The 50 Bourbons You Need To Try Before You Die, Ranked

The history of bourbon in America stretches back well over 100 years, and in all that time, some of the best whiskey the world has ever tasted was born. From the time after Prohibition to roughly the 1970s, bourbon as a category enjoyed a steady ascent in popularity before losing ground and falling out of favor compared to clear spirits from the 70s to the 90s. Since the 90s, however, we’ve seen a complete resurgence, with bourbon becoming one of the country’s most popular spirits once again.

Now, with bourbon more popular than ever, there are also more options than ever. Not only are budding bourbon aficionados carefully combing liquor store shelves for great finds, but the genuinely advanced bourbon hunters are mining the past and buying up vintage bottles, robbing Father Time and whetting their curiosity for the best bourbons ever to be made.

Unlike any other, bourbon is America’s Native Spirit, and as a spirit, that pretty much means you have to try the best of it before you die, right? Well, in this life, we’ve only got so much time, so we won’t waste another breath — this is our list of the 50 best bourbons you need to try before you die!

50. Maker’s Mark Bourbon

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

Maker’s Mark features the bourbon world’s most iconic bottle design, the same one they’ve been utilizing since their founding in 1953, and a mash bill that’s been used for just as long. This wheated bourbon is one of the best-selling whiskeys in the entire world, making it a ubiquitous sight on liquor store shelves.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, you’ll find a bit of corn pudding, vanilla extract, and indistinct red berry aromas wafting out of the glass. There’s also a bit of graham cracker sweetness and white pepper.

Palate: On the palate, Maker’s Mark greets the tongue with a bunch of honeyed graham cracker notes that soon make way for vanilla pod and cornbread. A second sip morphs the vanilla pod into a custard note, complete with caramelized sugar and some red berry compote.

Finish: The finish of Maker’s Mark features some mellow spice and more red berry compote, as those natural sugars fuse with vanilla notes to quickly dissipate from the palate.

Bottom Line:

Despite its modest proof point, Maker’s Mark has a ton of flavor, meaning you won’t blow out your palate or scare off bourbon novices if you decide to sip this one neat. It’s ubiquitous on liquor store shelves and should be a staple on your bar cart, primarily if you aim to offer guests a smooth bourbon they can enjoy at their leisure.

49. Old Forester 1920 Bourbon

ABV: 57.5%
Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

As one of only six distilleries allowed to continue production through Prohibition, it only made sense for Brown-Forman to pay homage to that legacy with this Whiskey Row expression. During Prohibition, whiskey had to be bottled at 100 proof, but due to maturation conditions, the 100-proof distillate Old Forester was filling barrels with would often increase ABV to 115 proof. This explains why the brand bottles Old Forester 1920 at 115 proof with the fanciful moniker “Prohibition Style.”

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on 1920 features a flourish of cherry cola, swirling cinnamon bark, and fairly faint dark chocolate. Given some time to rest, the aroma of barrel char and vanilla extract can be expected as the cherry cola note turns slightly medicinal after a few swirls in the glass.

Palate: The medicinal cherry note from the nose transitions to the palate, along with a bit of cola nut, barrel char, and dense oak. The liquid itself has a prickly mouthfeel, which causes some of the flavor to come across as disjointed, interrupted by spikes of ethanol, making it a tad rough around the edges.

Finish: 1920 has a solid medium-length finish, which gently curbs the medicinal cherry tone with more oak, some toasted almonds, and gooey caramel sauce.

Bottom Line:

Many bourbon fans hail Old Forester’s bourbon as one of the standouts in their lineup. However, a combination of a medicinal cherry note and general rough edges can sometimes make it a polarizing pour for the uninitiated. That said, this is a classic, high-proof offering from one of bourbon’s most iconic brands, and that means you simply have to try it at least once.

48. Wilderness Trail Wheated Bourbon

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.

Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.

Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.

Bottom Line:

Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll want to explore this expression before moving on to their core range of rye or bolder single-barrel offerings to experience the most technically advanced bourbon distillery in the world.

47. Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon

ABV: 59%
Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

Still Austin is one of the fastest-rising stars in America’s craft bourbon scene, and that’s largely due to the influence of their Master Blender, Nancy Fraley. Fraley, who is also responsible for notable expressions from Wyoming Whiskey, J. Henry & Sons, and Jos. A. Magnus, to name a few, is well known to favor techniques like slow-water-reduction that are more commonly found in the world of Brandy.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A caramel, pie crust, and brown sugar fusion leaps out of the glass to greet the nose at first. A bit of nougat and some oak round things out, giving this bourbon a distinctly candy-bar type of vibe.

Palate: Grilled pineapples, salted caramel sable, overripe bananas, and oak hit the palate at first for a savory-sweet melange that makes you smack your lips. The mouthfeel is fairly impressive as well, with a robustness across the palate that helps send all of those well-developed flavors to the furthest corners of your mouth before the finish unfurls.

Finish: The finish is a tad shorter than you’d hope, given the viscousness of the texture and solid display of flavors, but with a bit of cucumber and oak capping things off in concert with some caramel, it’s an intriguing close out to an otherwise flawless pour.

Bottom Line:

What makes Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon so worthy of your attention, aside from its formidable array of flavors, is that the brand employs those aforementioned Brandy-style techniques to bourbon production in one of the climates most infamous for producing “hot” bourbon. By delivering a lighter take on Texas bourbon, Still Austin is proving both the viability and the variability of the style.

46. High Wire Distilling Jimmy Red Corn Bourbon

ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

Jimmy Red Bourbon is made using a unique corn varietal, Jimmy Red, which the brand helped save from the brink of extinction. Ecological heroics aside, this isn’t your garden-variety bourbon – it utilizes locally grown grains, is likewise proofed with local water, and is made according to the exacting standards of the Bottled in Bond Act.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this whiskey begins pretty grain-forward, with the Jimmy Red corn taking the lead. It’s full of mineral-like, grainy, nutty, and sweet aromas, with spiced orange peel and cinnamon bark notes enhancing things in the background. There’s also a light, sugary note like cotton candy and further brioche and star anise aromas.

Palate: The palate is well-developed with an oily texture and all of the nosing notes translating to the palate, along with the prominent addition of brown sugar, vanilla pod, and buttered popcorn. Butterscotch and the flavor of Golden Delicious apples are also two welcome inclusions.

Finish: This bourbon has a medium-length finish that leaves you sucking your molars, savoring the flavor of honeyed brioche buns long after finishing every sip.

Bottom Line:

It does belie its youth at times, but it also quickly overcomes its youthful elements thanks to an impressively mature mouthfeel, lush flavors, and a satisfyingly lengthy finish. This will be an incredible whiskey to watch moving forward, and it gives the solid impression that it will fulfill its promise to improve sooner rather than later dramatically.

45. Garrison Bros. Laguna Madre Bourbon

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $350

The Whiskey:

Laguna Madre from Garrison Bros. is made from food grade #1 white corn from farms in South Texas, but what makes it so unique (and worth trying before you die) is the fact that after maturing for four years, the bourbon is finished for another four years in French Limousin Oak. Limousin oak is notable for the fact the trees that made up these barrels are only felled once they reach at least 120 years of age. Not only is this one of the oldest bourbons coming out of Texas, one of the world’s most unique climates for whiskey, but it’s also the oldest bourbon coming out of Texas’ oldest bourbon brand. How’s that for notable?

Tasting Notes:

Nose: White chocolate, allspice, and clove delight the senses at first pass before the aroma of cinnamon, tobacco leaf, vanilla frosting, and young oak come tumbling out of the glass.

Palate: Cinnamon, sugar cookies, and caramel initially run over the palate. There’s some candied ginger, sweet citrus, and black tea as well, aiding this bourbon’s generally sweet flavor profile. A bit of almond, burnt caramel, and black pepper is hiding in the mix as well, along with some specious dark chocolate notes that more closely resemble barrel char flavor upon consideration.

Finish: The finish is medium-length and full of cedar, nuttiness, and white chocolate. It increasingly dries the back of the palate, which implores a second sip so that you can return to the atypical sweetness found early in each pour.

Bottom Line:

Garrison Bros. Laguna Madre is a sneaky pick for the distillery’s best expression, and despite only being available in Hye, Texas, this bottle is worth the trip. You get to experience the unique flavors of Texas’ dry heat and the special qualities imparted by oak casks that began their life in the late 1800s.

44. 15 Stars Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Sherry Casks

ABV: 57.5%
Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

For this award-winning expression, 15 Stars showcases a blend of 18, 13, and 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys from Kentucky and Indiana. That bourbon is then finished in sherry casks for an undisclosed period of time.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich black cherry tones fuse with figs and brown sugar to create a rich layer of aromas that sit over some slight smokiness and an interesting note of brioche bun. The aroma notes come across as truly decadent, with an alluring depth of flavor that also contains some oily nuttiness and a savoriness along the lines of duck fat.

Palate: In the mouth, the flavor of gooey waves of caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream with Luxardo cherries and a slight bit of peanut brittle will light up your eyes and lead to you eagerly welcoming a second sip. Each layer is dense and well-developed, and once you’ve got that second sip on your palate, the umami and nutty tones accent the red-berry sweetness and push all of the top notes deeper into your taste buds.

