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Everyone knows what bourbon is — or do they? Most will correctly identify it as American whiskey, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story. Bourbon is a legally defined term with its own set of special rules to follow. However, there are also other aspects of this spirit that some people may presume to be rules, but aren’t. While the definition of bourbon may seem simple on the surface, there are plenty of interesting intricacies that help to make it special.
I’ve been drinking bourbon for many years now, have enjoyed countless bottles, and I’ve picked up plenty of interesting facts along the way. When you add that to my distillery visits and conversations with industry experts, I’m well-placed to enlighten budding bourbon enthusiasts with facts about bourbon you probably don’t know. Even if you fancy yourself as somewhat of a bourbon expert, there should be some surprising tidbits here for you. So let’s get started with our journey through the weird and wonderful world of bourbon.
- There is no minimum aging
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There are quite a few rules around what is classed as bourbon that I’ll discuss throughout this piece. However, age is not mentioned at all. As long as it meets all the criteria, the spirit can be bottled straight away and marketed as bourbon. This is a surprise for many people but there are a couple of things to note. Firstly, there seems to be an unwritten rule that unaged bourbon isn’t marketed as such. A good example of this is white whiskey brands like Buffalo Trace White Dog which is an unaged version of its flagship Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Secondly, good bourbon needs to be aged for a few years minimum, and most distillers will do this.
This leads us to the designation of “straight bourbon”. If you see that used on the bottle instead of just “bourbon,” you can be confident the whiskey has been aged for at least two years. Similarly, “bottled-in-bond” bourbon has to be aged for at least four years. Therefore if you see either of these terms, you can rest assured the bottle has at least received a decent amount of aging. Usually, the only time you’ll see just “bourbon” on the bottle is with the cheap bottles that can often be found on the bottom shelf.
- Most big distilleries have an exclusive yeast strain
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Several ingredients go into creating a bourbon. One of the most unique is the yeast strain. During fermentation, the yeast consumes the sugars in the mash and produces alcohol. This contributes to the final flavor and distilleries are highly protective of the yeast they use. Many use what’s called a proprietary strain, which is a yeast unique to them. Four Roses uses five such strains and this helps to ensure consistency and creates a signature taste.
These yeasts can be a closely guarded secret, passing from one generation to another. This was shown indirectly when Paul and Stephen Beam managed to reclaim yeast DNA from a jug found in a museum when creating their Yellowstone Select bourbon. This was a strain that had been used by their great-grandfather. Each strain has distinctive characteristics which is why two bourbons with similar ingredients can taste so different. The yeast is the understated hero of bourbon production as you can’t make alcohol without it.
- Jack Daniel’s is technically bourbon
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Jack Daniel’s doesn’t like people knowing this, but Old No. 7 is technically bourbon. We’ve already looked at a few of the rules but this famous spirit meets all the legal criteria to be called bourbon. It is made in the U.S., contains at least 51% corn, is aged in new charred oak barrels, is distilled to no more than 160 proof, and is bottled at a proof of at least 80. Why doesn’t it use the bourbon title? Simply put, it doesn’t have to and prefers to brand itself as Tennessee whiskey.
There are many great Tennessee whiskeys out there and they need to go through an extra step called the Lincoln County Process, which consists of charcoal filtering. This extra step helps to give it a smooth and mellow flavor, which can help to set Tennessee whiskeys apart. While this process is required for the Tennessee whiskey designation, it does not affect whether or not a whiskey can call itself bourbon. The Jack Daniel’s example shows how the term “bourbon” isn’t just about the law, it’s also about branding and tradition. While you don’t have to call your drink bourbon if it meets all the rules, you can only call your drink bourbon if it does.
- It’s indirectly named after the French royal family
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Bourbon is a quintessentially American drink. After all, it can only be advertised as bourbon if it was made in the country. However, the name of the spirit comes from French origins. In the late 18th century, settlers began distilling whiskey in what became Kentucky. This was in a region called Bourbon County. It’s almost certain the spirit was named after the county, which makes a lot of sense. The county was named in honor of the French royal family, The House of Bourbon.
This was done as a tribute to French support during the American Revolution. The Bourbon family ruled France for over two centuries but their name is now synonymous with American culture. There is no evidence to suggest the Bourbon family had any direct connection to the liquor. So while the spirit isn’t directly named after the family, it is still a nod to the history of the region and the two nations.
