We recently tasted and ranked the best bourbons of 2024 (so far) and there were some HEAVY hitters on the list, but the whiskey world never stops spinning. In just a few short weeks since that ranking was published, a ton of brand-new bourbons have been released that might just receive the top honor as the best bourbon of 2024. Here at UPROXX, we’re nothing if not thorough about rounding up the very best of the best.
So to keep you up-to-date on what bottles you should be hunting as we begin to get into the summer months, we decided to put together this summer bourbon-buying guide. Below we’ve got a list of the 10 best brand-new bourbons to buy this summer.
Are you looking for something for easy sipping while you recline by the pool? Maybe you want to find those rare unicorns that will keep bringing the summer heat through the end of the year. Of course, we’ve also got high-quality recommendations for every occasion during the middle of the calendar year right here!
This is a choose-your-own-adventure story starring you and your wallet. Just know that whichever path you choose, this is the perfect map for getting you there. Think of it like a summer road trip, but one besotted by stops at local liquor stores and the best bars more so than tourist traps and cheesy attractions. In other words, this is a journey you’ll actually want to take.
Now buckle up and come along for the ride, these are the 10 best new bourbons to buy this summer!
The Contenders:
• 2XO Kiawah Blend
• Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon
• Bardstown Collection Jim Beam 20 Year
• Barrell Bourbon Cask Strength Batch 036
• Bhakta 2014 Armagnac Cask Finish Bourbon Whiskey
• Green River Full Proof Bourbon
• Ol’ New Riff Bourbon Whiskey
• Old Fitzgerald 10-Year Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
• Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller Millennium
Let’s check out the ranking!
10. Ol’ New Riff Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
Ol’ New Riff is the fresh oxymoronic lineup from New Riff Distillery featuring both a bourbon and a rye offering. Bottled in bond and non-chill filtered the bourbon is comprised of 60% heirloom corn, 26% balboa rye, and 14% two-row malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Maple candy and egg whites open the curtains on this whiskey before the nose turns brandy-esque, not eaux-de-vie per se, but it has some of the oaky barrel notes as well as the raisin-like top notes of good brandy along with a bit of date syrup.
Palate: We begin with a lean mouthfeel, with a flavor wheel marked by youthful oak and nutmeg as well as some date syrup and salinity. This whiskey is not particularly robust or well-defined in any one way, but the flavors are balanced despite their simplicity.
Finish: The finish is dry and marked by nutmeg, flour, black pepper, and some elusive butterscotch that weaves in and out of detection. Its length is impressive but it falls out of balance as allspice begins to take over and the ethanol punch curbs the emergence of any sweeter notes.
Bottom Line:
Ol’ New Riff has an elegant packaging and a grin-inducing moniker, but the rye from this lineup outpaces the bourbon. While it presents some interesting flavors that come together with impressive balance, a bit more time aging would make this “Ol” expression both more befitting of its name, and better.
9. 2XO Kiawah Blend
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
The Kiawah Blend by 2XO is the latest in the series by Master Blender Dixon Dedman. After debuting this release during a live interview back in January, the 4th installment of the brand’s Icon Series was finally released in April 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried thyme, Mustard powder, hazelnut, and cayenne pepper spill out of the spice rack and directly into the glass with this whiskey. There’s also some milk chocolate and beef jerky to be found accenting the air. To be sure, this has such an interesting and savory nose that is bolstered by an undercurrent of black cherry.
Palate: Nutmeg, chocolate, and cherry find the palate at first in a darkly intoxicating combination that clears the way for savory BBQ sauce, mustard powder, and Brazil nuts. The texture of the liquid is unremarkable, but here that’s perfectly fine, as it helps to focus your palate on the transition between the sweet and savory flavors.
Finish: Black pepper and dried thyme find the finish which goes a tad too far with the baking spice but does a great job of gripping your palate and delivering long-lasting flavor which makes you want more sips, to return to the interplay of sweet and savory that marked the beginning of this pour.
Bottom Line:
2XO’s Kiawah Blend is a bold departure from the rest of the Icon Series, as each iteration is designed to be a different beast. For this expression, Master Blender Dixon Dedman hits a homerun and delivers a cornucopia of flavors that will delight fans of sweet, spicy, and savory whiskeys all in one bottle — that’s no small feat.
8. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
Angel’s Envy dropped one helluva bomb on the whiskey world when they announced that they would be releasing their first ever unfinished bourbon. Adding to the intrigue, this Bottled in Bond release clocks in at cask strength meaning it was bottled without dilution at precisely 100 proof. To achieve the feat, the brand’s Master Blender Owen Martin mingled barrels proofed between 98-99 with two overproof barrels to hit the perfect sweet spot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red vines, leather, and a slightly vegetal sweet mint note greet the nose at first along with a touch of potting soil. It’s an atypical medley that actually comes together really well in the glass and entices you to take a sip IMMEDIATELY. I’ve never smelled “urgency” in a whiskey before, but this one is too enticing not to oblige almost immediately.
Palate: Bright red cherries and vanilla pod flavors are well-folded in a refreshingly effervescent mouthfeel. There are milk chocolate chips, and over time the vanilla pod develops into vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs while a bit of honey graham cracker and oak fan out over the palate. Each sip is a perfectly proofed treat.
Finish: The finish is primarily marked by vanilla and bright cherry notes. Though there was a lovely cocktail cherry flavor at midpalate, here it becomes medicinal which slightly curtails its beauty. The finish itself is lengthy and a tad more drying than I’d like but it’s difficult to dock overall points in that regard when the initial impressions are so strong.
Bottom Line:
Let me say it, low-ABV, cask-strength bourbons deserve their time in the sun, and this Bottled in Bond beauty by Angel’s Envy is proof of that. Ignore the novelty and appreciate this whiskey on its own merits and you’ll find that it delivers a high-quality sipping experience that is only slightly marred by the medicinal finish, but bolstered in a big way by the overall depth of its flavors.
7. Bhakta Armagnac Cask Finish 2014 Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 52.7%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
Bhakta is an intriguing brand built by former WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta. Raj brings his eccentricity to the fore by utilizing his vast reserves of Armagnac and brandies, deploying them in interesting ways with well-aged whiskey. For this particular release, 10-year-old bourbon distilled in Indiana is finished in Armagnac casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The rich Armagnac notes sing on the nose with a slightly dusty quality melding well with cooked dates, a touch of cinnamon spice, and rich clove tones. Darkly sweet and entrancing, this is a nose that certainly draws you in for a first sip.
Palate: On the palate, the Armagnac is again prominent and aided by dark chocolate, freshly cracked black pepper, and potting soil, which surprisingly isn’t an off note, but a welcome addition to the nuance of every sip. The mouthfeel is spry without being syrupy or scant making this come across as perfectly proofed with some strong oak notes.
Finish: The finish is full of dates and black pepper as the rich Armagnac notes overshadow the base bourbon — making this come across as more Armagnac-forward than bourbon-forward, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Its flavor notes reinforce those found at midpalate and its medium length allows plenty of leeway for those flavors to flourish without fear of being curtailed or thrown out of balance.
Bottom Line:
While I would be hesitant to call this a good “introduction to Armagnac” for bourbon drinkers, owing to the fact it leans so heavily on those notes for flavor, it is quite excellent as its own thing. Instead, I would highly recommend this as a pour for people who are already acclimated to the unique, sweet flavors of Armagnac, as those notes take the fore here and relegate the bourbon notes to the backseat, where they add little to the journey but enhance it all the same.
6. Green River Full Proof Bourbon
ABV: 58.65%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Green River’s new Full Proof expression is notably a blend of barrels aged between 5 and 7 years. Made from 70% local corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, the finished result is then bottled at barrel strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Raisins and allspice jump out of the glass to greet the nose along with a bit of sherried mushroom and coconut flake. Such an atypical but alluring mix is worth sitting with at length as it continues to evolve in the glass.
Palate: Raisins, green grapes, cinnamon bark, and clove come through big time on the palate which is delightfully refined and almost compressed. While the quotidian mouthfeel of this whiskey might be a slight knock, the layers of flavor are all distinct and well-developed, making sitting with your pour and picking them apart fun.
Finish: The end of each sip sees the addition of some fig newton and cracked black pepper as it sizzles away leaving a strong impression on the palate through the lengthy finish. This is a rock-solid finish that caps off the well-made bourbon and checks pretty much every box.