Finish: The finish is only medium-length, and the proof is nearly absent throughout, but the mouthfeel is oily, and the persistent flavor of cherries, caramel, and vanilla hangs on through the end of each sip with salted almonds and nutmeg keeping the balance.

Bottom Line:

15 Stars isn’t really a well-established brand, but for those in the know, this is the expression that put them on the map. If you weren’t previously familiar with this brand, be advised that they have some rock-solid whiskeys all along their core lineup. However, this Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon is far and away the star of the show, and its appearance on this list is all the proof you need.

43. Ben Holladay Rickhouse Proof Soft Red Winter Wheat

ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill. For their Rickhouse Proof expression, they’ve chosen to showcase the latter at full octane, without dilution.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Smoked caramel, dark chocolate, and stewed red apples give this one a really autumnal vibe, with clove and some great barrel char and oak tones tying it all together.

Palate: Smoked caramel makes it to the palate along with a lot of vanilla and nougat, while dark chocolate plays a supporting role from the wings. The dense oak and barrel char notes are really the skeleton that holds this all together, though, and enables the sweeter notes to stand tall with a few shakes of clove thrown in for good measure.

Finish: The finish gives a sweet impression of cooked apples and caramel, which helps to curtail the heat and heighten one’s enjoyment. One other thing that helps is it sticks around for a long time, affording you the opportunity to savor it until the last drop.

Bottom Line:

Ben Holladay’s Bourbon is enjoying a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best young craft distilleries on the market today, and that reputation is well-earned. If you aren’t already adding bottles of Ben Holladay Bourbon to your liquor cabinet, that’s a mistake you should look into correcting quickly.

42. Bardstown Bourbon Company CollaborativeSeries: Silver Oak

ABV: 54%
Average Price: $160

The Whiskey:

Silver Oak has been creating elegant wines in California’s Napa Valley for over fifty years, making them the perfect collaborative partner for Bardstown Bourbon Company, founded in 2014, which envisions itself as the bourbon world’s answer to the posh wine region. For this creative marriage, the brands worked together to blend bourbon between the ages of nine and fourteen from various sources before maturing them in Silver Oak wine barrels for 17 months.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The warm aroma of freshly baked fruitcake, vanilla frosting, burnt sugar, nutmeg, and salted caramel fills the air above the glass once you pour this multi-layered bourbon. The aroma notes are rich, bordering on decadent, and they’re each distinct enough to appreciate on their own without becoming muddled and obfuscating any of the others.

Palate: The flavor of Brazil nuts, vanilla frosting, rich stewed plum, and brandied cherries greet the palate for an almost syrupy first impression. This whiskey is so meaty and has a richness that extends beneath the surface without listlessly sitting there. Cola nut and chocolate truffle flavors take root at midpalate, and the cherries come back in force as the bourbon transitions to the finish.

Finish: Clove, oak, and jammy red berries sit on the back end of each sip, where the Silver Oak cabernet wine continues its influence but deftly blends with the base bourbon for a medium-length conclusion.

Bottom Line:

This is a full-throated pour with remarkable balance and mind-bending richness that achieves its ends subtly yet effectively, which is indicative of Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s growing adroitness in the field of finishing. In short, this is an artful execution of secondary maturation in American whiskey — something BBC has a burgeoning reputation for achieving in atypical ways. Collaborations like this highlight the bourbon industry’s growth, making it a historically significant entry into our list.

41. Jos. A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch 208

ABV: 57.76%
Average Price: $190

The Whiskey:

Jos. A Magnus Cigar Blend is the heralded premium expression under industry icon Nancy Fraley’s purview. Eschewing the trend of releasing premium bourbon annually, Cigar Blend is released sporadically in limited batches. Batch 208, nicknamed “Maduro,” was released as part of a series of batches 207-212 earlier this year, which featured a blend of 9-year-old MGP 36% and 21% rye-recipe bourbon, 16-year-old Barton rye-recipe bourbon, and 20-year-old MGP 36% rye bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The proof is evident on the nose with cherry cola, tobacco leaf, and rich oak tones bursting out of the glass. After a few waves, there are additional notes of organic honey and trail mix, with dried cranberries, mixed nuts, and dark chocolate chunks coming through.

Palate: Brown sugar greets the initial sip as slightly savory tones with nutmeg and barrel char, plus some mocha and dark chocolate. The whiskey has a well-rounded texture, but despite that, it’s worth noting that the proof is a tad distracting on the first pass. Subsequent sips see the alcohol burn dialed down, and once acclimated, those flavors really present themselves well on the palate.

Finish: The finish has a bright cherry, allspice, vanilla flavor that pairs well with a surprising pop of fernet. It lasts for a long time, and even though it’s a bit hot, it’s really quite a pleasant send-off.

Bottom Line:

Jos. A. Magnus Cigar Blend is one of the expressions that helped reinvigorate America’s interest in unique cask-finished whiskeys. It presents the alluring challenge of pairing this bourbon with a fine cigar like you would a well-aged brandy. For the aptly named Maduro batch, I’d highly advise you to accept the challenge and gain an understanding of the bourbon that set off America’s “cigar blend” craze.

40. Old Grand Dad 114

ABV: 57%
Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

Old Grand-Dad 114 is frequently cited as one of the best budget bourbons on the market, and for 2024, that still hasn’t changed. The high-rye recipe from Jim Beam also goes into its lower proof versions, Old Grand-Dad standard, and Old Grand-Dad Bonded.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, OGD 114 opens with a bouquet of lemon zest, maple candy, and peanuts. Those notes are propped up by a supporting cast of oak, light honey, and butterscotch.

Palate: Once you take a sip of Old Grand-Dad 114, you’ll immediately pick up on its medium-bodied texture, which is slightly heavy and dense. The flavor of fresh hazelnuts, honey, and caramel comes across first on the tongue before it turns somewhat mellow at midpalate with butterscotch Krimpets, faint tobacco leaf, and a bit of orange pith.

Finish: For its medium-length finish, OGD 114 delivers a bit of vanilla and black pepper to go with more fresh hazelnuts and oak. This is a perfectly satisfying conclusion that ties all of those well-balanced flavors together.

Bottom Line:

Old Grand-Dad 114 is an OG value bourbon, and enthusiasts should be pleased that Jim Beam has taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach over the years. For right around $30, it’s hard to find a more flavorful and well-rounded option.

39. Widow Jane Black Opal 20-Year Bourbon

ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $500

The Whiskey:

Widow Jane’s brand-new Black Opal expression is the new pinnacle of the Red Hook, New York distillery’s range. By painstakingly marrying bourbons that were aged for at least 20 years (it’s likely that some of those barrels came from parent company Heaven Hill), Head Blender Sienna Jevremov came up with the final blend, which was then subjected to further maturation in expensive Mizunara oak casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The aroma of Tahitian Vanilla, Frankincense smoke, dried apricot, and rose hip stand out from the brand’s nosing notes, but I’d add toasted coconut, the burnt sugar of crème brulée, and dense oak tones to that medley.

Palate: Again, the brand notes are spot on with walnut, black strap molasses, crème brulée, and poached plum flavors combined with fainter flavors like sage and brown butter. There’s a creamy nuttiness along with sweet oak providing a base layer for those more far-flung flavors to blossom, and the texture is smooth and viscous, coating the palate and clinging to the back of the teeth.

Finish: The honey introduces some honey and chocolate ganache as well as some cooked apple notes for a medium-length send-off that will leave you marveling at the proof point as the flavors maintain great structure down to the last drop along with ample richness that you’ll want to savor long after every sip.

Bottom Line:

With only 5,000 bottles available globally, this rare expression will disappear quickly. What makes it worth finding before it’s all gone (or you’re a goner, whichever comes first) is the fact that it features exceptionally aged bourbon blended by one of the industry’s most underrated teams utilizing well-vetted stock. Unlike some hyper-aged expressions, which are slapped together with whatever barrels a brand can scrounge up, Widow Jane has been fielding some of the best-sourced bourbons since its inception. With their highest age-stated release ever, they’ve also made their biggest splash, producing their best whiskey to date.

38. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond Bourbon

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is often named as one of if not the best bourbon under $20. Aged for at least four years, per the Bottled in Bond regulations, this 100-proof bourbon is almost as readily found around the country as Heaven Hill’s best-selling whiskey, Evan Williams Bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes open with honey, lemon zest, and a distinct peanut note on this bourbon. From there, the periphery aromas are faint — a touch of brown butter, apricots, and cumin, but otherwise nondescript.

Palate: In the mouth, those initial three notes make the most substantial impression, along with a piquant texture that slightly prickles the tongue and adds a bit of pop to the citrus flavors in the liquid.

Finish: On the finish, you’ll find some black pepper spice and youthful oak that curtail the peanut and lemon zest flavors. The finish is short-to-medium, giving just enough room to make a satisfying impression on the palate before encouraging repeat sips.

Bottom Line:

Evan Williams’ Bottled in Bond Expression is a masterclass in delivering a high-quality, no-frills bourbon. At 100-proof, it can stand tall in cocktails, bringing an abundance of flavor to classics like an Old-Fashioned, but it has just enough depth to perform well on its own—making for a delicious, cost-friendly, everyday sipper and one you 100% need in your life.

37. Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon

ABV: Varies by the bottle
Average Price: $120

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Single Barrel, offered at Barrel Proof, is one of the single-barrel bourbon world’s best offerings. Not only does Four Roses make all ten of its recipes available in the single-barrel program, but by offering them at an undiluted strength, it showcases their distillate in its purest form every time. This particular single barrel is a nine-year and ten-month version from the OESV recipe.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Juicy orange rinds, bright red cherries, and sweet brown sugar aromas come flying out of the glass with this delicious bourbon freshly poured. There’s also a touch of sage, vanilla frosting, and tobacco leaf to be found.

Palate: Brown sugar and red currants are the most immediately available flavors to download once you take a first sip of this single-barrel bourbon. The dense oak introduces some clove and mellow black pepper baking spice notes, as well as grips the palate and pushes towards the finish.

Finish: The finish is mellow and lingering, with figs and cherries fusing with juicy orange notes and barrel char before pulsing off of your palate.

Bottom Line:

No matter the recipe, Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon is an exemplar of the single-barrel format, though we do have our favorites. As one of the most historic brands in all of bourbon, it’s simply a must that you try Four Roses Bourbon as undisturbed as possible at full cask strength.

36. Michter’s 10-Year Bourbon

ABV: 47.2%
Average Price: $350

The Whiskey:

Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the more highly anticipated annual releases, and that’s because of its reliably high-quality flavor profile and alluring age statement. Sure, there are other 10-year single-barrel bourbons out there, but this one consistently takes the cake thanks, in part, to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and the fact that they regularly include much older bourbon in these blends.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Deep, delicious leather notes fuse with fresh black cherries on the nose of this rich bourbon on the nose. This is a classic, well-aged bourbon profile, and one that I could sit with and nose all night long. There’s also sage, vanilla extract, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate hiding underneath the surface.

Palate: On the palate, there’s a surprising pop of cedar and cinnamon at first before the black cherries and leather seize the reigns. From there, it transitions into dense oak and dark chocolate toward the midpalate, with vanilla ice cream fanning out from the center of the tongue and climbing the roof of the mouth. The mouthfeel here is medium-bodied, which is surprising given the proof, but welcome considering the depth of the flavors here.

Finish: The finish has a medium length, with caramel, almonds, milk chocolate, and black cherries standing out most prominently.

Bottom Line:

With its low proof, Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon perfectly encapsulates the dog in the fight/fight in the dog paradox. This whiskey doesn’t need a heavy dose of ethanol to tightly layer a ton of flavor and stand toe-to-toe with the best bourbon on the planet. As part of the dual offerings that launched the modern-day Michter’s brand (along with the 10-year single barrel rye), this is a bourbon that you absolutely need to try to understand the contemporary bourbon market.

35. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55 (375ml)

The Whiskey:

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a distillery exclusive that showcases unfinished Angel’s Envy whiskey for the first time ever. Even more remarkable is the fact that through careful aging and blending, this bourbon meets all of the Bottled In Bond requirements without requiring water for proof, making it a barrel-proof Bottled In Bond bourbon, one of if not the first on the market.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cherries, leather, and molasses rise out of the glass at first in a tightly fused ball that bounces from nostril to nostril with brown sugar and wheat bread joining as well. There’s also a distinct oak undertone to go with some milk chocolate, cardboard, and stewed rhubarb, making for an extremely expressive and impressive nose.

Palate: Brown sugar, allspice, raspberry jam, and leather are the most immediately recognizable flavors on the palate, but what’s most impressive is that even as you’re teasing those notes apart, you get a glimpse of a much larger whole. This is an extremely multi-layered pour, packed with flavors you’ll need extended consideration to get halfway through appreciating.

Finish: The finish sees hazelnuts, raspberry jam, and allspice taking turns at the wheel as it gently pulses over your tongue, hanging on for dear life before leaving your palate after a lengthy period.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon is vital to try because it checks several atypical boxes you can’t get elsewhere. The first Angel’s Envy expression that isn’t finished? Check. The first cask-strength bottled-in-bond bourbon? Check again. But Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon isn’t simply an awesome oddity; it’s straight-up awesome.

34. Woodford Reserve Bourbon

ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Woodford Reserve Bourbon is frequently cited as one of the best bourbons for beginners for two main reasons: it’s bottled at a relatively low proof and has an assortment of rich, balanced, and crowd-pleasing flavors. Woodford Reserve is owned by Brown-Forman, which also includes Jack Daniel’s and Old Forester in its portfolio.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Plums, rich oak, and sticky toffee notes are immediately evident on the nose of this whiskey, and they’re joined by the aroma of vanilla pods, clove, and cinnamon bark.

Palate: The palate of this whiskey introduces the toffee note from the nose right off the bat, and that’s joined by a surprising yet welcome splash of citrus to go with the additional flavors of vanilla, mellow oak, and gentle black pepper spice. The mouthfeel is lean, but rather than contrasting with the richness of the flavors, it helps to make them more pronounced while maintaining the whiskey’s general agreeable smoothness.

Finish: The finish is brief but marked by more vanilla and sweet oak, with a final kiss of sticky toffee and candied walnuts.

Bottom Line:

Woodford Reserve deserves all the praise it receives for being a fantastic beginner bourbon. Sure, its proof point might make bourbon snobs turn up their noses. However, there’s absolutely no denying that this whiskey still manages to pack a ton of flavor, free from any harsh elements, making it one of the best easy-sipping whiskeys of any category on the market. Plus, it’s the official bourbon of the biggest bourbon-related sporting event in the world, making it an absolute must try, at least once.

33. Kings County Barrel Strength Bourbon

ABV: 66.3%
Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Kings County is New York City’s oldest distillery, and its experience is fully reflected in its Barrel-Strength Bourbon. For its premier undiluted offering, the brand uses some of its oldest barrels, which are aged between 4 and 7 years.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Green grape skin and brown sugar are striking at first, but wait…there’s more. Enter the custard with lemon zest, black pepper, nutmeg, Brazil nuts, and honey to add to the depth.

Palate: The flavor of corn pudding, honey, and golden raisins splash across the palate, adding surprising levity to the dense and dark liquid in the glass. It coats your palate at once and beckons the back of your tastebuds to explore more as each sip slowly dissipates.

Finish: The finish is incredibly long-lasting, and it’s there that you’ll find more baking spices and barrel char to corral those sweeter top notes.

Bottom Line:

It’s well-known by now that Kings County produces bourbon that can punch above its weight on the national scene. If more people were to try the best of their bourbon — and these barrel-strength releases are definitely among the best of their bourbon — next to some of Kentucky’s heavyweights, it would prove once and for all that excellent bourbon can and is being made everywhere in the country.

32. Michter’s Toasted Bourbon

ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

Michter’s has been releasing a fun, new toasted whiskey annually for ten years now, and in 2024, they decided to return to where it all started. To create this release, Michter’s takes their award-winning bourbon recipe and subjects it to secondary maturation in an 18-month air-dried wood stave barrel that’s toasted but not charred.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Marshmallow, brown sugar, and cinnamon toast aromas come wafting out of the glass at first. There’s some chocolate ganache and Cafe au lait with the faintest hint of mint in the mix as well. Initially, the marshmallow takes a strong lead, but in time, the aromas balance out and present themselves with magnificent balance.

Palate: It’s slightly smoky initially, with cinnamon, smoked caramel, marshmallow tones, and toasted oak splashing across the palate. Then, a faintly savory undertone helps to push the whiskey’s honey sweetness to the fore. The texture is rich and almost syrupy, which is a true credit to Michter’s filtration process because I’m in awe that they can wring so much viciousness out at such a modest ABV.

Finish: The medium-length finish has a gentle kiss of ripe orange, and an elusive touch of bananas fosters flavor that cedes to the faint barrel char and toasted oak tones.

Bottom Line:

Michter’s kicked off the toasted bourbon party, and they’ve still got the crown. This year’s Michter’s Toasted Bourbon delivers exactly what you’re looking for in a toasted barrel whiskey, but it pushes your palate into unfamiliar territory courtesy of a delightful balance that sees cinnamon, maple candy, and caramelized banana notes join the expansive palette this whiskey has to paint with.

31. Booker’s Bourbon (Any Standard Batch)

ABV: Varies by batch
Average Price: $110

The Whiskey:

Booker’s first of four releases this year, 2024-01, is called the Springfield Batch, and it’s probably the lineup’s best release of the year, named for the town in central Kentucky where the bourbon’s namesake, Booker Noe, hails from. That said, Booker’s is the world’s first commercially available cask-strength bourbon, and it remains one of the best despite disappointingly rising prices.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Potting soil joins a floral aroma that fuses with nutmeg and spiced orange peel on the nose of this pour.

Palate: Once on the palate, Booker’s Springfield Batch is again floral and citrus-forward, with accenting notes of oak and nutmeg, keeping things interesting. The mouthfeel is robust, making this one of the “chewiest” bourbons around and rewarding repeat sips.

Finish: The finish is where Booker’s signature hazelnut note emerges and hangs on to stay. It’s a rich and lengthy finish that’s only curtailed by further floral aspects that throw things a tad bit out of balance.