- Weather affects the taste
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Once the bourbon is distilled, the barrel in which it’s stored notoriously has a strong influence on the final flavor. A lesser-known fact is that so do atmospheric conditions. Some spirits are aged in temperature-controlled environments, but bourbon usually isn’t. Instead, it is stored in warehouses (called rickhouses) where it is exposed to the elements. In the warmer months, bourbon can seep more into the wood and absorb more of its flavor. In the colder months, the bourbon will contract, and this interaction will be lower.
The location in the rickhouses will also impact the flavor. Temperature influences aging, with warm weather speeding up the aging process. This means the position of the barrel can also have an impact, as barrels stored higher are usually exposed to slightly higher temperatures as well as more significant fluctuations. These natural variations mean that every batch of bourbon is unique. Some distilleries will move barrels around to ensure consistency, whereas others are happy to celebrate these differences.
- There is an angel’s and devil’s share
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In the bourbon-making process, there is what is poetically called the “angel’s share” and the “devil’s share”. This is because the liquid you put into a barrel isn’t the same amount you get out. The angel’s share refers to the portion of the bourbon that evaporates through the porous wood of the barrel. With this water going up to the heavens, it was once joked this was the angels taking their cut of the spirit.
The devil’s share is the loss of bourbon in another way. It refers to the bourbon that gets absorbed into the wood and isn’t released when the barrel is emptied. It stays locked in the barrel staves but can be released, which is what Jim Beam has done with its Devil’s Cut bourbon. It’s due to these losses that the bourbon that comes out of the barrel is of a higher proof than when it went in, as the water loss makes it more concentrated. Most whiskeys are then cut with water to bring them back to a more palatable proof. However, there are also many barrel-proof bourbons out there that deliver the spirit exactly as it comes out of the barrel.
- Bourbon had a major slump
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These days it’s hard to imagine a time when bourbon was uncool. Yet sales started to plateau at the end of the ’60s, fall in the ’70s, and slump in the ’80s. The ’90s weren’t much better, and it wasn’t until the 21st century that bourbon started to soar again. A few factors contributed to the slump, with the main culprit being the rise in popularity of white spirits such as vodka and tequila. There was also a distinctive lack of innovation in the bourbon industry and most offerings were cheap and quite rough. This led to decreased sales and distillery closures. The revival started when bourbon cleaned up its image.
Quality improved and small-batch and single-barrel bourbons started to gain traction. The resurgence was helped by foreign markets such as Japan before America’s spirit was back on center stage in its homeland. If it wasn’t for bourbon legends such as Elmer T. Lee who created Blanton’s Single Barrel, the whiskey industry today could be vastly different. Bourbon could have just been a cheap whiskey for when you couldn’t enjoy Japanese or Scotch spirits. Instead, it proudly stands among them for anyone who loves this fabled spirit.
- Some bourbons are only sold outside the U.S.
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You may see the title of this section and ask yourself, “Why?” As we know, bourbon has to be made in the U.S. — so why are some products only sold abroad? There are a few reasons for this, but it’s linked to the bourbon slump we just mentioned. Japan had an interest in high-end bourbon before Americans did. Many bourbons exclusively sold overseas are varieties of Blanton’s, which was the first single-barrel whisky made and became hugely popular in Japan.
There are likely a few other reasons for this exclusivity. Knowing that a bourbon is only sold abroad can give it a sense of prestige. Americans get a buzz from getting the whiskey on their travels, and native consumers will enjoy the fact that they are enjoying exclusive bourbon. Regulatory differences can cause differences too. For example, Buffalo Trace in the U.S. is sold at 90 proof but in the U.K., that is reduced to 80 due to higher alcohol taxes.
- Bourbon has been sold as medicine
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Prohibition decimated the bourbon industry, but a legal loophole allowed some distilleries to survive. Under the Volstead Act, doctors were able to prescribe medicinal whiskey to patients for a variety of reasons. These included headaches, anxiety, and even the flu. This created a situation where pharmacies were able to sell whiskey to anyone who had a prescription. This loophole kept the bourbon industry alive and allowed several distilleries to stay open until Prohibition was repealed in 1933. While it was in effect, patients could claim a pint of whiskey every 10 days for their apparent ailment.
Many took advantage of this loophole with speakeasies pretending to be pharmacies, and consumers no doubt making up illnesses to get their hands on a pint. It was one of several challenges the industry has faced, including the slump we’ve just talked about. Thankfully, these days you don’t need a prescription to get a bottle. Medicine has advanced to much better treatments and now we can all enjoy bourbon for the sheer pleasure of it.
