Non-Distiller Producers (NDP): Companies that purchase their whiskey from someone else rather than making it themselves. ABV: 50% Flavor Profile: Vanilla & Sweet A leather note emerges and lingers at the end. Early Times had already won a blind tasting with me previously, having captured gold in theBourbon Pursuit blind BIB Showdown. Boy, was I wrong! This is another classic bourbon with a distinctive caramel and vanilla aroma on the nose. Flavor Profile: Rich & Full Bodied Fourth - Larceny With wheated bourbons riding a tidal wave named Pappy, Larceny flies under the radar. We asked whiskey personality and author Fred Minnick to uncover which bottles of bourbon lining the shelves are actually worthy of your bar cart. Going into my tasting, I thought this had a great chance of winning. Its got so much flavor to it, so much complexity its just brilliant whiskey., Are we including bottles that are impossible to find? Minnick asks. Elmer T Lee (Wish it was still as easy to find as it was a few years ago) 2. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle.Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon: Every year for the past eight years, Texas-based distillery Garrison Brothers has released their fan-favorite Cowboy Bourbon: an uncut and unfiltered straight bourbon thats produced in limited numbers. The finish is short-lived, with caramel and oak to it with very little to no warmth. This is not a new phenomenon and it plays a large role in blended bourbons. In the past decade, good brands went from available to allocated and from $15 to $40. Ninety-nine percent of Dickel products are officially Tennessee Whisky, not bourbon. If you come across its charged, barrel-proof older sibling, be sure to pick up a bottle, too.. Instead, it was allowed to rest until it hit a point the distillers wanted to hit and then bottled as is. On the palate, there are pralines (candied pecans), orange zest, along with caramel, maple syrup, some mint and spice notes of cinnamon and clove. Below are 8 brands of bourbon that retail for less than $50, many are under $30, that represent excellent values and that you have probably never heard of. The whiskey is based on a mash bill of 62% corn, 28% rye and 10% malted barley. The whiskey carries no age statement but is believed to be a blend of whiskeys between four and 20 years old. The latter is a blend of a 16-year-old bourbon and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon that pays tribute to the familys first distiller, Jacob Beam, and its said to be some of the best bourbon being produced at the busy distillery. The brand was withdrawn from the US market in 1997, but continued to be exported. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Weller Antique 107 Blanton's Henry McKenna 10 Year Noah's Mill 1. Take heed, though, since it somewhat controversially took home Best in Show, Whiskey at San Francisco World Spirits Competition a few years ago its been harder to come by, and more expensive than it used to be. Anything wheated with evena hint of age is hard to find, and even some younger offerings have come to be so desired by the bourbon-buying public that youre better off giving up the chase if you dont follow release dates closely in some areas. Distiller Score: 80. For the uninitiated, wheat used as a secondary grain was really pioneered at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville, birthplace of the Weller lineup, the Van Winkle lineup, and the Old Fitzgerald Lineup. Over time, the Yellow Label bottle has changed with the label losing the yellow color. Bottled in Bond: Under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a bottled-in-bond spirit must be produced by one distillery in the same distilling season, then aged under federal supervision and cut and bottled at 100 proof. There are, after all, aging variables in play from the length in the barrel to where in the rickhouse the barrel rested to how the master blender married different barrels to create the final product. Yes. Old Forester was one of the six distilleries to hold a medicinal whiskey permit during prohibition. From your daily sipper to the best bottle to bring to a party, here are the best bourbons to drink in 2023. Price Range: $20 to $30. Average Price: $26. Now, thanks to rising whiskey prices and a consistently strong product, the brand shortened to OGD by fans has a cult following. Both mash bills are utilized for this bottling. Bourbon with an age statement and available at barrel strength for a good price? Sometimes even exactly the same. The label launched with just two bourbons in its portfolio: the two-year Colonel James B. Beam and the more premium Jacobs Well. But again, two for the price of one is a bargain. Larceny is a brand extension of Heaven Hills Old Fitzgerald line. Egg nog spices kick this sip off. ABV: 50% At retail prices between $20 and $30, it is among the best priced wheated bourbon currently available. Wheat bourbons are different. Honey and fruit mix with a clear peppery rye note next to a slight hint of oak, apple, and more vanilla. That works out to 1.75 barrels of bourbon per resident or over 500 bottles of whiskey per capita. Old Forester does a slightly better job filling it in comparison. Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. Larceny Barrel Proof (A121, B521, C921) - T3. The titular old grand-dad here is the one and only Basil Hayden. On the palate, the whiskey is smooth and sweet, with vanilla and caramel and a little dried fruit. At times our old standbys can be tough to findand when we do, they are triple the standard price. Don't take Woodford Reserve's Double Oaked's ubiquity for mediocrity. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? If God gave birth to a bourbon child, this is what it would taste like, Minnick says. Best I ever had was a couple weeks ago in a Chicago speakeasy the Office. The 2021 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is bold, spicy, and fruit forward. The marrying of the corn with the Christmas-y spices helps usher in a long, warming, and satisfying end that embraces you in a classic Kentucky hug.. Wheaters are my favorites, but I like ryes too. Russells Reserve has been hitting my sweet spot of late, and many, including myself, thought this would definitely be in the running. Average Price: $90. The 15 YO, and possibly the NAS version, are distilled at the Bernheim distillery, now owned by Heaven Hill, and matured in the Stitzel-Weller warehouses in Shively, Kentucky. Its bottled at 115 proof for this distillery, thats the perfect proof, Minnick says. You may opt-out by. Sounds like a pretty good reason the move to Kentucky. Yes. Uncle Nearest Straight Rye . Wheated Bourbon Throwdown: Larceny vs. W.L. Press Esc to cancel. Once everyday, easy-to-find [+] brands are now allocated and outside of the consumer's reach. Its a fantastic bourbon, especially for the money, he says. Thanks in advance. The mash bill consists of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. If you're looking for the best value in bourbon, just get this. High Rye: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of rye (as opposed to using more corn, wheat, or barley, the other main grains used in bourbon mash). Try These Whiskeys, The Complete Buying Guide to Buffalo Trace Whiskey, The Most Exciting New Bourbon and Whiskeys of 2022, Another Female Whiskey Blender Has Gone Solo, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon, Barrell Craft Spirits 15 Year Old Bourbon. Have tried, and enjoyed, the Makers Cask Strength. It is aged at least 4 years in a bonded warehouse and is bottled at 100 proof in a trademark square, white label bottle. Regular Four Roses (formerly called Yellow Label), Old Forester 100 Proof (formerly called Signature), Wild Turkey 101, Jim Beam Black Label, Larceny Bourbon, Maker's Mark, and Buffalo Trace. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Glad to find your listing. But that doesnt mean the core ingredients dont start off the same. The juice starts its time in a new charred oak barrel (as it should) before its dumped into a second charred oak barrel that's been more deeply toasted. Overpowering taste and smell of alcohol. This juice is. In a whiskey market that's become increasingly fragmented and allocated, Knob Creek's classic small batch bourbon distinguishes itself. Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Bourbon that is stored in charred new oak for at least two years. Old Forester is richer, so it's less prevalent in this comparison, but it's definitely still there on its own without Jack Daniel's to cover it up. So, we switched Eagle Rare to its sister brand, Buffalo Trace, which always warms up my palate in the winter. The current distiller is rumored to be Heaven Hill. Dread River Master Series by Eboni Major: Eboni Major is one of the rising stars of the bourbon world. The oak peeks in with more vanilla, notes of toffee, and a bit of berry tartness. Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. Average Price: $20. ABV: 46.5% Its based on a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. The other is recipe E and is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. #3 barrel char. This is strikingly similar to Woodford on the nose with the same vanilla, tobacco, mint, and floral fruit. Rye based bourbons aged longer than 12 years, in most cases, become far too woody, and they begin to become overpowered by the barrel flavors. That said, I felt strongly Jack Daniels puts out worthy whiskey and deserved to be in this Best Everyday tasting. Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. I almost included Bernheim Wheat Whiskey in this list, since even though its a wheat whiskey, it taste a LOT like a wheated bourbon due to its high corn content. Four Rosess upgrade over its standard offering blends 180 barrels of four different recipes per bottling. According to their story, back in the day, John E. Fitzgerald used his privilege of holding the keys to Pappy Van Winkles bonded warehouse, where the Old Fitzgerald bourbons were kept, to steal the best casks for himself. // < ! So its whiskey, at a great proof point of 86 and an age that Minnick says is roughly five-and-a-half years old, goes for less than $20. The spirit is one of those rare drinks that is loved by both bourbon enthusiasts and amateurs. Elijah Craig Small Batch came in sixth. This whiskey is also BIB and is bottled at 50% ABV. The original nomination was Weller Antique, which is widely available in some markets and sparse in others. The bourbon category has never been more popular than it is right now. Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. Knob Creek 12 Year Price: ~$75 Proof: 100 Tasting Notes: Oak, vanilla, marshmallow Distillery: Jim Beam Nose: Honey, caramel, wintergreen, almond. The whiskey sells for around $25. Simply put, Minnick knows bourbon better than almost anyone in America. One of the comparisons I did was a side-by-side review of two Bottled-in-Bond bottlings: Old Forester's 1897 BiB versus Old Grand Dad BiB. Weller, and to a lesser extent Old Fitzgerald, has been caught up in the cult frenzy that now surrounds Pappy Van Winkle. Basil Haydens is a well-crafted bourbon thats pulled from specific barrels, blended, cut down to proof, and small-batch bottled under the watchful eyes of Jim Beams masters. Additionally, Four Roses uses up to five different yeast strains for its bourbons, and all are used here. I like it. [CDATA[ amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "modernthirstc-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "auto"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a605ff51e1453cfa02de68c264fd03bc"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = "284507"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {"type":"search","value":"Whiskey"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; // ]]> Bill is the Co-Founder, Editor-in Chief, and official Bourbon-o-Phile for ModernThirst.com, and Founder and Chief Blending Officer for Four Gate Whiskey Company. But this victory goes to the sister product of Henry McKenna 10-year-old, which won Best Whisky and Best Bourbon at San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and will compete against McKenna for my Best American Whiskey December 20. The 6 year age statement is now gone and replaced with just the number 6 on the handle, but they bourbon is indeed at least 4 years old. Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon . Distillers Gin Guide: Styles to Know and Brands to Try. And its the best cocktail bourbon out there. Four Roses is a highly regarded distillery, with a high-rye mash bill that produces an extra spiciness to go along with its fruity and floral notes, and a concentration on yeast that has been eye-opening for the bourbon world. Where we have full reviews, scores, or tasting notes, I have included links: // < ! It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. Distiller Score: 86. Theyve also led the way in transparency. Theres certainly less refinement at play. Its a little smoother and feels softer on the palate. So lets divide them into two categories: Standard Production and Limited Release. ABV: 50% Futile efforts to obtain any of the 2nd list has been a waste of time. Though it shares DNA with other Heaven Hill bourbons like Evan Williams and Henry McKenna, Elijah Craig Small Batch is balanced, with extra maltiness. ABV: 50% At 12 years, they become really nice sips, and out towards 20 years, they can still be outstanding whiskey. Founded in 1783 as the first commercial distillery in Kentucky, Evan Williams built his distillery along the banks of the Ohio River. At the end of 2018, Kentucky had over 7.5 million barrels of bourbon being matured, along with 600,000 barrels of other spirits. ABV: 46% image via via modernthirst.com Thats really a loaded question because there are two ways of looking at it. If you can get your hands on the bottle like the Dutton clan did in season 5 of Yellowstone youll be treated to notes of creamed corn, toasted vanilla and a heavy dose of wheat. Rebel Yell has been a registered brand since 1936, although the recipe for the bourbon dates back to 1849. The juice is a throwback to Colonel Blanton who expanded the distillery in the 20th century and used to handpick barrels for his personal stash in warehouse H. The bottle in-and-of-itself has become a collectors item with the small horse on each cork varying slightly. Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY Its excellent. Makers Mark could double their price and people would still buy it by the case. These bargain bourbon brands can all be had for $25 or less, so make sure keep your home bar stocked! Weller CYPB, Weller Full Proof, Redemption Wheated, Wilderness Trail Wheated Mash Bill etc, would all be added. But thats not to say that all of those bourbons taste exactly the same. Tasting notes include monkey bread aroma and Texas-style Dublin Dr. Pepper, making for one interesting palate. This is a nice mixing bourbon that works just as well on the rocks. They can range from okay to excellent.. They were right. Wheat as the secondary grain provides a bit of a subtle, yet noticeable contrast to the traditional rye component of standard bourbons. And in Division Two we have Old Forester Signature 100 proof up against Wild Turkey 101. It is 115 proof and reminiscent of the style of bourbon distilled by the brand during the prohibition era. Look, this is a damn nice dram. This spirit seems to drink higher than 104 proof due to overwhelming spice. On the nose, there is a distinctive sweetness, along with ripe apple, caramel and a little vanilla. Four Roses Small Batch, a household favorite, did not perform well in this blind tasting for Best [+] Everyday Bourbon. For 2022, the rugged western whiskey is a blend of 8- and 9-year-old barrels from the distillery and clocks in at a whopping 134.8 proof. It is based on a mash bill of 77% corn, 10% rye and 13% malted barley. Bourbon is a type of whiskey that needs to meet a few criteria to officially be called "bourbon."
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