What’s the best bourbon for an old fashioned cocktail? It’s a question as old as time — well… at least it feels like one. And important, too. The quality of bourbon swings drastically — the taste even more so. There are a ton of variables that can make or break a simple and classic old fashioned cocktail. So let’s take a look at which bourbon you should be using to make the best old fashioned possible.
For this exercise, I had to dial in the parameters pretty severely. First and foremost, I couldn’t stack the deck. I know I can make an amazing old fashioned with, say, a Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon or E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon or Knob Creek 18-Year-Old Bourbon. But those bottles are highly allocated and very price-inflated. So I’ve specifically chosen great bourbons that are ~generally available~ at good liquor stores, in the same price range ($30-$45), very close in ABV (45%-50%), and all classic corn/rye/malted barley Kentucky straight bourbons. There are no special finishing barrels, high or low ABVs, crafty grain bombs, sneaky sourced barrels, wheated bourbons, or random single barrels.
I picked bourbons that I 100% know make a great cocktail and will not overpower with something different in the base.
- Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45% ABV, $45
- Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45.7% ABV, $44
- Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45% ABV, $30
- Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Aged 7 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 50% ABV, $47
Next, I kept the recipe identical for each old fashioned I made. The same sugar base, the same number of dashes of bitters, the same orange oils expressed over the top, the same cherry on top, and the same ice for each one. That way there’s no variation besides the bourbon base. It’s the only way to know which bourbon shines the brightest in this cocktail application.
Lastly, all four bourbon old fashioneds were mixed individually but tasted at the same time. As I made the drinks, I kept them in the freezer to preserve them until the tasting. All things being equal, I was truly able to taste and judge these old fashioneds against each other in the best environment. So let’s dive in!
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Part 1 — The Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. bourbon whiskey (plus a splash)
- 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 1 barspoon raw sugar
- 1 barspoon mineral water
- 1 orange peel
- 1 cherry
- Ice + Large cube for service
What You’ll Need:
- Lowball glass
- Mixing glass
- Cocktail strainer
- Barspoon
- Fruit peeler
Method:
- Prechill your glass in the freezer.
- Add the sugar, water, and bitters to the mixing jug and give it a pre-mix with the spoon until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the bourbon and stir it for ten or so seconds to dissolve the sugar.
- Add a big handful of ice to the mixing glass and stir for about 20-ish seconds or until the mixing glass is ice-cold to touch.
- Fetch the glass from the freezer, add the large cube, and strain the cocktail into the glass.
- Express the oils from the orange peel over the cocktail and run the peel around the rim of the glass. Twist the peel and drop it into the ice cube.
- Drop in a cherry and serve.
Part 2 — The Bourbon Old Fashioned Tasting
4. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 3)
Tasting Notes:
The old fashioned had a nice and fruity nose with a lot of orange with a botanical spice bark vibe. The taste was very easy-going. The bourbon was there but the sweetness seemed to be more present. The spice of the bitters was also dialed back with a fruitier vibe (thanks to the bourbon). The end was very short and the drink sort of disappeared.
Bottom Line:
This was the lightest old fashioned on the tasting panel. It just didn’t have the same bite as the other four. Saying that now, that might actually be what some people are looking for, but I wanted more. This also just didn’t really have a finish.
3. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 2)
Tasting Notes:
There was a nice mix of classic old fashioned notes on the nose — bitters, orange, cherry, whiskey. The palate had a nice sense of woody whiskey with a hint of sweet oak and soft sweet winter spice barks. The end was shorter. It just sort of faded away and left you with a woody/sweet vibe.
Bottom Line:
This was a perfectly fine old fashioned. It was short and sweet, which is kind of what most people want from a cocktail like this. The bourbon came through with a nice woody spice that was mellowed by the sugars. I would drink this again if it was handed to me.
2. Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Aged 7 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 4)
Tasting Notes:
This had a nice boldness to the nose with stewed cherry, a hint of dark chocolate, and dark winter spices with a touch of nuttiness. The taste was bold as well with clear notes of brandied cherries, bright orange oils, botanical spice barks, and deep creamy bourbon. The end lasted a bit and had a nice woody tobacco spice to it with a cherry edge.
Bottom Line:
This a very good old fashioned (the finish isn’t quite as good as the next entry). The overall vibe here was deeply classic and bold old fashioned with a great profile that’s fun and vibrant.
1. Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 1)
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one is big with notes of dark cherry pie, orange zest, and dark chocolate all rolled into a winter spice cake with nuts, butter, and a dark earthiness. The palate is a quintessential old fashioned vibe with a deep cherry and dark orange supported by a creamy nuttiness, soft pipe tobacco, and fall leaves next to an old rickhouse on a cold winter’s day. The finish lingered on the senses with a spiced tobacco bite, soft vanilla buttercream, and deep orange cake with plenty of cherry, walnut, and raisin.
Bottom Line:
This is a great old fashioned. It had the clearest flavor profile by far. And then the finish blew the rest of the bourbons out of the water. This old fashioned stuck with you for a minute and juked and jolted around the senses in all the right ways. A delicious cocktail.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned
Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon is the clear winner for a deeply tasty old fashioned. It just wasn’t close when it came to nuance and depth of flavor with a clear sense of all the elements working in unison.
That all said, if you’re looking for an easy and classic old fashioned, the Heaven Hill BiB version is very good too. If you looking for a woodier version, then try the Michter’s, and if you want super easy, sweet, and fruity, go with the Four Roses.
All that said, if you want the best… it’s Eagle Rare all day.