- Many bourbons come from the same distillers
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If you stand before a bourbon shelf in a liquor store, you’ll be greeted with a vast range of brands. What some don’t know is that many of them come from the same distillery. Three of the biggest players in this respect are Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and Heaven Hill. For example, Buffalo Trace (along with its flagship bottle) also produces budget brands such as Old Charter and Benchmark, as well as revered bottles like Eagle Rare and Van Winkle. Heaven Hill has an equally impressive whiskey roster with Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, and Old Fitzgerald, among others.
Through different aging, production methods, and ingredients, all of these whiskeys can taste different despite being made in the same place. Added to this, some independent brands will source bourbon from larger distilleries, age it, and then bottle it under its own label. Due to this, it’s a good idea to check the history of what you’re buying before you head to the checkout. While there is nothing wrong with any of the above, it’s good to know exactly where your bourbon came from.
- Kentucky has more barrels than people
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Where did your whiskey come from? Well, the answer to that is probably Kentucky. There’s a claim that 95% of bourbon is made in the state, but that is suspiciously high and disputed by some. Whatever the real figure is, it will still be very high. Kentucky will always be the home of bourbon. And with this spirit now being enjoyed globally, it’s perhaps not surprising that the state has more barrels than people. In fact, it’s estimated to be well over twice as many.
The number of barrels in the state is around the 12 million mark, with the population of Kentucky being just over 4.5 million. Despite this, bourbon doesn’t need to be made there – many great bourbons aren’t produced in Kentucky. If you’re new to bourbon, the Bluegrass State can satisfy your thirst for a long time to come. But sooner or later, it may be a good idea to see what other states have to offer.
- All the color comes from the barrel
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If you pour a glass of well-aged bourbon into your favorite whiskey glass, you’ll notice that it’s usually a stunning amber color. Given the number of artificial ingredients that are added to many of our food and drinks, it wouldn’t be a bad assumption to think the color has been altered. Not only is this not true, but all of the color comes from the barrel during aging. Artificial additions are not allowed under the strict rules for adding color to bourbon.
When distilled, the liquid is completely clear, which is often referred to as “white dog” or “moonshine”. It will then start to get its color as it interacts with the charred oak barrels. The longer a bourbon ages, the more complex the color becomes. There are exceptions to this rule, but young bourbon is usually light gold in color, with maturely aged bourbon having a dark amber hue. When you next pour yourself a glass, you can be content that what you are tasting is 100% natural.
- It has some unique jargon
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We’ve already looked at some great bourbon terms here such as white dog, Lincoln County Process, bottled-in-bond, angel’s/devil’s share, and rickhouses, but that is far from all. What do we mean when we’re looking at a bourbon’s legs? Well, that’s the liquid that clings to the sides when you tip your bourbon glass. Doing this can indicate its viscosity and mouthfeel. There are also confusing terms such as distiller’s beer and low wine. The former is the name for the fermented grains before distillation, and the latter is the liquid collected from the first distillation, which is a lower proof than finished bourbon.
After distillation, the spirit is separated into three parts with the start and the end of the run being seen as lower quality. These three stages are called the head, the heart, and the tail. It’s only the heart that will be barreled. Our final term on this whistle-stop tour is “cutting”. This is when the high-proof bourbon is “cut” with water to lower its proof.
- There is no right way to make it
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It’d be easy to assume the making of bourbon was sacrosanct. With it being such a traditional drink, surely there is only one right way to make it? While the science of fermenting sugars can’t change, that couldn’t be further from the truth. As long as they’re following the rules of bourbon, it’s entirely up to a distiller as to how they get there. The process allows for a great deal of creativity that leads to a wonderful variety of bourbons.
Along with the difference in ingredients, there can be a difference in the material and shape of fermentation tanks, the use of pot or column stills, different number of times the spirit is distilled, and also different filtering methods. All of these can have a significant influence on the taste. Then you get to the barreling where different types of oak, storage conditions, and aging will all play their part in the final flavor. For bourbon enthusiasts, this variety gives you plenty to explore. It can also help you understand how some bourbons, even from the same distillery, can have vastly different flavor profiles.
- One grain isn’t used for taste
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As we know, bourbon needs to be made from at least 51% of corn in the mash bill. However, exactly how much corn is used above this figure is up to the distiller. Added to this, most will then add either rye or wheat for its flavor, sometimes both. Along with this, another ingredient is used, partly because it’s required. Malted barley plays an important role in the taste, but the reason it has to be used is because of its enzymes. These enzymes in malted barley convert starch in the grains into fermentable sugars.