Bottom Line:

Booker’s first batch of 2024 is a down-the-middle-of-the-road release from the brand that will serve, more than anything, to appease their core fans despite doing little to convert the uninitiated. It has plenty of classic Booker’s notes, making it one worth seeking out if you haven’t had the brand before, but really, almost any Booker’s will clue you into what made this such a game-changing expression. Barrel proof bourbon just hits different.

30. Remus Repeal Series VIII

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

For this year’s Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII, Ross & Squibb blends three different bourbons. 9% of the blend is a 2007 bourbon (17 years old) with a 21% rye mash bill, 24% is a 2014 bourbon (10 years old) with the same rye content, and 67% is a 2014 bourbon (10 years old) with a 36% rye content mash bill.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This bourbon unfurls with aroma notes of pine, crème brûlée, and caramel, with pecans, leather, and black pepper following closely behind. It’s a multi-layered nose that punches above its weight and draws you in deeply from the outset.

Palate: Maple candy and Fig Newtons greet the palate with the first sip and then introduce vanilla, oak, brown sugar, and milk chocolate at mid-palate. Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII has a bit of heat and a robust texture that coats the palate and will have you double-checking the proof point while it grabs hold of your tongue and makes a fantastic, forceful impression.

Finish: The finish is lingering with date syrup, black pepper, and leather, joining a fresh influx of vanilla extract on the back end.

Bottom Line:

Remus Repeal Reserve Series represents the pinnacle of Ross & Squibb’s prolific bourbon output, notable for the fact they provide sourced whiskey for seemingly more brands than anyone in America. While 2024’s edition of the lineup delivers some of the rich oak notes found in standout iterations from earlier years, it also brings some fun new flavor to the fore in the form of pine while balancing the leather and chocolate notes brought on by the 17-year-old whiskey in the blend. Simply put, you’ve got to try something from MGP/Ross & Squibb, and it should be whiskey they bottle themselves and proudly put their name on.

29. Premier Drams Bourbon

ABV: 49.9%
Average Price: $220

The Whiskey:

Premier Drams is a new brand that was launched early this summer by the same man behind Washington D.C.’s legendary whiskey bar, Jack Rose, Bill Thomas. 8 years ago, Thomas began procuring contract-distilled whiskey from an elusive producer in Bardstown, Kentucky, and aging it at the site of the historic Old Taylor Distillery, which today is the home of Castle & Key. Due to Castle & Key’s uniquely cool maturation facilities, many of the barrels that went into these Premier Drams single barrels saw a significant drop in ABV, with the majority hovering right around the 100-proof mark at cask strength. This single barrel was selected by Mason Walker and Emerson K. Shotwell from the Bourbon Lore team with input from Seth Weinberg and Frank Dobbins III (me).

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Strawberry saltwater taffy escapes the grasp of the glass to greet the nose at first before evolving into a cherry Luden’s note and partnering up with truffle honey, white pepper, and peanut brittle for a mellow and intriguing medley.

Palate: On the palate, it’s a delight to discover that the Luden’s cherry note has evolved into a full-blown Rainier cherry, carrying white pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and honey in tow. The flavors here are markedly rich, defying its moderate proof and delivering a depth and richness that will have you sucking your molars, frantically trying to prevent even a single drop from slipping through the cracks.

Finish: Vanilla pods, salted butter, fatty Brazil nuts, and white pepper prevail on the finish with a dollop of honey and Rainier cherries, adding a sweet closing kiss as it succinctly slides off your palate.

Bottom Line:

By delivering cask-strength bourbon at such a moderate proof point, Premier Drams is quietly revolutionizing the modern bourbon landscape. In the fashion of any groundbreaking innovator, I’m not entirely sure the public is ready for it yet, but that’s what makes discovering excellent single-barrel offerings like this so awesome. Not only is it flat-out delicious, but it also feels like you’re peeking around the corner and getting a taste of the future of bourbon. That’s well worth discovering before the bourbon masses catch on.

28. George T. Stagg

ABV: 67.5%
Average Price: $900

The Whiskey:

George T. Stagg, perhaps the most well-regarded member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, is named after the founder of the George T. Stagg Distillery, which is what Buffalo Trace was known as prior to their 1999 rebranding. This cask-strength bourbon comes from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1 and is typically released after north of 15 years of aging.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich oak, a strong black cherry presence, and gooey caramel come tumbling over the top of the glass to find the nose with this whiskey. Charred red pepper, the piquancy of Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and singed orange peel can also be detected.

Palate: In the mouth, George T. Stagg leads with brown sugar and dense oak, a deceptive trick that lulls you into a sense of security before the complexity of each sip is unleashed. Singed citrus notes and a bevy of baking spices from clove and nutmeg to sage and Aleppo red pepper flakes can be found out the periphery of the tongue as you sit and savor the bourbon. Chewing it unlocks some caramel and milk chocolate as the ethanol pushes each sip deep into the pores of your palate, insisting on its overall excellence.

Finish: The finish is perhaps the longest in the entire Buffalo Trace portfolio of bourbons, and it introduces black pepper, stewed red apple, and cinnamon to the rest of the party guests.

Bottom Line:

If you’re into bourbon, then the name George T. Stagg should most certainly ring a bell. Well, once you first sip this bourbon, that bell can’t be unrung. The complexity is off-the-charts impressive, and those flavor notes are so well-developed and rich that you’ll be sucking the back of your teeth, mining for every drop long after your final sip is gone from the glass. This is a strong contender for whiskey of the year every year.

27. Bulleit Blenders’ Select

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

Bulleit Blenders’ Select was created to highlight then-Master Blender Eboni Major’s prowess in mingling the brand’s prolific bourbon stock. What came from such a simple edict was this excellent expression that stands tall as an incredible showcase of blended bourbon and the best release Bulleit has ever put out.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Bulleit Blenders’ Select is bursting at the seams with red berries and butterscotch accompanied by a twist of lime, sweet oak, and apricot. An herbaceous mint tea note also develops in the background, and the initial impression one gets from the nose is that this is a full-bodied and balanced bourbon.

Palate: Ebullient red berries, date syrup, and a drizzle of gooey caramel burst onto the palate like fresh fruit atop a torched crème brûlée. Soon after, baking spice sizzles around the tongue, revealing vanilla ice cream underneath, and the hug is just significant enough to tie it all together.

Finish: There’s a seamless transition to the lingering finish, which welcomes the slightest bit of mint tea on the back end that emerges after a significant spell, giving this one a welcome addition of earthiness to complement its fruit-forward profile.

Bottom Line:

Blending is a still insufficiently celebrated aspect of bourbon production, but in the right hands, that art can be elevated to the realm of modern potable masterpieces. Master Blender Eboni Major is one such artisan capable of that feat, and for her hand crafting Bulleit’s best expression ever, this bottle deserves to be on your short list of bourbons that you must try at least once.

26. Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year Bourbon

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $4,400

The Whiskey:

Julian Van Winkle III himself has cited Pappy Van Winkle 15 as his favorite among his family’s range of vaunted bourbons. Aged for 15 years, this wheated bourbon is cherry-picked from among the best barrels in Buffalo Trace’s inventory and given the final okay by the Van Winkle family.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Pappy Van Winkle 15 is marked by honeysuckle, vanilla ice cream, and Rainier cherries — not an uncommon bouquet of aromas for a Buffalo Trace wheated bourbon. However, the richness and definition of those notes are simply remarkable, with each of them penetrating the senses and seemingly sitting on your palate before you’ve even taken your first sip.

Palate: A gentle backbone of oak tannins offers structure to the sweet honeysuckle, stewed apples, Rainier cherries, and mellow allspice that hits your palate after the first sip of Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year. What you may immediately perceive as complexity is instead depth, as you’ll discover nuance in each of those entrancing flavor notes. With regards to the texture, it’s impressively viscous, rolling over the tongue with the ease of rainwater over an oil slick.

Finish: The finish finds a touch of allspice and oily vanilla pod as the oak tones get ratcheted up a bit, and the honey provides a gentle landing spot for those baking spices. It’s medium to long in the finish, and that’s the perfect amount of time for the depth of those flavors to fully unfurl.

Bottom Line:

There are a spoiled few who lament that Pappy 15 ain’t what it used to be. Then there are the rest of us who only hope for the opportunity to try this beautiful, mythical whiskey at least once. For the latter camp, rest assured, Pappy 15’s unicorn status is well earned as it takes everything to love about Buffalo Trace’s wheated bourbon and showcases that flavorful bounty of riches at a mature age. As perhaps the most sought-after bourbon in the world, this is the expression from the Pappy Van Winkle lineup you should seek out before it’s too late.

25. Jim Beam White Label Bourbon

ABV:
Average Price:

The Whiskey:

Jim Beam Bourbon is the brand’s flagship expression and one of the most ubiquitous bourbons worldwide. As the entry-level example of Jim Beam’s bourbon portfolio, it showcases their classic (undisclosed) lower rye mash bill.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes open with a bit of honey drizzled over peanuts while the slightest touch of marshmallow, a nopales-like green aroma, a well-developed white peach, tulips, and a bit of caramelized white sugar kick in. All in all, the aromas are light but pleasant and inviting.

Palate: Jim Beam White Label has a smooth mouthfeel dominated early on by the white peach, peanuts, and honey from the nose. It’s soft on the palate and clings to the roof of the mouth, leaving a refreshing sweetness on the tongue.

