriage to a beautiful Southern belle. She is said to have replied saying that if the answer was yes, then she’d wear a corsage of roses in her dress to the up-coming ball, although she ended up saying no. While he may have been bitter, this bourbon is rich, buttery and honeyed with popcorn, Christmas spice, blackened fruitcake and vanilla.
Available from:
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What Does Bourbon Taste Like
A charred American oak barrel brings out a perceived sweetness in bourbon with some caramel-like tones. You can also taste some spice notes and vanilla in most bourbons.
The range of flavors can vary between distilleries based on the ingredient components, the char level of the barrels and the time spent in barrels. Contrary to popular belief, bourbons can be made outside of Kentucky. Some of our highest rated have come from outside of the state. Bourbon is now distilled throughout the country.
Best Personalized: Bourbon Barrel Flight With Glasses
uncommon goods
Explore the various flavors and noses of bourbon via a comparative tasting. This set of four Glencairn glasses show off the subtle aromas and tastes of bourbon. Fill up each one with different aged bourbons, different cask finishes, or similar whiskeys from different distilleries, and compare the nuances of each dram . Each dishwasher-safe glass also sits on a stave carved from a reclaimed bourbon barrel.
Best of all, you can personalize the stave with the recipients name, location and year of choiceconsider memorializing a birthday, wedding date or another special year. Each set is handmade by woodworkers in Arkansas.
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Best Age Statement: Eagle Rare
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Kentucky | ABV: 45% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Orange, Honey
Eagle Rare goes down smooth and leaves awesome light caramel, toasty notes that make you feel loved, says Katsumi Yuso Ruiz, bartender and co-owner of Curio Bar, Roger’s Liquid Oasis and Brass Tacks in Denver. This bourbon, made by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, is aged for at least 10 years. It might cost a little more than other bottles, but who says bourbon beginners don’t deserve the quality stuff?
The Top 10 Bourbons Of 2021
- The Top 10 Bourbons of 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we visit the bourbons which took top honors in the International Whiskey Competition, World Whiskies Award, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition.
No matter what your favorite style of bourbon–Kentucky Straight, Bottled-in-Bond, Small Batch, Rye, or Wheat–there is a bourbon on our list for you.
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San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition began in 2000. It is also a blind tasting but divides its awards between Best of Class and Best in Show. The competition includes dozens of categories, including whiskies, rums, tequilas, vodkas, gins, liquors, brandies, corn whiskeys, and mezcals. Some of their top bourbon winners include:
Redemption High Rye Bourbon
Price: Roughly $23.79 per 750 ml
Distillery: Redemption Rye Whiskey Winery
ABV: 46%
Flavor Profile:
The nose will be greeted with spice before a faint smell of vanillas, caramel custard, and oak.
The tasting notes begin with baking spice, mint, and chocolate fudge and an oaky taste.
Why We Like It:
We like this piece mainly of its price point. However, we are not too eager with the flavors being a sipping bourbon.
But, we recommend this bottle of bourbon as a mixing base. It holds the port well as this is a high rye bourbon.
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Best Outside Of Kentucky: Woodinville Whiskey
Region: Washington | ABV: 45% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, Crème brûlée, Tropical fruit
Beyond Kentucky, you can find distilleries making bourbon in nearly every state nowadays, from tiny craft operations to larger upstart facilities. One notable distillery is Woodinville Whiskey. Its flagship straight bourbon is aged for five years in central Washington warehouses after being distilled just outside of Seattle. The rich palate of buttery caramel, sweet vanilla and ripe fruits can compete with any bourbon made in Kentucky. Its bottled at 90 proof, but if youre looking for something stronger, there’s a barrel-proof version offered at the distillery as well.
Region: Kentucky | ABV: 46% | Tasting Notes: Honey, Caramel, Stone fruit
Wheated bourbons are defined as having a mash bill that uses wheat as the secondary flavoring grain instead of the usual rye . This imbues the bourbon with a softer, slightly sweeter flavor profile, minus the trademark spice notes of rye. If you have not tried a wheated bourbon before, pick up a bottle of Larceny: made by Heaven Hill, this bourbon uses one-third more wheat than other similar bourbons, according to the distillery. Its aged for six years and has notes of honey, caramel and even some stone fruits.
Best Overall: Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Region: Kentucky | ABV: 45% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Sweet corn
While there are some wildly popular and rare bourbons made at Buffalo Trace, there’s no better affordable option than the distillery’s flagship bourbon. It uses a low-rye mash bill that provides notes of vanilla, caramel and sweet corn. According to bartender and beverage consultant Jessica Gonzalez, this should be your go-to bourbon for making an Old Fashioned. It’s priced low enough that it won’t send anyone to the poorhouse, and no matter what they usually drink, this won’t disappoint.
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Best In Show Third Place
The product of one distillation season by one distiller at a single distillery–many consider the Bottled in Bond label to be the mark of a distillers skill. Wolcotts Bottled-in-Bond Straight Kentucky Whiskey is perfect in an Old Fashioned. Oak aged, with a high-rye mash bill, it is dry and spicy with a long finish.
What Is The Best Bourbon
We don’t believe there is one “best” bourbon, but there are bottles that are best for certain moments. If you’re making drinks, we prefer the light and spicy Four Roses bourbon. If you want craft bourbon, we love New Riff’s dedication to Bottled-in-Bond whiskey-making and rich flavor profiles. Looking for something on the cheap? Evan William’s Black Label is hard to beat for the money. For our money, the best do-it-all bourbon is Knob Creek’s 9-year-old Small Batch offering. Here’s the rub.
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Remus Repeal Reserve Series V Straight Bourbon
Average Price:$94
The Whiskey:
This years Remus Repeal Reserve V is a hell of a whiskey. The MGP of Indiana signature bourbon is comprised of nine percent 2005 bourbon with a 21 percent high-rye mash, five percent 2006 bourbon with a very high-rye mash of 36 percent of the sticky grain, 19 percent 2006 bourbon with the same 21 percent high-rye mash, 13 percent 2008 bourbon with that 21 percent rye mash, and 54 percent 2008 bourbon with the 36 percent high-rye mash.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is brilliantly fruity with touches of fresh raspberries, strawberries resting in dry straw, candied cherries, freshly peeled mandarins, apple cores and stems, and a touch of caramel malts. That caramel sweetness merges into a fresh honeycomb next to Dr. Browns Cream Soda vanilla flavor and pep while the fruit dries out, leaving you with meaty dried figs, dates, and prunes driving the midpalate toward the finish. A touch of candied ginger spices things up as a fruity but dry tobacco leaf rounds out the end with the faintest touch of walnut shells.
Bottom Line:
There was a minute there where this might have been number one. Its really that good. Grab a bottle and try for yourself.