The yeast then converts these sugars into alcohol. Without malted barley, the fermentation would be inefficient with not enough alcohol produced. Malted barley can give a nuttier and smokier taste; therefore, some distillers use more than is required purely for fermentation. This means that the grain isn’t always used in the same percentage, but usually accounts for 5% to 12% of the overall mash bill. Single malt Scotch whisky, on the other hand, doesn’t need to worry about this issue, as that type of whisky is made from 100% barley.
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The 30 Best Bourbon Brands, Ranked
By Brendan McGinley Updated: Jan. 2, 2025 11:51 am EST
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The great thing about this whiskey scene is it’s always in motion, which means that even the same mash bill, process, and label can change a famed, big batch product quite a bit from one expression to another. And while distillers strive for consistency and quality, sometimes variation in the former can really crank up the latter.
With that in mind, we’re here to share our current assessments of the best bourbon brands in America at this moment. Sorry if your favorite’s not on here, but it’s probably repped by a similar label because there’s a definite path from the bottom to the top shelf. Our method was simple: Treat distilleries like record labels, brands like bands, and labels like albums (with expressions being their single tracks). Wherever a bourbon bottle has a unified identity, it was fair game for us. This is a lineup of true bourbon winners, and we’re excited to share it with you.
- Old Elk
Brendan McGinley/Tasting Table
We’ve had a lot of Old Elk, and while the best nose probably resides in a bottle of the brand’s straight rye, we can’t overlook the versatility of the wheated bourbon, which gives mint, cinnamon, and as noted in our list of best sourced bourbons, a mango-papaya spicy, gamy fruit. It completely flips that script when it touches your tongue to the tune of big, briny flavor, a burst of pepper, and a punch of oak for the knockout. You’d be surprised to find yourself drinking a wheated bourbon with the way the tastes explode and subside. What trace of wheat exists here may be in just how tenable that burst booms softly: More day lily than bottle rocket.
It’s a very mild bourbon, even by wheated standards. It’s actually kind of nice. It’s easy drinking without exactly being smooth. You aren’t going to do the old Three Stooges stutter-choke-gasp like with a lot of these whiskeys, even good ones. But you also don’t feel like it’s insubstantial water.
It’s odd to say a whiskey is good despite or even because it lacks depth, but it’s less about the profound flavor and more about its fleeting presence. Just don’t dilute it with water or on the ice. Old Elk’s balance is a precarious one.
- Evan Williams
evanwilliamsbourbon/Instagram
You’re lucky we’re professionals who put personal prejudice aside. Otherwise, you’d see the almighty Evan Williams line much higher in this noble list.
Beloved by the bourbonati for the value ratio of quality to price, our perennial favorite cheap bourbon runs only one risk before ringing up, and that’s not being recognized for how good its higher expressions are. It’s so easy to grab a cheap handle and pour happily; you have to remind yourself that the older and select labels are actually contenders against similar-tier bourbons, even without regard to Evan’s advantageous price. Some might consider it to be the best bourbon for the money, but the savings are just a bonus … for now, anyway, because the word seems to be getting out, and reports are coming back of rising stickers. Still, it’s a deal at one of the best bourbons under $50, even if you’re buying single-barrel vintage.
- Benchmark
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Officially, this is where Benchmark resides, but unofficially, we’re leery of placing it as high as it deserves because we’re working off of popular regard and definitely not for fear of repeating that Evan Williams price creep. Still, this Buffalo Trace bottom-shelfer has been climbing the ladder of late, with an expanding and increasingly aged line that saw BT insiders gush about it to us as their most underrated bourbon.
That expansion has paid off, seeing more and more reviewers stop and say, “Wait, Benchmark might actually become … a benchmark?” It’s not a game-changer as yet, but you do find a lot of lineup reviews questioning whether this isn’t dramatically overlooked. We say yes, but feel free to ignore us and keep the price down.
- New Riff
newriff/Instagram
You get the idea that if we all got universal basic income tomorrow, the folks at New Riff would keep showing up to do what this family-owned distillery does best: shake up the whiskey scene. Perhaps it’s because the brand is comprised of self-described corporate refugees.
Maybe it’s because the passion for bourbon runs so strong it feels critical to the people making New Riff that you understand as well as enjoy it. Maybe it’s because a bourbon that’s only just celebrated its 10th year is drawing standout praise in the crowded world of Kentucky bourbon. Or maybe it’s just because it’s damn good bourbon to drink. You get the idea.
- Maker’s Mark
Maker’s Mark
Weller might be the original wheated bourbon, but Maker’s Mark might be the most poured one. This bourbon whisky (yeah, it’s one of the oddballs spelled without an “E” stateside) is a staple that really deserves more love for even the regular edition, though the whole line is what makes it flourish on this list.
