It's a mainstream list, for sure. Maybe the folks at Early Times took the whole historical angle a wee bit too far. This alcoholic beverage has only been in existence since 2011. The theory was that the constant movement of bourbon sloshing around in wood barrels would in turn make the whiskey age faster. A "small-batch bourbon" is a bourbon that's an amalgamation of a number of barrels, anywhere from 10-100. Anyone new to the category who would like to give a craft product a try should sample this bottle. This is one of the best skippable whiskeys on this list. Bourbon can take a number of forms with vastly different personalities, but most critics and casual tasters agree that no matter what the brand or expression, a good bourbon should have a few fundamental characteristics: A caramel sweetness, a distinct taste of oak in the background, a flavor that matches and complements its initial aroma while balancing out the potentially overwhelming burn from the alcohol, and a pleasant mouthfeel and finish. Compared to the familiar caramel-and-vanilla bombs, Evan Williams comes off as more restrained and lean, making it a good choice for those who usually find bourbon too sweet. If these famous individuals had more options, would they have still picked Old Crow? This is because of its popularity; the brand simply can't make enough of the stuff to satisfy its thirsty fans. The Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company makes beers, hard teas, and canned cocktails in addition to its bourbon line. This Tennessee bourbon was created by Bob Dylan, Angel's Envy founder Mark Bushala, and Master Blender Ryan Perry. If super flavorful, bold, and bright bourbon is your calling, then you'll probably want to steer clear of Basil Hayden'sKentucky Straight Bourbon. Taking a shot of Knob Creek's Smoked Maple sounds like one of those questionable challenges that dare you to record yourself doing something ill-advised like eating a spoonful of cinnamon or, you know, drinking a jug of maple syrup. Despite whatever institutional turmoil it has endured, Barton 1792 produces low-key, understated expressions. Officially defined as American-made corn-based whiskey aged in new charred oak barrels, bourbon first emerged in the 1780s in Kentucky, where settlers from Scotland and Ireland adapted their whiskey-making skills to local ingredients, as explained byThe Spruce Eats. Don't fall prey to the fancy packaging. It'll be interesting to see how Widow Jane evolves once its own distilled products start to enter the picture. Literally any other bottle made at Beam from any of their brands, or just grab a Jim Beam Black Label. 3. The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked Barton 1792 Distillery Kentucky Tavern Sazerac Company ABV:40% Average Price:$8 The Whiskey: Barton 1792 Distillery part of. Today, the brand produces numerous expressions of bourbon, from its young, sweet Original Bourbon to its Green Label, Black Label, Rye, and other varieties. Top 10 bourbons over the last 12 months (based on number of units sold): Bulleit is the bestselling bourbon, according to Drizly. Fantastic whether you're sipping neat or mixing into a cocktail, this Barrel Strength Bourbon offers a palate of vanilla, orange peel, maple, and nutmeg, with a long, spice-filled finish. Now 52% Off. Old Forester 1910 memorializes a fortuitous accident: In 1910, a fire on a bottling line forced the distillery to store the bourbon it had planned to bottle in a barrel. Jesse James Bourbon 5. They usually disappear into cocktails or mixed drinks. This 95% New York-grown corn bourbon holds the distinction of being the first (legal) whiskey produced in the state since Prohibition . Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Bourbon Blend. For more than 50 years, bourbon has been recognized as a reward for hard work and a celebration of individuality. Like all bourbon, its mash bill is mostly corn with a touch of malted barley. Its flavor is described as vanilla and something medicinal and mint. But it successfully managed to earn both public acceptance and respect, even becoming the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. Double Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon 20 Year Old- $20,400. As one commenter on The Whiskey Jug says, it "tastes like someone spilled vinegar in sweet whiskey." Critical consensus seems to put it in the middle of the curve as well not a terrible place to be at a time when even budget brands are turning out good-quality products. Weller's 12-Year-Old Bourbon is one of the best money and time can buy. This universality is achieved by letting the juice rest in deeply charred oak for six to seven years before its cut down to 81 proof for bottling. The end is subtle, short, watery, and steely with a minor touch of green oak, spice, fruit, and one more dash of honey. The distillery's website describes aromas of subtle vanilla, raisins, maple syrup, and toasted nuts. These aren't the cheapest bottles you can find, but they are some of the best. In short, as 31 Whiskey stated, "It really does feel like they took a little bit more care with a couple barrels of Old Grand-Dad, dressed it up in a prettier bottle and charged twice as much for the privilege." So if you like port wine (or granola) and have a spare $40 to $50, then perhaps this is your new nightcap. Old Grand-Dad doesn't do much for modern-day tasters, since it's only palatable as a mixeror preferably, not at all. The result is a full flavored whiskey that goes down easy. The oak, dark spice, brown sugars, and whisper of corn linger on your senses through the medium finish. On YouTube, the folks fromIt's Bourbon Nightdescribe it as having a sweet, fruit nose but a stale, nutty, incredibly watered down taste, while Modern Thirst says it's bottom shelf, young tasting, and best used for mixing. Like the 'crying baby on an overnight airplane flight" kind of way-too-loud,' it's time to reevaluate. The juice is a bourbon blend thats a minimum of four years old. Old Fitzgerald Prime Bourbon 4. The first bourbon to be distilled in New York makes this list for its high corn mash bill, at 90% corn and 10% malted barley. Its producer, Heaven Hill Distillery, wasn't founded until 1935, according toMalt. 