Bottom Line:
While certain brands, Green River included, are marked by the textural “cleanness” of their distillate, all it takes is an abundance of flavor to overcome that quirk. For this Full Proof offering, Green River clears that bar by a country mile. By bringing together well-developed flavor notes, aided by the whiskey’s high ABV, it all comes together with remarkable harmony.
5. Old Fitzgerald 10-Year Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $320
The Whiskey:
Old Fitzgerald’s decanter series, also known as their Bottled in Bond series, might consistently be the most impressively ornate bottle to hit liquor store shelves but the quality of the liquid has been known to wax and wane. This 10-year-old release marks the second occasion when Old Fitzgerald’s wheated bourbon has been released at the decade mark.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s an incredibly rich, and — follow me here — tightly wound bouquet of butterscotch, nougat, and chocolate truffle dust. Vanilla and rich oak also effuse out of the glass. The faintest bits of nutmeg, ginger, and star anise are hiding in the background, providing depth to this really well-refined nosing experience.
Palate: On the palate, there’s butterscotch to be found but it’s tampered down by oak tones and milk chocolate which is a bit confounding at first. Repeat sips are rewarding as the impressively slick texture becomes more evident, aided by a gently tannic transition to the finish. It should be said that while the flavors become richer over repeat sips, they would be better served by more balance across the board.
Finish: That gently tannic finish really serves the complement of flavors well and causes butterscotch and oak to lightly grip the back of the throat with a bit of black pepper and more chocolate joining the party.
Bottom Line:
This is a pour that didn’t come out of the gate strong but damn does it become progressively more impressive as you sit with it. The various sweet notes cycle up and down in prominence and there’s a slightly earthy and oily undercurrent of Brazil nuts that helps to tie it all together while the butterscotch, oak, and milk chocolate notes do their thing. If this were the baseline for every Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond release, the whiskey world would be a better place.
4. Weller Millennium
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $7,500
The Whiskey:
Weller Millennium is the brand-new ultra-premium expression from Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Weller lineup of wheated bourbon. For this release, the brand blends vintage straight bourbon and wheat whiskey distilled at the turn of the millennium — thus the name — marking the first time wheat whiskey has been included in a blend of Weller bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is resplendent with the aroma of rich cocktail cherries, that come with a slightly brandied aroma. From that auspicious start, there’s also oak, cinnamon, polished leather, and vanilla ice cream accenting the air of this rich, sweet whiskey.
Palate: Butterscotch, vanilla ice cream, and oak come tumbling over the tongue at first, but the cherry notes from the nose come in at midpalate with a lovely drizzling of honey in their wake. Each sip is surprisingly mouthcoating considering the proof, bordering on syrupy, and though it isn’t particularly complex it plays the hits at a high volume.
Finish: The finish introduces some cardamom and white pepper and while it’s not particularly lengthy it does hang around for quite a while with honey and cherry making the final impression as it implores more sips.
Bottom Line:
Incredibly staid throughout, with the nosing notes finding their way on the palate, and continuing through the impressive finish, this is a whiskey that never veers off script. While its price tag should rightfully give pause to any bourbon aficionado, the experience that Weller Millennium delivers is both uncomplicated and remarkably reliable from beginning to end.
3. Barrell Bourbon Cask Strength Batch 036
ABV: 57.22%
Average Price: $85
The Whiskey:
Barrell Bourbon has been on an absolute hot streak with their cask strength series and with this fresh label redesign gracing their latest release they’re looking to couple something new with more of the same. This cask-strength blend of straight bourbon features 9-year bourbon from Kentucky, 7.5, 8, and 10-year bourbon from Indiana, and 8 and 15-year bourbon from Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red apple, salted caramel, and intriguingly, radicchio come through on the nose. After a few waves of the hand, there’s also some juicy plum with a touch of leather and clove. This is strikingly well balanced with some orange rind citrus coming through as well.
Palate: The juicy orange flavor comes through on the palate along with some tasty chocolate truffle dust with a steely midpalate like touching your tongue on silver glassware. A bit of bright cherry also bursts at midpalate with some sweet doughiness reminiscent of a kouign-amann pastry that really pops as well.
Finish: The finish is flush with orange citrus notes that come across as sweet rather than slightly tart. It’s a lengthy send-off that also holds a lot of caramel with a touch of thyme. This is a finish worth savoring, even as it encourages you to return to the well for more sips. Trust me, you should take your time with it.