Still, there’s a reason you see Maker’s Mark sitting handily in frequent-pour reach on almost every bar in America. It’s still great and frequently excellent, as seen in both the Maker’s 101 and 46ers if you’re not the type to go all-in on private selections or other higher-end options.
- Larceny
larcenybourbon/Instagram
For the longest time, Old Fitzgerald was a regular ol’ cheap and okay pour, and then a lot more shook up in the whiskey world than we can stuff into a short space. The result was the Larceny line, spinning out basic Fitz under a new package, while Heaven Hill reserved the venerable Old Fitzgerald label for the really special product. It’s all the same juice, only divided by time and temperature, the same as how a bottle of W.L. Weller that makes something of itself becomes William LaRue Weller.
But then something funny happened. Larceny went from being a reliably alright bottle priced just right at $30 dollars or so to something to seek out all by itself. Depending on which expression you’re after, you might have to move fast before the price escalates. And we’re not even including Old Fitz special releases in this ranking!
- Redemption
Redemption Whiskey
Your author has a long-running tendency to conflate the details of Redemption and Larceny: two discrete, respectable, mid-range bourbons hovering around 90 proof whose brand identities pull from pre-prohibition. But where Larceny loves wheat, Redemption rises to any occasion with a bourbon that would haggle for high-rye status if the brand didn’t also put out a high-rye bourbon at 36% of the mash bill. And yes, it releases a wheated bourbon, too, but rye defines this brand even when it’s making bourbons. And a lot of reviewers favor those high-ryes over the pricier wheat sibling.
Redemption is a negligible price bump over comparable bourbons that nevertheless might pause a few mid-range purchasers who are just looking for something good and versatile. But it’s worth it to try out and see if you want to climb the ladder to some of the brand’s rarer expressions, including a 9-year barrel proof bourbon that’s 108.2 proof — uncharacteristically high for this brand — and a 36-year ancient that you’re never going to spy in person unless you drink at great bars. But oh boy, what if you threw caution to the wind and ordered it tonight? Oh my gosh, are we doing this? You’re buying.
- Widow Jane
Widow Jane
What exists as a northeast bar staple within easy reach flourishes when it climbs the shelves. Widow Jane is at its best in the higher age statements, and while that tends to be true for a lot of whiskeys, here it really turns from a useful mixer into something you should seek out.
If you can’t wait a dozen years or more for a bottle or don’t have the budget, don’t worry. Widow Jane isn’t afraid to get weird with rare-grain mash bills, including some corns so beautiful it’s almost a crime to destroy them for wort … or, it would be if we didn’t know that the more these off-beat whiskeys get made and sold, the more cool varietals will get grown year after year.
But beware: The type of corn truly makes a difference, and Widow Jane Bloody Butcher’s red kernels carry a funkiness that is not for everyone. If you like your whiskeys sweeter without a bunch of additives, try Widow Jane Decadence, which gives the distillate additional aging in a barrel that once housed maple syrup. As we saw in our best bourbons we tried in 2024, the wildly popular honey barrel production gives fantastic new flavors that even purists will find hard to argue with: It’s not blasphemy if it’s delicious. Here, Widow Jane tweaks the phenomenon with maple, and at a lower ABV, it’s not so formidable that you can’t savor the non-whiskey subtleties.
- Penelope
penelopebourbon/Instagram
While still an upstart — if no longer a startup, now that MGP purchased its former client — Penelope has been doing its own thing for a bit now. We love the complexity that comes with a four-grain whiskey, so even the starting point plays its own tune. And while it seems like everyone else is chasing double oaked all of a sudden, Penelope’s focusing on wine cask finishes and, dare we say, bespoke whiskey with its Architect series.
If you don’t show up for that level of precision, Penelope has you covered, cowpoke. Its toasted barrel series shoots from the hip, meaning this crazy romance just might work out with your big-city, uptight paramour who moved back to open a bakery in her hometown.
- Elijah Craig
Elijah Craig
Like Larceny, Elijah Craig is a reliable reach-for at a fair price that suddenly bangs well above its dollar uptick as soon as you upgrade to the more select bottles. That’s no surprise since this is from the same experts at Heaven Hill but with more corn and rye in place of wheat.
While you wouldn’t be upset to find yourself holding the regular edition, even if it’s no longer a bonafide 12-year after losing its age statement, the real get is the barrel proof. After earning the title of whisky of the year in 2017, the rye-worthy heat has never left this label, and everyone loves to compare the releases throughout the year to find the best one to seek out.