Finish: The finish is brief, but there is a bit of oomph as black pepper emerges, along with some youthful oak notes.

Bottom Line:

Jim Beam Bourbon is a rite of passage. There isn’t a single bourbon enthusiast, whether an experienced drinker or a complete newcomer, who doesn’t need to give this one a try to better understand the core flavor profile that gives bourbon such broad appeal worldwide.

24. Old Forester’s President’s Choice

ABV: 60%
Average Price: $2,300

The Whiskey:

Unbeknownst to many, Old Forester President’s Choice was America’s first single-barrel bourbon. The expression, which can be traced back to 1962, originally got its name because Old Forester’s President hand-selected the barrels that went into it. Today, Old Forester President’s Choice single barrels are always bottled at full cask strength, although when it was introduced, there was also a 90.3-proof small batch version.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this whiskey is chock-full of layers with maple candy, deep caramel, and milk chocolate brownies representing the sweeter contingent as a fruity black cherry aroma pairs with sandalwood, clove, and vanilla on the other end of the spectrum.

Palate: Brownie and black cherry are most evident initially, enveloping your palate in a dark, rich sweetness. Initially, it has some heat on it, but it’s just enough to prod you and let you know it’s there. The liquid is full-bodied and silky, hanging out on the back palate with a touch of leather and mesquite barbeque sauce flavor.

Finish: The finish contains a bit of smoked black cherry to go along with the familiar taste of corner brownies and lovely oak tones.

Bottom Line:

Old Forester President’s Choice recently claimed the top spot in our “best of Old Forester” ranking, and given how iconic the brand is, it should come as no surprise to see its best offering listed here. This single-barrel expression is reliably delicious, and difficult though it may be to find, those who seek them out will be met with quite the bounty.

23. Old 55 Single Barrel 100% Sweet Corn Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 62.7%
Average Price: $245

The Whiskey:

Newtown, Indiana, is home to Old 55 Distillery, which deploys proprietary enzymes and produces both wheated bourbon and some truly magnificent, albeit extremely limited, 100% sweet corn bourbon. Their sweet corn bourbon shines brightest at cask strength, as it showcases all of that unsprayed, organic sweet corn in all its glory.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s an earthy aroma reminiscent of tree bark that is quickly supplanted by gobs of sumptuously sweet corn pudding, melon, white peach, and overripe apricot.

Palate: On the palate the viscousness of the liquid is immediately remarkable, which lays the foundation for corn pudding, blackberries, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon bark to coat your tongue in nearly equal measure.

Finish: On the finish, you’ll find the kick of cinnamon bark, cola nut, and jammy blackberry sweetness kissing you goodbye after every sip.

Bottom Line:

Producing 100% sweet corn bourbon is not only more labor-intensive, but it’s also extremely expensive — which goes to explain the high sticker price for Old 55 100% Sweet Corn Bourbon, but the results are so damn worth it. Not only is this one of the more unique bourbons on the market from a production standpoint, but it really goes to show the potential of bourbon as a category when the cost is thrown to the wind and talented distillers set their sights on one simple goal: flavor.

22. Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary 101 Bourbon

ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary 101 Bourbon presents an 8-year-old version of Wild Turkey’s classic bourbon to honor the world’s longest-serving Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell. Longtime Wild Turkey fans will note the import of age-stated 101 to the brand’s history, hitting the sweet spot of Jimmy’s preferred maturation age and the perfect approachable proof point.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, this one has all the hallmarks of classic Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, which you’re probably familiar with already, but it brings a level of richness and a slightly darker bouquet of aromas into the fold. Vanilla, torched orange wheel, honey, and cinnamon all have their say, but there’s a simmering brown sugar note that combines with the underlying oak, which will keep you exploring the edges of your glass at length.

Palate: Once on the palate, the liquid delivers on the promise of its nose with all of those classic Wild Turkey notes standing tall and coming across as distinct from one another despite combining to create a sum better than its parts. Buttercream, savory dates, and honey-sweetened black tea add further richness and nuance to this beautiful blend that you’ll want to pick apart at length.

Finish: The finish on Wild Turkey 8-Year 101 70th Anniversary Bourbon continues the overarching theme of everyday decadence with a rich, sweet ending that comes complete with gentle nutmeg and black pepper spice, which runs a ring around your tongue, corralling the sweeter notes in the middle for extended enjoyment.

Bottom Line:

For 70 years, Jimmy Russell has been a staid force for good in the bourbon world, and despite a few surprises along the way, what can best be said about the legend’s career is that he delivered consistent, predictably high-quality bourbon whenever he was tasked with doing so. Does it really come as any surprise that the best anniversary gift he could give us is more of the same? To fully appreciate Wild Turkey, you’d be advised to try a sip of 8-year 101 before you kick the bucket.

21. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (Any Batch)

ABV: 65.3%
Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is often heralded as the single best value in all of bourbon. Why? Because it’s a consistent product, released three times a year, that clocks in at full barrel strength and aged for at least 11 years. This year’s “B” Batch, B524, was aged for 11 years and two months.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: My initial nosing notes say, “This is just dope.” I hope that begins to explain what’s going on here. The aroma of buttery croissants and cinnamon reaches the nose, along with some hazelnut spread, sticky toffee, and honey brioche buns.

Palate: The palate finds earthy toasted almond notes coming together with decadent dark chocolate and more buttery, flaky, croissant flavors. Excuse my French, but pain au chocolat ain’t got shit on this. The texture is well-fused and oily, which causes it to stick to your teeth despite the high-octane proof point, which makes this one dangerous pour.

Finish: The finish is pretty lengthy and introduces a bit of walnut meat, hazelnut, and a few shakes of clove and nutmeg to the palate. All in all, it’s a really satisfying send-off.

Bottom Line:

Even when it isn’t at its best, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of the best bourbons on the market. Rest assured, after a polarizing “A” batch earlier this year, Elijah Craig is back on its “A” game for 2024’s second release, making it one of the premier barrel-proof bourbons to hunt down right now, outpacing even the recently-released C batch from 2024.

20. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel

ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $250

The Whiskey:

Blanton’s is one of the most polarizing whiskeys in the bourbon world, oftentimes serving as a superfluous litmus test. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel is the premium offering from the world’s most iconic single-barrel bourbon range, bottled at cask strength for the fullest flavor and matured between 6-8 years.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Brown sugar, stewed apple chunks, and substantial oak tones fill the air with this bourbon in your glass. There are a few oddities to be found, like singed apricot, yellow curry, and cranberry fruit jelly, as well as some classics like caramel and vanilla.

Palate: On the palate, this bourbon comes across as densely packed with flavor and a bit muddled. Give it a second sip, and those flavors become far more distinct as brown sugar can be picked out along with sweet vanilla, toasted almonds, cooked apples, undercooked dough, and cinnamon bark. The texture is burly, and the high proof combined with its relative youth indicates it is “hot” on the palate, which I prefer to describe as being bold.

Finish: The climax of each sip continues that bold streak as a touch of apple cider vinegar pairs well with brown sugar, oak, and chocolate-covered vanilla cone notes for the lengthy finish.

Bottom Line:

Blanton’s is at times ballyhooed for being tater-bait, but Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel exists on an island of its own as proof positive that this mash bill and flavor profile just works. Don’t overthink it or allow snobbery to cloud your judgment; this is absolutely excellent stuff, and every bourbon enthusiast should try Blanton’s — Straight From The Barrel if it can only be one.

19. Brook Hill Bourbon

ABV: 59.82%
Average Price: $1,500

The Whiskey:

Brook Hill is the top-of-the-line series from the wildly successful Rare Character brand. By cherry-picking some of the best liquid in its inventory, Rare Character offers these premium bourbons (and ryes) in a single-barrel format, undiluted at cask strength in limited quantities. This particular single barrel was selected by Emerson K. Shotwell and named “Pablo Honey” as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Rare Character co-founder Pablo Moix and doubling as an homage to Radiohead’s debut album.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose entices with marshmallow creme, dark chocolate, and burnt honey, which goes a way toward explaining the name, as well. What’s most impressive about the aromas of this bourbon is how rich and well-defined they are without being obnoxiously bold. In fact, this bourbon takes the opposite track and burrows deep into your olfactory system with subtle ease, making it feel like the aromas are enveloping your senses with even the most modest inhalation.

Palate: The palate of this whiskey is immediately remarkable for being velvety, dense, and rich. What I constantly come back to is the flavor of Luxardo cherries on the front palate, which then graduates into a sticky toffee with a whisper of clove on the back of the palate. It’s slick, to be sure, but it also has some grip — hugging the edges of your tongue and imbuing your palate with a light dusting of dark chocolate truffle flavor and vanilla between the beautiful cherry notes which bob up and down like a buoy at sea.

Finish: There’s a gentle kiss of sweet, rich oak that coats the palate with an oily texture before you’re allowed to say goodbye to this sip. It closes out like a much older bourbon, minus any hints of dry oak, hugging your palate for a satisfyingly long time.

Bottom Line:

If indecorous lip-smacking isn’t your thing, you’ll want to stay far away from Rare Character’s stunning Brook Hill Bourbon. This single-barrel series showcases some of the best bourbon available today and highlights how vital barrel curation is for any brand built on sourced whiskey.