1. Best Value: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. 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 ). And if the Reddit comment "it tastes like rotting peanuts and cardboard" doesn't make you a little hesitant, then by all means, go forth and experiment. Distilled in Tennessee and aged in Kentucky, it's a 112-proof flavor bomb, offering everything from tropical fruit to thick clotted cream. The oak aging gives this Bourbon dry and spicy character. The man whose face has been immortalized on these bottles is none other than first-generation distiller Basil Hayden Sr., whose namesake bourbon also appears on this list. Widow Jane's claim to fame and major marketing boast is that its bourbon blends are finished with limestone-filtered water from the nearby Widow Jane mine. I didnt, but I have no idea what to do with it otherwise. Its versatile, cheap, and damn good for what it is. Reviewers on Flaviar state that the juice is weak with little flavor, with a hint of mud in the background. But don't think of these unusual expressions as mere gimmicks Whiskey Reviewer gave Old Forester's 150th Anniversary Bourbon a grade of A for its intensely fruity nose, reminiscent of cherries and bananas, as well as a lush mouthfeel. The Bourbon Bard lauds it as "the bourbon that made me love the actual taste of bourbon," and Breaking Bourbon called it "instantly likeable and pleasant with notes of caramel, honey, orange, and vanilla" with a nose revealing "an underlying layer of oak and mint." Human beings like to think that an inflated price and a striking bottle means it must be good, right? Maybe it's a sign that this bourbon needs to be locked away. It's called common sense. For $13, you can get some Very Old Barton from the same distillery. When it comes to this bourbon, save yourself a trip to the dentist. Maybe the judges had incredibly tired palates by the time this disaster came up for judging. Courtesy. Numerous bourbon brands trace their roots to the 1800s or earlier. Distillery Trail writes that the Tennessee whiskey rests for 30 days in barrels that previously held Tabasco hot sauce. Yes, its a shooting and mixing whiskey but its so much more complex than this and only costs about $5-$7 more. Whether or not Craig actually did invent this process is up for debate, but what's not up for debate are the numerous awards given to the bourbon brand that shares his name. Theres a mix of mild spice, bitter oak, ripe stone fruits, creamy vanilla, and an echo of salted caramel with little to no watery presence. Just get an Evan Williams White Label. Apparently not, because it's also pretty thin. This bourbon is so sweet that it's been likened to a bottle of diabetes, and one reviewer on Flaviar said that the sweetness was bad enough to hurt their teeth. 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). To start, Jim Beam is not bad. You can purchase a bottle for as little as $40 (or upwards of $4,000). Whoever Old Grand-Dad was, he didn't pull his punches. Woodford is the oldest and smallest distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Which only made you want to hate her more. Graham Files, veteran bartender and co-owner of Someday in Portland, stocks Jim Beam in his well and recommends it for the home bar, praising its . Today, Booker's is a mid-to-top shelf bourbon staple a limited quarterly release from Jim Beam Distillery that typically falls between 6 and 7 years old and 120 and 135 proof. Tasting Notes: Spice, sweet tobacco, orange, mint. What makes Elijah Craig a critical favorite is its complexity and balance. $52 at ReserveBar. This whiskey is aged for four and a half years in new American charred oak barrels. The family's unusual longevity as owners is presumably due in part to its roots in pharmaceuticals, which enabled them to pivot to medicinal alcohol during Prohibition, keeping the distillery alive until better times returned. Aged not less than 15 years, George T. Stagg is a rare bottle found only in high-end whiskey bars. Top 10 Bourbons. 