- Willett
willettdistillery/Instagram
While the Willett Distillery has a storied history, including recent rebirth and reinvention (and will pop up again on this list), we’re focused on the Willett name brand line here, which includes the Willett Family Estate cask-strength, single-barrel, “purple-top” bottles, which splash onto the scene whenever a standout SiB makes itself known.
But there’s a but on those buts: some fans, of late, feel that the really high-end releases are coasting a bit on the strength of earlier barley juice. But even the but has a but: The fact remains that every purple top still commands a fervent hunt from true believers. And there’s no accounting for taste, which is a wonderfully liberating realization. When this many people like something, there’s something to like.
- Woodford Reserve
ad this stuff? It goes really sweet in a creme brulee and caramel direction without becoming cloying. For this reason, it’s excellent with just seltzer since it already provides a lot of what juice and soda normally bring to a cocktail or duo. But mixing it at all feels like a diminishment of what is an excellent bourbon to drink neat or with a drop of water.
We had the good luck to rank the whole 1792 lineup (barring some truly rare bottles you’re never going to encounter anyway), and while we favored the 1792 Bottled-in-Bond at the top, most drinkers would probably put their money on the magical Aged Twelve Years. The fun part is deciding for yourself.
- Basil Hayden
basilhayden/Instagram
Basil Hayden tastes like a duel at high noon (maybe it’s all the char and smoke involved) but bears the distinct lineage of Old Grand-Dad himself, Basil Hayden, borne through the legendary Booker Noe, master distiller at Jim Beam. This is a supremely affordable whiskey for the value, at under $50, that presents like a rich man’s bourbon.
Bold in flavor and essential in design and character, Basil Hayden starts from a resplendent place and then rises higher with each variation in the lineup. With all that said, a very palatable 80 proof makes this one an easy day drinker that won’t put you down for the count anytime soon.
- Booker’s
Booker’s/Jim Bean
Oh hey, it’s Booker Noe, back again. They say this lineup invented small-batch bourbon, but you might just as well say it was the invention of private reserve. Regardless, these bottles are eagerly anticipated and tend to sell out quickly if you’re looking for a specific batch. Still, if you’re after the label itself, you’re likely not far from one as long as you’re not particular about which handle it is.
Booker’s gets featured frequently at your better class of bar, which knows this whiskey as an upscale pour that doesn’t veer into extravagance. It’s the kind of whiskey ordered by those who know how hard it kicks but how deeply it rewards those who can take it.
- Old Forester
oldforester/Instagram
Another entry in the “American whisky” series, Old Forester has been around longer than anyone else in the whiskey game. Presenting a broad fleet of bourbons and whiskies, it has a prominent single-barrel program for anyone looking to go all-in on a particularly fine specimen.
Old Forester runs pretty light in the ABV department. The original is a breezy 86 proof, while other prominent bourbons in the line tend to stick to 100 or below — in our opinion, right around the sweet spot. While a couple of higher 105s and mid-110s show up, it’s a bit of a surprise when the barrel-proof, single-barrel bottle drops in like an atom bomb at 130. Dang, Old Forester, did you just “She’s All That” us?
- Smoke Wagon
Nevada Distilling
A well-regarded, even beloved bottle, Smoke Wagon also surfs on being a great price in most markets. While you might only find it at the higher numbers near some quality everyday scotch sticker level, the prevalence of this high-rye bourbon for as low as $30 at one point and in some places makes even the standard bottle from Nevada Distilling Company’s bottle an easy gamble. Up your ante, and the payoff compounds prestigiously; for all its swagger, Smoke Wagon’s bourbons are elegant and worth savoring.
Nevertheless, the real get is Smoke Wagon’s Uncut Unfiltered bottle, which doesn’t need luck to win tonight or any other. A frequent double-gold winner of the San Francisco World Spirits competition, this is Smoke Wagon’s prize pig among the four straight bourbons in its lineup. This is not to say you shouldn’t pounce on the Private Barrel if you see it, only that you’ll have an easier time with the former.
- Four Roses
Brendan McGinley/Tasting Table
It’s hard not to look at Four Roses as the underrated version of Wild Turkey. Both have been sticking to what works for decades, doing what they do the way they do it, even when the world turned its back on whiskey. Both have found the success and respect they deserve in this century without changing what they’re up to or getting gimmicky.
And yet, somehow, Four Roses gets the following without the fanaticism. Perhaps it’s because Wild Turkey has that baked-in generational story of the Russell family, but what Four Roses produces is still more than enough to make our top 15.