Rare Character’s ascent in the bourbon world has been a white-knuckle ride. For the greatest thrill yet, you’ll want to seek out a bottle of Brook Hill immediately.

18. Old Crow Chessman

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $2,300

The Whiskey:

The Old Crow Chessman series is the stuff of legend, but when it was launched back in the late 1960s, it was little more than well-made bourbon used as a pawn in a marketing ploy. As we mentioned above, the late ’60s and early ’70s were a time of decline for the bourbon market, which saw many brands putting their best liquid into collectible decanters as a way to sell more products. “Decanters” as a subset have become legendary in their own right, with brands largely shying away from them by the time the ’90s rolled around, but these Chessman stand as some of the most iconic bottles to come out of that era, thanks, in part, to the superlative 10-year bourbon that went into them. As one final note, these bottles were once sold as a complete set that made up the two sides of a chess match, complete with a black-and-white rug that served as their board.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Brown sugar, savory brisket notes, dark chocolate, maple candy, and old leather make up the bulk of the densely packed aroma notes in this bourbon, with black strap molasses and date syrup contributing to the medley as well.

Palate: On the palate, what stands out first is the richness of the flavors in this pour, phenomenal at any proof but particularly remarkable at only 86 proof. The texture is lean, but what one can glean in that limited mouthfeel is an abundance of stewed stone fruits, with dates and black cherry tones interacting well with maple candy, molasses, rose hip, walnuts, and cinnamon.

Finish: There’s a distinct note of black tea and clove, which gives the medium-length finish some smooth edges and causes this bourbon to feel like it’s evaporating off of your palate at the very end.

Bottom Line:

Some consider Old Crow Chessman to be the very best bourbon ever made. While that opinion holds weight, what it’s most indicative of is a simple eye-opening glimpse into the world of vintage bourbon. Bourbon in the ’60s was more commonly bottled at 86 proof, which was considered high at that time, but considering the depth of flavor those bourbons achieved, it’s easy to see why many brands didn’t bottle their distillate any higher. This bourbon is truly a blast from the past worth experiencing before you die.

17. Pre-Prohibition Bourbon

ABV: Varies
Average Price: Varies

The Whiskey:

Bourbon produced prior to the institution of Prohibition has developed a special place in the collective bourbon enthusiast’s imagination. Sure, production methods were wildly different (and less regulated) back then, but because Prohibition marks such a significant time in bourbon’s history, that failed experiment has also created a subset of collectors who exclusively seek out the whiskey from that period. For the record, Prohibition lasted from January 17th, 1920 to December 5th, 1933.

For those curious, the bottle above comes from Old Rams Head, produced by Anderson Distillery, and is available for $4,850 on BAXUS.

Bottom Line:

Pre-Prohibition bourbon isn’t just a rarity because they aren’t making more of it; the extreme age of those bottles also means that many of them haven’t survived the intervening decades due to either poor storage conditions or our bourbon-imbibing forefathers drinking them all up. All the same, trying bourbon from that most regrettable time can stun you with its exceptional and wildly different flavors. If given the chance, you’d be mad to forego the opportunity to try 100-year-old bourbon.

16. Jack Daniel’s 12-Year Tennessee Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $280

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s is one of the most well-known whiskeys the world over, but many people don’t know that it’s been roughly 100 years since they last released a whiskey at 10-years-old or better. That all changed in 2022 with the introduction of their 10-Year Jack Daniel’s, and they followed that up in 2023 with their inaugural release of Jack Daniel’s 12-Year. This whiskey uses a mashbill of 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, and 8% Rye.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Boozy banana bread emerges straight out of the glass with this one, complete with walnuts, maple syrup, and some rich oak tones.

Palate: Once this whiskey passes the lips, the boozy banana bread is notable for being well-refined, as accenting notes of chocolate chunks, walnuts, and maple candies add to the pleasure. At midpalate, the whiskey picks up a bit of black pepper and barrel char, and its slick texture more fully reveals itself.

Finish: Jack Daniel’s 12 has a velvety, creamy finish, aided by the presence of almond extract and some chewy butterscotch notes.

Bottom Line:

While it’s labeled as a Tennessee Whiskey, it also technically meets the requirements to be called bourbon, and there’s no denying that this 12-year-old version of Jack Daniel’s is one of the best bourbons on the planet. Thanks to its remarkably nuanced flavor profile that strikes a fine balance of maple candy sweetness and earthy nuttiness, Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old deserves every bourbon enthusiast’s respect as the brand’s best regular annual release.

15. Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece

ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $5,400

The Whiskey:

Released back in 1999, Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece was a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Beam’s Master Distiller Booker Noe and the Fussigny Cognac house’s Alain Royer. As one of the very first super-premium bourbons to ever be created (its $250 price tag was pure insanity in the late 90s), this bottle, more than any other, accurately predicted where the bourbon world of the aughts was going. Collaboration, high age statements, crystal-cut bottles, and eye-popping prices have all become the new norms, for better and for worse, but this was the first bourbon to the party.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla pods, and, predictably, Brandied cherries stand out at first on the nose, which also has the mellow richness of well-aged bourbon. That fairly tame quality causes you to burrow your nose deeper into the glass, seeking out additional aroma notes that reward you in the shape of leather, tobacco leaf, and caramel.

Palate: On the palate, the note of Brandied cherries greets your tastebuds at first before transforming into more of a fresh fig note with barrel char buttressing the sweetness as vanilla extract, oak, black pepper, and plums have a field day at mid-palate. The texture feels delicate, as though all that time spent aging and resting in the bottle since 1999 will become undone with a bit of chewing, but the rich flavors remain fully intact.

Finish: The finish is lengthy, with a fresh infusion of some orange zest and a surprising streak of mint and more vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This is a bourbon that correctly predicted the future. While there’s no telling whether a sip of this will transport you to 2099 with all of the precognition that comes with such a glimpse into what’s coming next for the bourbon world, it’s absolutely a fascinating experience to enjoy this pour in 2024 and beyond.

14. Michter’s 25-Year Bourbon

ABV: 58.1%
Average Price: $6,400

The Whiskey:

To create their vaunted 25-year-old bourbon, Michter’s curates some of their most exceptional hyper-aged barrels and blends them for this semi-regular expression. Bottled at full cask strength, this super-premium bourbon offers a glimpse into the liquid being distilled at an undisclosed distillery (or undisclosed distilleries) a quarter of a century ago; that’s a rare treat.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Michter’s 25-Year Bourbon is resplendent with refined chunks of peanut butter, a light cinnamon dusting, oak, and dark chocolate. Each of those dark notes is well-developed and distinct, with a certain sprightliness that allows them all to dart in and out of focus, weaving in concert brilliantly.

Palate: The flavors’ impressive refinement and spry nature remain evident on the palate. Roasted nuts, stewed raspberries, and peanut brittle stand out on the flavor wheel, and the texture is mellow but expansive, gently unfurling over the entirety of your tongue and clinging to the roof of your mouth for dear life.

Finish: The finish is extensive, thanks to the viscous texture, allowing the flavor of roasted Brazil nuts, dried cherries, and dark chocolate to linger long after each sip.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon is expectedly rich and oaky, and that two-piece combination is enough to knock out most of the competition. As an incredible example of both exorbitantly priced and hyper-aged bourbon, this is an expression worth splurging on (even if only for a pour) at least once, to say you tried it.

13. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024

ABV: 59.65%
Average Price: $350

The Whiskey:

Maker’s Mark’s sole age-stated product, Cellar Aged, is now in its second year of production. This year’s release features 15% 12-year-old bourbon and 85% 14-year-old bourbon, making it their oldest release to date. For the making of this product, Maker’s Mark takes their standard bourbon distillate, matures it for the typical eight years in their regular rickhouses, and then moves those barrels into their cellar where the temperature is a year-round constant cool of about 50 degrees, which decelerates the aging process.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark chocolate truffle dusting, orange blossom, and floral aromas kick off this aromatically impressive bourbon. Further notes of brown sugar, lavender honey, faint umami, wet soil, and coconut soon follow.

Palate: Citrus and red berries with vanilla and black pepper hit the palate at first, with heavy dark chocolate notes following thereafter. The texture is very creamy up front, with a tasty pop of cinnamon on the back end. Luscious caramel and toasted coconut notes develop at midpalate.

Finish: The finish is silky and lengthy, with dried strawberries, black pepper, gentle oak, and vanilla making the final impression.

Bottom Line:

The question you may have is whether or not this year’s Cellar Aged is better than 2023’s edition. The answer: it depends. While last year’s version is full of caramel tones that are very true to Maker’s Mark’s standard product, this year has much more chocolate and an atypical coconut note that will bring newcomers into the fold. Trust us, you want to try the most unique Maker’s Mark bourbon ever.

12. King of Kentucky (2024)

ABV: 65.2%
Average Price: $2,000

The Whiskey:

King of Kentucky, Brown-Forman’s ultra-premium release, is now in its seventh edition, and a 16-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon will mark the occasion for 2024. With 5,100 bottles available, this is a highly-exclusive release, with the majority of those bottles remaining in its home state. However, it will also go to markets in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Metro New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Happy hunting.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Blackstrap molasses, stewed dates, salted caramel, dark chocolate, and leather come leaping out of the glass when you first pour this dense, dark liquid into the glass. There are accenting notes of green apples, vanilla beans, almonds, and clove as well.