Bottom Line:
What makes Barrell Bourbon’s cask strength releases so consistently excellent is that despite their shifting flavor profile, they all contain an overwhelming abundance of complexity that makes them a delight to sit with at length. For Batch 036 Barrell’s blending crew sticks to that gameplay, delivering a rich, nuanced, bourbon that can compete with even the best in their critically acclaimed series.
2. The Bardstown Collection Jim Beam 20-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
The Bardstown Collection is an annual series, now in its third year of production, which unites distilleries in the Bardstown area of Kentucky to put a spotlight on the Bourbon Capital of the World. Jim Beam’s entry into the collection for 2024 is a unique treat in that it is the oldest straight bourbon that the distillery has ever released in its storied histroy.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon features a ton of cherry aromas along with Peanut Chews, nutmeg, and well-worn leather. It’s immediately evident that you’re nosing a hyper-aged bourbon, but that shouldn’t be seen as off-putting. Rather, it primes your palate for the bounty of flavor to be discovered.
Palate: On the palate the aroma note of peanuts has morphed into more of a fresh hazelnut, though the ripe Rainier cherries remain, and they’re buoyed by a bit of salted caramel. The mouthfeel is actually a bit sparse, but the whiskey itself feels dense because those flavor notes have so much depth and are all quite distinct. The refined chunks of cherry, hazelnut meat, and gooey salted caramel never once bleed into one another.
Finish: The finish is where the hyper-aging makes itself known courtesy of leather and gentle tannic tones that are enough of a departure from the core flavors that draw attention to this bourbon’s remarkable balance. The finish is medium-to-long, offering plenty of space to enjoy those distinct flavors and appreciate its slow dissipation from the palate.
Bottom Line:
Jim Beam dropping its oldest straight bourbon ever is enough to seize the attention of any bourbon aficionado, but tasted blind it’s the flavors that do that work all on their own. Jim Beam’s Bardstown Collection expression is simultaneously rich and balanced while also maintaining a level of complexity that can only come with extended time spent maturing under a watchful eye. This is one whiskey that bucks the expectation that bourbon can’t be great past a certain age, and it does so by delivering everything you would expect from hyper-aging, without any of the drawbacks.
1. Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $450
The Whiskey:
Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the brand-new limited release from Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve lineup. With 13 years marking the previous pinnacle of age statements in the series, this new 15-year expression adds two years of maturity and nearly 3 proof points while remaining non-chill filtered.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark oak tones and rich leather seize the room along with medicinal cherry notes and milk chocolate. Woah, this is unmistakably well-aged bourbon whiskey. Burrow a little deeper into the glass and your nose will bump into clove and cinnamon as the aroma of vanilla pod begins to blossom before a milk chocolate influence crests yet again. There’s also a faintly floral note reminiscent of roses to be found if you search hard enough.
Palate: Black cherry covered in chocolate truffle dust hits the palate at first, this is distinctly different than, say, cherry cordials as there’s a ripeness to the fruit and an almost chalky textural component to the chocolate that sets it apart. On the second sip, one finds nougat, caramel, vanilla, and rich oak. While the nose gave the impression that this would be significantly over-oaked, the palate greatly alleviates those concerns as each of the calling cards of hyper-aging has its say without speaking over one another. A third sip invites a bit of herbal tea and allows you to appreciate the fluid mouthfeel of this whiskey.
Finish: The finish displays more black cherry and now clove can be found in spades. The chocolate truffle dusting is more mute than it began on the palate, but it’s still present and the ABV works perfectly here, serving to sizzle and lead to lip-smacking without ever overpowering or distracting you from the flavor every sip contains. It’s lengthy, balanced, and delicious.
Bottom Line:
As an avid fan of Russell’s Reserve 13, I was cautiously optimistic that this 15-year expression could improve upon what was already a sublime sipping experience. Let’s cut to the chase, it does just that. While Russell’s 13 is distinctly different, offering more finesse and gently sweet notes, Russell’s 15 turns the boldness up a notch and delivers the sort of brash black cherry note that define coveted expressions like George T. Stagg and King of Kentucky. Wild Turkey has never released an expression like Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old, one that leans so heavily on its maturity, but it’s an effort that resulted in a bourbon of the year contender.
This article originally appeared on 06.30.16