- Noah’s Mill
Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
Noah’s Mill is a hearty — though far from overclocked — 114.3 proof, but it tastes like a rich punch in a silk glove. The Willett whiskey comes in strong, like a Christmas cake, before rising into springtime with floral and herbal notes. It’s a really tough whiskey to get a handle on, except that you know you’re drinking quality. It’s widely respected and maybe even a little bit feared, as many conquerors of boozier whiskeys still recommend watering it down or even chilling on the rocks.
To be honest, we kind of wanted to roll Rowan’s Creek into this one, even though they’re separate brands from the same distiller. They just feel like such bookend bourbons that if one isn’t your speed, the other may encapsulate what people love about Willett’s product for you. But then, we’d be hard-pressed not to dive into Johnny Drum, Old Bardstown, and more.
- Barrell
barrellbourbon/Instagram
Some folks may need to check their attitudes about sourced whiskey. It comes from the same place that disdains any distiller who hands a mash bill and processes off to Midwest Grain Products (MGP) as not having the wherewithal to do it themselves. But just as the real cause is very often one of economic and production means in the latter case, there’s another very good reason for the former: Some tasters, blenders, and distillers have a vision drawn from different quarters, while others know the good stuff when they try it and know where to get it and dare to experiment to push it to even greater heights.
Whiskey is a great big world, and there’s plenty of room for different approaches. When the results are as good as a lot of what Barrell puts out, how can anybody complain?
- Wild Turkey
Irik Bik/Shutterstock
Wild Turkey, for all its achievements and its uniquely devout fans, remains best known as a mid-shelf whiskey, but that’s not a failure when the mid-shelf beats all comers. It’s just famous for being excellent at what it does — and that’s just the basic version! The 101 is regarded by many as pure perfection, and the small batch and Master’s Keep runs are strong enough that we’re probably tragically close to all the casuals realizing how premium Wild Turkey really is.
And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that Wild Turkey has the aforementioned story with the Russell family, the Wyeths of whiskey. Though there are probably a lot of people named Beam or Noe who might challenge that title.
- Michter’s
Michter’s
The brand that almost single-handedly brought back rye (but we see you, Bulleit) also punches hard once you get to the more noteworthy offerings beyond the basic stuff. Michter’s 10-year single barrel was one of our best bourbons of 2023, not in the least because the duo responsible for releasing it said, “No, it’s great, but it can be even better,” back in 2022.
When a whiskey maker is willing to sit on easy money to really dazzle the following year, that’s when you’re looking at a prime candidate for a top bourbon brand. The integrity and reputation of the product move from intact to impressive with tough calls like that one make a moth expectorate at the thought of the 20-year, eh?
- Weller
wellerbourbon/Instagram
Well, here it is. Marketed as the original wheated bourbon, and formerly casually referred to as “poor man’s Pappy” before word got out about Weller’s close roots to Van Winkle, and it became middle-class man’s Pappy and launched a thousand disgruntled Reddit posts about how it’s a solidly $30 to $40 bourbon that tastes great and not a $60 to $500 one. Well, that’s, like, your opinion, man. But also, yes.
Regardless, it’s an excellent whiskey, and it’s hard to say the sour grousing isn’t from people who have a hard time saying goodbye to a great deal that never could have lasted. Weller would have risen to this point even without a hand from the Van Winkle family.
- Blanton’s
blantons_bourbon/Instagram
How is it that we’re listing Blanton’s down here when we previously put it in the top spot of the best American whiskey brands? Hey, fair question. Mostly, you live, you learn, you laugh, you love, and what we love is bourbon, leading us to discover a sizable number of people who are able to put their hands on a bottle feel it’s overrated by its Japanese-led collectability. So, call this placement a compromise.
Anyway, Blanton’s remains a great bottle to use in a whiskey sour while taters and enthusiasts alike shriek in the comments of your Instagram posts. You enjoy this hobby however you like.
- Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr.
ehtaylorbourbon/Instagram
If you want to know the real tragedy of reviewing whiskey for a living, it’s that every day, you’re blessed with a new product showing up at your doorstep to review, sample, rank, and compare. That’s one more day your bottle of Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. stares at you longingly from the shelf, inert for another evening.
There’s no bad bottle in this beautifully crafted series. A lot of fans are cantankerous about its showboating and stunting, but nobody’s saying it doesn’t deserve universal praise, so much as how high that praise rises. And yeah, thousands of dollars for Warehouse C Tornado Surviving is an irreplicable gimmick, but it’s such good stuff we wouldn’t blink if it one day ended up the sixth sibling in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
- Remus
Remus
Look, we didn’t mean for this list to end up so Buffalo Traced. If anything, we figured it would be Heavenly Hilled. That’s why we’re happy to report that the MGP-produced George Remus is coming in strong — yes, even ahead of our beloved Col. Taylor. This is, in large part, thanks to the Remus Repeal Reserve series, though Midwest Grain Products obviously considers the entire label its big bourbon.