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. While 95% of all bourbon is made in Kentucky, the spirit can be and is crafted elsewhere. While 101 has been erroneously slagged off by a generation of adults who didnt know how to handle their Turkey in college, this is still one of the most legitimate cheap bourbons on the market. The distillery's tasting . Knob Creek's Kentucky Straight Smoked Maple seems to be, according to some bourbon fans, a bad execution of a good idea. The whiskey is made from 60% corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, and 10% heirloom malted . Getty Images for Bulleit Frontier Whiskey 1. Established in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery is the creator of Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon, a small batch, wheated bourbon that comes out three times a year. Whether or not this is worth your while depends on your fondness for Old Grand-Dad. The idea is there, but it just didn't follow through. This is just a cheap and easy bourbon thats good for mixing with Coke and not much else. Still, this is perfectly serviceable as bourbon and Coke whiskey but not much else. Zackariah Harris Straight Bourbon is usually released to the public after it has been left to age for a couple of years. As 31 Whiskey noted, "Basil Hayden's is to Old Grand-Dad as Acura is to Honda." In case you were wondering, yes: This is actually named after someone's grandfather. Evan Williams Bourbon. Bottles vary from batch to batch, sometimes dramatically, which makes picking . Union Horse White Bourbon Whiskey 3. They claimed that the bourbon is poor quality for the price you pay and that it "doesn't even come close to holding its own against cheaper competition." The juice spends four years in barrels before its blended out into this expression and proofed way down to 80 proof. Hayes Parker Reserve: Terre Pure bourbon aged at least six months. This Lawrenceburg, KY-based distillery utilizes two mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains to create 10 total bourbon recipes, each one providing a unique flavor experience. Thirty One Whiskey writes that the name is supposed to represent the two stars on the Louisville city flag. . When Jefferson's master blender tapped the casks, the sugars in the bourbon had caramelized and turned into a viscous, black liquid. The low percentage of rye in the mix lowers the spice and focuses on the honey and leather notes. Across the web, bourbon reviewers use almost identical adjectives to describe Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Aged for four years and bottled at 46 percent ABV without chill filtration, Clyde May's opens with rich caramel aromas and follows with hints of sweet . The bottle is spectacular, with an intricately etched label that compliments the amber hue of the bourbon itself. 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). This is easy, Wild Turkey 101 all day its only $20. Superstar chef Wolfgang Puck offers both fine dining at his flagship Beverly Hills restaurant and frozen supermarket pizzas for the masses, and some chic designers offer both bespoke runway pieces and fast fashion at Target. It's not the pleasant aspects either, it's more like licking an oak plank," wrote Thirty One Whiskey. However, taste is subjective andRedditreviewscomparethe flavor to "bitter rubber," while a consumer on Distiller reports "hints of Redman chew spit and unsweet tea fermented in a styrofoam cup in mid July.". Arguably the world's best bourbon whiskey, Buffalo Trace is serious value for money. Like a stranger in the night, it's best to just stay away from this one. George Dickel Bourbon. Judging by how utterly unpalatable the Kentucky Straight Bourbon is on its own, maybe the company should stick to beer. Meanwhile, Caskers describes butterscotch, molasses, brown sugar, and coffee. As a reward, your name is engraved on a golden mint julep cup stored at the distillery, according toRedditusers who have joined the club. This is fine for what it is, a decent cocktail bourbon. 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. Basically, this bourbon is cloyingly sweet since it's finished in port wine barrels. It's not memorable. Barton doesnt disclose the mash bill but it is aged at least four years. $10 first deposit required. Bourbon drinkers unanimously agree thatPaddleford Creekis pretty vanilla. Its flagship product, Wild Turkey 101, is a classic bourbon expression, with a typical mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. To put a finer point on it, Id be lying if I said I loved every bourbon I tasted. The finish is pretty watery it kind of reminds me of hose water on a hot day with the same beats for vanilla-caramel-corn-and-wood barely peaking in over the proofing water. While the plastic fades away, the wateriness imparts flavors of muted vanilla, banana chip, and maybe a hint of caramel soda. Some (a lot sometimes) are hot trash. Redditors echoed this sentiment, saying that it tastes artificially sweet and bitter, and is more "like watered down bourbon mixed with watered down wine.". On the palate, its candied notes are balanced by oak, char, and spice. Its stellar whiskey, albeit from Tennessee and not Kentucky. 8 Brand Average Price: roughly $12 ABV: 40% Those who aren't knowledgeable about bourbon might be led to believe that a whiskey thief is someone who breaks into a rackhouse and escapes into the night with a full barrel of juice. Thats just math. Given Bulleits dismal history with the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities, Im not going to recommend any other expression from the brand. Winchester Straight Bourbon is the product of individuals who are probably more interested in the money side of the distilling world than the crafting process and end product. In total, this whiskey has been aged between eight and 10 years and has actually won a Double Gold Medal for the bottle design, which is supposed to resemble the historic pot still that the distillery used for generations (via Caskers). Elijah Craig's Barrel Proof expressions are regularly in the running for best bottle of the year, according to The Bourbon Bard. Sipped or mixed, these star-studded faves are bar cart essentials. 90. 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.
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