Palate: Vanilla frosting, brown sugar, toasted coconut, corn pudding, and salted caramel dazzle the tip of the tongue before pushing to mid-palate to further unfurl the flavor of dates, crème brulée, cinnamon, and oak. The heat is impressively kept in check, and that multitude of well-developed flavors has an impressively viscous texture to call home.

Finish: The finish is remarkably lengthy and marked by toasted almonds, dark chocolate, cooked apples, and caramel, making this a pour you won’t want to see end. For minutes afterward, it eagerly abides.

Bottom Line:

What makes King of Kentucky reign supreme is the unapologetic boldness of its performance on the palate coupled with an intoxicating bouquet of aromas on the nose. It simply captures all there is to love about high-proof, full-bodied bourbon of a certain age, and as one of the few expressions frequently cited as a contemporary “greatest of all time,” it should be on your list of bourbons to try before you die.

11. A.H. Hirsch 16-Year “Gold Foil” (1974)

ABV: 45.8%
Average Price: $5,000

The Whiskey:

First dubbed “the best bourbon you’ll never taste” by a whiskey critic back in 2012, the legend of A.H. Hirsch’s 16-year “Gold Foil” has only grown since then. Initially distilled at Pennco Distillery, the man who ordered the whiskey – namesake Adolph H. Hirsch – never actually bottled it. That task fell to Julian Van Winkle III, who did so with this 16-year-old bourbon at the behest of liquor store owner Gordon Hue in 2003. While several legendary releases of A.H. Hirsch bourbon are floating around, the 16-year gold foil version featured the most comprehensive release (2,500 cases). It inspired the brand’s popularity and spawned an entire book, espousing its elusiveness and excellent quality.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The effusive aromas of salted caramel, golden raisins, and a healthy sprinkle of nutmeg all show well here. Given some time, there’s a bit of well-aged oak that develops in lockstep with a note of vanilla custard.

Palate: The density of flavors on the palate is immediately impressive, considering its relatively mild proof. The tip of the tongue is where the taste of custard and golden raisins take hold, allowing salted caramel, a touch of sweet oak, and several dashes of nutmeg to accentuate every viscous sip.

Finish: Balance is the name of the game here, as each taste foregoes a drawn-out experience for a medium-length finish that encourages return trips to the glass (and the bottle) as you appreciate its simple sophistication.

Bottom Line:

A far cry from the punch-’em-in-the-face bourbons of today, A.H. Hirsch 16 Year opts instead to display the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. With a sumptuous flavor profile that instantly stuns and a bouquet of aromas that showcases beautiful balance, this is a bourbon that best exhibits the mantra “less is more,” making it a truly shining example of how good bourbon can be at its peak. It also exemplifies the increasingly true sentiment that some of the best bourbon ever made is produced outside of Kentucky.

10. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2024

ABV: 54.1%
Average Price: $300

The Whiskey:

Four Roses’ highly anticipated Limited Edition Small Batch for 2024 has finally been announced, and we were able to get a first taste of it. For this year’s release, Master Distiller Brent Elliott opted to blend three of Four Roses’ ten bourbon recipes with a 12-year-old OBSV, 15-year-old OESK, 16-year-old OESF, and more OBSV, this time at 20 years old, to create the final product.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is initially floral with ripe apples, butterscotch, and butter pecan ice cream. Faint bits of dark chocolate, star anise, and tobacco leaf help to round out the beautiful bouquet of aromas.

Palate: The butterscotch and apple note really pops on the palate off the bat. The whiskey is well-rounded with a mellow black pepper baking spice tone to go with a more pronounced helping of cinnamon bark, pecans, and brown sugar. The range of flavors reminds me a lot of fried apple pie with a splash of citrus zest. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and enhances the depth of the flavors without becoming an attraction unto itself.

Finish: The finish has a mature oak backbone with the additional flavor of caramel chews and Fuji apple skin. It’s medium-length, but that brevity really works, urging your focus on the next sip rather than your last.

Bottom Line:

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is annually considered one of the stars of the fall-release schedule and its consistently high quality is indicative of why. While last year’s release soared to incredible heights, this year’s expression seems equally eager to touch the sky, making this one annual release that you should set out to sip ASAP.

9. Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon

ABV: 58.4%
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Wild Turkey Rare Breed was initially introduced as Wild Turkey’s (really Jimmy Russell’s) response to the launch of Jim Beam’s Booker’s, the world’s first cask-strength bourbon. Launched at a time when high-proof bourbon was less en vogue, it reflects Jimmy’s prescience in predicting the market’s future. Oh, and his competitive streak.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Honeysuckle, bright red cherries, and cinnamon rolls delight the senses once Rare Breed tumbles into your glass. Given some time to sit, you’ll find well-aged oak, clove, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and toasted almonds all elevate the aroma profile of this bourbon.

Palate: The flavors in this bourbon are rich and well-developed, with each of the nosing notes coming through on the palate. Those flavors are bolstered by a bit of cooked apple and pie shell for a robust yet clearly defined cavalcade of notes with a spry texture that deceptively coats your palate after several sips.

Finish: Lengthy and lingering, the finish on Rare Breed is balanced and delicious as it deftly combines sweetness and spice — leaving you wondering which one will last the longest. The answer is typically the spice.

Bottom Line:

Rare Breed is frequently cited as a limited edition whiskey hiding in plain sight, and that reputation is well earned. With a flavor profile that brings an abundance of red berries, vanilla, and baking spice, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has an enchanting combination of mature flavor, delicate balance, and stern force that makes it one of the most readily available high-end bourbon experiences.

8. Booker’s The Reserves

ABV: 62.95%
Average Price: $130

The Whiskey:

Booker’s The Reserves is a new, annual limited-release series from Jim Beam by Freddie Noe to commemorate his grandfather and Beam’s 6th Generation Master Distiller, Booker Noe. This elevated take on classic Booker’s bourbon features a more limited blend of 8 to 14-year-old barrels drawn from the same center cut of the warehouse that Booker himself always favored, paying homage to the brand’s beginnings by foregoing the more recent black wax adorning the bottle’s neck for the original brown wax Booker used.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this whiskey really socks it to you at first with a surprising initial richness. It leaps out of the glass with enchanting floral notes, French vanilla, stewed plums, and ripe grapes. After a few waves of the hand, it turns a tad more savory with clove and dates.

Palate: Dense oak tones crash against the sumptuous flavors of dark chocolate, French vanilla, and dates when you first sip this bourbon. Some black cherries appear at midpalate, along with polished leather and a slightly dusty quality that adds depth. As for the mouthfeel, it’s full-bodied and anxiously coats your palate for the duration of each sip, remaining slow to recede through the finish.

Finish: The finish on this bourbon is medium to long, and that affords it plenty of runway space to allow the French vanilla and date flavors to stick around while a slight uptick in black pepper can be found before it fully dissipates.

Bottom Line:

Booker’s The Reserves is just one of a plethora of new releases from Jim Beam this year, and I’m confident that it is the best of the bunch. With plenty of heat to please the proof hounds and a full-bodied mouthfeel to satiate those looking for the incredible depth of flavor cask strength bourbon is known for, this release checks all the boxes and succeeds in elevating standard Booker’s while remaining true to its creator’s vision.

7. William Larue Weller

ABV: 66.8%
Average Price: $1,800

The Whiskey:

William Larue Weller bourbon is frequently cited as one of, if not the best, bourbon to come out of Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s the premier expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup, and aside from their Pappy Van Winkle lineup, it features some of their most premium wheated bourbon barrels at an age that tends to fall in the mid-teens.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of dense black cherry, cinnamon bark, and clove — all incredibly rich and dialed-in aromas that entice you even as you find yourself resisting in order to savor them a while longer.

Palate: Take a sip of William Larue Weller, and you’ll find your palate ensconced in the delights of the nosing notes, but you’ll find the richness of each flavor cranked up to 11. It’s a weighty sip, and you feel that density as it rolls over your tongue, bringing dark chocolate, almond butter, and cooked red apple anywhere your tastebuds might hide.

Finish: The finish is lengthy but marked by a slow and seamless transition from the richness of the flavors at midpalate to an equally complex and persistent climax.

Bottom Line:

William Larue Weller is simply a magnificent whiskey that stands tall as the gold standard for what wheated bourbon can be. While the Pappy Van Winkle lineup continues to turn heads as the most sought-after expression in the entire bourbon world, the very same distillery is putting out a well-aged, high-ABV competitor that quite handily leaves it in the dust.

6. Very, Very Old Fitzgerald 12-Year

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $5,000

The Whiskey:

We’ve talked a bit about Julian Van Winkle III, but Old Fitzgerald was the flagship brand for his grandfather, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery. While the whiskey produced by Stitzel-Weller made its way into several other brand’s bottles over the years (many of them fetching tens of thousands of dollars on the auction market), there’s simply no topping the stuff they kept for themselves. In 1964, all bottles of Old Fitzgerald that were aged for at least 12 years received the “Very Very Old” designation, and for my money, they’re the best wheated bourbons ever to be produced.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Candied walnuts, honey, and slightly musty oak make their way out of the glass at first. After a few waves of the hand, the aroma of honey only becomes more refined, and it is joined by a bit of orange peel, plenty of brown sugar, and a touch of leather to boot.