The producer’s been making bigger and bigger branding moves this past decade to assert itself beyond a hired gun and a boss whiskey maker with the means and experience to stand alongside Kentuc — oh wait, it’s doing a “Book of Boba Fett,” but for bourbon. Well, Remus is its power play, and it’s paying off. It ranges from eminently satisfying and easygoing to some real “Have you tried this stuff yet?” premium bottles worth chasing.
- Old Carter
Old Carter/Instagram
Old Carter makes big headway throughout its entire lineup, with the non-bourbon American whiskeys drawing particularly high praise. But you could quite happily stick to its prize-winning straight bourbon lineup and walk around telling everyone you meet that you just sipped a real contender for best of the year.
The Louisville-based whiskey distillery actually makes its mark blending high-corn products from various larger whiskey makers — most notably Midwest Grain Products but purportedly also Cascade Hollow — and is the leading argument for the reputability of this as a real art. Winemakers Sherri and Mark Carter brought back Kentucky Owl before devising their own label as the outcome of their careful attention to what a balanced palate can bring to bourbon, and reviews have been unflaggingly positive.
Fair warning: Old Carter bourbons unfailingly come in high proof, so clear some space in your schedule to sip and appreciate these bottles very slowly all evening. Unfortunately, the word is increasingly out on a limited product that only gets distribution in select markets, so the high but fair price point jumps even more as soon as it hits the shelves. But if you intend to really treat yourself or a friend, here’s a guarantee of greatness.
- Eagle Rare
eaglerarebourbon/Instagram
A bourbon so mighty its best expression isn’t even the one drafted to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Eagle Rare’s relatively brief history at three decades and counting is still a tour of whiskey wisdom and legacy. One of the best high-end bourbons, it’s so good it’s unsurprisingly only released on allocation, and that’s the regular 10-year, not even the BTAC and 20-year Very Rare.
If you want the full rundown on this incredibly complex and wild out-of-the-gate whiskey, we reviewed its many tasting notes with full esteem in our Buffalo Trace Antique Collection ranking. Suffice it to say, for anyone with the spurs to tame it, Eagle Rare is a mighty steed worth lassoing.
- Old Rip Van Winkle
Old Rip Van Winkle/X (formerly Twitter)
Remember that episode of “Parks & Recreation” where Ron Swanson’s chairs get celebrated by an influential lifestyle maven, but he refuses to mass produce them? That’s the Van Winkle family. It’s continuing to make what’s overwhelmingly considered the best bourbon in the world (more on that in a minute) the way it always has, at production levels that let it maintain its quality.
While expansion is desirable, it’s only going bigger if they can keep making it up to its exceedingly high standard. And this stuff is offered up at a fair price for the labor put into it. By God, it makes you think the soul of American honor endures in these wild times. And hey, great bourbon. Really, top of the mountain.
- Stagg
Buffalo Trace Distillery
What? Not Van Winkle in the top spot? Nope. It’s Stagg. Listen, we’ve had Van Winkle. It’s good stuff! Have we had every Van Winkle? Nah, but more than a couple of ’em. Have we had both Staggs? Well, technically, yes. But also, part of what’s so estimable about this Buffalo Trace Antique Collection champion and its winner offspring is that some of the latter’s expressions come darn near close to BTAC-grade for $150.
That means, sadly, you’ll often find your local liquor store selling a bottle for eight times what it cost while still ⅛ its parent’s price tag. But even the worst Stagg is a sight better than MSRP. By the way, the more obtainable Stagg recently dropped the Jr. from its titles, so we’ll refer to it as such and the BTAC as George T. Stagg.
Methodology
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Our methodology for picking these brands went like this: First, we developed an aggregate list of the top bourbon brands on the market. When choosing brands, we aimed for labels that offer more than one style or age statement. The entirety of a brand’s line-up was taken into consideration. General popularity within the bourbon market was considered, though lesser-known brands were also given merit.
Once the line-up of candidates was developed, the list was trimmed down and then ordered using several factors, including price, quality, and availability. The majority of these bourbon brands have been tasted by the author, and for those brands that haven’t been personally sampled, online consumer reviews, trade publications, and insider feedback were taken into account.
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Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/1296323/best-bourbon-brands-ranked/