Palate: This is a spectacular bourbon from the first sip as candied walnuts and sweet oak fan out over the tongue and make way for pops of clove and nutmeg along the roof of the mouth. It’s oily and dense, allowing those flavors to take root on the palate and slowly grow over time.

Finish: Again, the finish benefits from its robust viscosity, which holds all of the rich, sweet notes close and allows the earthy flavors of oak and leather to provide a superb balance on the back end.

Bottom Line:

With remarkable balance and considerable gusto, Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12-Year bourbon is a pure delight from start to finish. When it comes to wheated bourbons there are none finer as this Stitzel-Weller-produced bottle puts them all to shame. The Pappy Van Winkle of today is merely a shadow of what the man himself was producing, and for its unrivaled history and quality, this is a bourbon you really need to try in this lifetime.

5. Rare Character Obliteration

ABV: 71.90%
Average Price: $600

The Whiskey:

While Rare Character has made a name for itself for bottling some of the preeminent single-barrel bourbons on the market today, none of them stand on par with their singularly elusive Obliteration. For what was at the time the brand’s oldest and highest-proof whiskey, this 14-year-old hazmat unicorn was released via an online lottery from a barrel that only yielded 36 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Get ready for the proofiest Proustian moment ever, as cherry fruit leather smacks you in the face before the aroma of dates, brown sugar, and orange rind rip you back into the present. There’s well-aged leather accenting the air as well, and surprisingly, the heat isn’t readily evident from the nose. That probably has something to do with the lush caramel, mature oak, and restrained black pepper spice, keeping flavor at the fore and the ethanol at bay.

Palate: Vanilla ice cream coats the tongue before cherry fruit leather, mature leather, and caramel tones come marching with gusto across the palate. The flavors of black pepper and savory pie crust take root toward the back of the tongue as the heat begins to creep up the roof of the mouth. There’s a gently pulsing heat left behind after the first sip that’s eminently enjoyable. This bourbon is unbelievably full of flavor, and the ethanol flash-burn serves to deepen the richness.

Finish: The flavor of charred green pepper and grilled pineapple begins the transition into the finish, which is incredibly long-lasting, with black cherry, barrel char, peanut brittle, and gooey caramel closing the show.

Bottom Line:

Rare Character Obliteration was immediately heralded among the few who have tried it as an exceptional bourbon, and I’m happy to be one of those folks. What makes Obliteration so worthy of attention is its proof point, the fact it exemplifies the hype of the modern bourbon market, which places a strong emphasis on elusive single barrel offerings, and that it’s just damn delicious whiskey.

While it might be the hardest on this entire list to track down, believe me, it deserves its place here.

4. Willett Family Estate Bourbon

ABV: 71.2%
Average Price: $950

The Whiskey:

Willett Family Estate, more than any other contemporary American whiskey brand, has cemented itself as the premium house for sourced bourbon. Thanks to the absolutely prodigious stock of well-aged barrels that the brand built its name on back in the late aughts, Willett Family Estate amassed a cult following of fans dedicated to decyphering its cryptic barrel codes and ascertaining which distilleries produced its exceptional stock of bourbons and ryes. Today, the brand has self-distilled bourbons up to 11 years old, but the word is that they’ve still got some of those hyper-aged sourced barrels being held back for future releases. This particular release is nicknamed “Trinidad Sour” and was selected by Drug City in Maryland.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes are full of dunder and molasses, evocative of the name Trinidad Sour, with cinnamon sugar, mocha, and stewed date aromas following closely behind.

Palate: Once in the mouth, the liquid is viscous and expansive across the palate with many of the same notes from the nose, but they’re joined by crème brulée, torched orange wheel, and rich oak.

Finish: The finish is extensive and features more of that delicious interplay of vanilla custard, caramel, savory dates, and barrel char.

Bottom Line:

Because Willett, like many other brands, doesn’t disclose where each of its barrels is sourced from, part of the fun in trying these single barrel selections in their Family Estate series is in guessing the distillery of origin. That, however, misses the point, as Willett’s unique maturation location contributes an outsize amount of the flavor in the end products, and with an established track record of excellence, you’d be better off simply sitting back and savoring what’s in your glass.

These pricey pours are a must-try for every hardcore bourbon enthusiast.

3. Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Bourbon

ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $250

The Whiskey:

Russell’s Reserve 15 is Wild Turkey’s latest age-stated release, and boy, has it been met with enthusiasm. The brand’s digital launch caused its website to crash both days it made the expression available online. This expression is non-chill filtered, and given their track record, one can safely assume there’s bourbon even older than 15 years in this blend.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Syrupy fig notes, mature oak tones, and rich leather aromas fill the room once you pour this whiskey, and some medicinal cherry and milk chocolate join them. There’s no mistaking the fact that this is a bourbon of a certain age. With further investigation, your nose will bump up against clove and cinnamon as the aroma of vanilla pod takes root. Finally, a faintly floral note reminiscent of rosewater can be found.

Palate: Black cherries covered in chocolate truffle dust hit 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. On the second sip, observe nougat, caramel, vanilla, and rich oak. While the nose gave the impression that this would be over-oaked, the palate greatly alleviates those concerns as each of the hallmarks of hyper-aging has its say without muddling any of the others.

Finish: Lengthy, balanced, and delicious, the finish is marked by black cherries, clove, and cacao nibs as it grips your palate for dear life, refusing to dissipate until minutes after the last sip.

Bottom Line:

Russell’s 15-Year Bourbon is truly a world beater. When it was initially released, expectations for this bottle were sky-high, and our impression of it has remained there throughout the year. Sure, Russell’s Reserve 15-Year is one of the best bourbons available today, but taking the superlatives a step higher, this might go down in the pantheon as one of the best bourbons in the Wild Turkey brand’s entire history.

2. Michter’s 20-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

ABV: 57.1%
Average Price: $6,100

The Whiskey:

The present-day Michter’s Distillery is led by President Joe Magliocco, who, from day one, has employed some of the most knowledgeable folks in the industry with a single aim in mind – to create the best American whiskey possible. When it comes to America’s native spirit, the brand’s most successful effort can surely be considered Michter’s 20-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Oh, yeah…this is mature bourbon. It plays all of the classics – black cherry sweetness, deep leather aromas, and refined oak – and does little to stray from them with variations on the theme in the form of date syrup, tobacco leaf, and barrel char, representing the levels of nuance to be found.

Palate: Again, Michter’s 20 is a straightforward sipper with black cherries, leather, and well-aged oak taking the reign and refusing to let go. Along the periphery, there are clove and black pepper aspects to be found in the spice department and sweet bits of butterscotch and vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness.

Finish: The lengthy finish is where those guest appearances recede, and we’re back showcasing the three main flavors, which impress due to their ample richness.

Bottom Line:

Featuring a blend of sourced bourbon that is painstakingly mingled and undergoes a proprietary filtration process, Michter’s 20 might be the quintessential well-aged bourbon. Full of rich oak, mature leather, and black cherry, this is the whiskey, above all others, that demonstrates what well-aged bourbon should taste like.

If there’s one bourbon expression that demands thousands of dollars in recompense for a bottle, this is the expression most deserving of the request.

1. Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series VVS 13-Year

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,300

The Whiskey:

Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series comes in one of the most beautiful bottles in the bourbon world, but that’s just an indication of the superlative liquid inside. These expressions, which are typically released twice a year, also occasionally feature distillery-exclusive versions like this one sporting a red label. New for 2024 is this year’s 13-Year VVS edition, comprised of bourbon that was distilled in 1999, tanked in 2012, and then held until bottling earlier this year. While it isn’t “pre-fire” Heaven Hill, this premium time capsule is unique in that it’s a contemporary example of a brand releasing “dusty” whiskey in a modern format.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The aroma of milk chocolate, bright red cherries, and melted vanilla ice cream exit the bottle and hit the glass in full force. Juicy orange notes, sweet oak, and cinnamon bark emerge after a few waves of the hand, and yet the aromas still aren’t done revealing themselves. Sit back and marvel as this is a multilayered and incredibly rich nosing experience to be appreciated at length.

Palate: A whisper of ripe orange, bright red cherries, and vanilla ice cream welcome your palate to the party. Courtesy of this whiskey’s impressive depth of flavor and silky texture, it quickly finds every crevice in the mouth to coat. Milk chocolate and well-aged oak pool at the roof of the mouth, allowing the more expressive notes of honey and red berries to claim the tongue and live long, healthy lives.

Finish: The finish is medium to long and remarkably rich, with the heaviness of the whiskey gently relieving itself from your palate while a touch of leather and black pepper adds one final layer to this whiskey’s impressive depth.

Bottom Line:

It wasn’t that long ago that we crowned Old Fitzgerald 13-Year VVS the best bourbon in Heaven Hill’s entire portfolio, so it comes as no surprise to see it topping this list. Not only does it check every box, and it indeed does have an incredible flavor profile, but what’s most impressive about Old Fitzgerald 13-Year is how well-rounded it is.

This balanced beauty from a bygone era is equal parts historic and exceptional, with a throwback decanter style that further ties it to bourbon’s rich history. That’s why Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series VVS 13-Year is our number one bourbon to try before you die.