Can I interest you in a bloody good time?
The newest number one movie in America, Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s thrilling vampire horror set in the 1930s Mississippi Delta, has made a big impression at the box office and an even bigger impression on the conversation around film-going in general. Shot on atypical 65mm film using both IMAX and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras, the movie has spawned a larger awareness around the format. It has led a number of movie-goers to drive hours out of their way to see the supernatural flick in its full glory.
Against a backdrop of Prohibition-era Jim Crow racial politics, the movie is a stunning visual experience, and one that features whiskey as a quietly key component. The appeal of Irish beer serves as a lure for talent and patrons, and no juke joint of its time would be complete without high-quality corn whiskey or bourbon to keep the raucous party going. At several points in the film, characters specifically ask for whiskey, and it got us thinking…what drinks would pair well with the hit film?
I conjured the ten best bourbons available today to sip alongside your Sinners viewing experience to answer that question. While you won’t find any moonshine or medicinal whiskey on this list — two tipples that would’ve been in wide supply during that era — you will discover some bloody good bourbon that plays on the film’s themes, embraces vampire lore, and ultimately, just taste damn delicious.
These are the best bourbons to enjoy if you loved Ryan Coogler’s Sinners!
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10. Mellow Corn Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $18
The Whiskey:
Mellow Corn Whiskey is a fan-favorite among American whiskey geeks and bottled-in-bond enthusiasts alike. This one from Heaven Hill is just good old 100-proof corn whiskey. Despite coming from a mash bill of 81% corn and being aged for at least four years, it’s slightly different from bourbon in that it was matured in ex-bourbon barrels as opposed to charred new oak.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Mellow Corn lives up to its name with restrained notes of corn pudding, Manuka honey, and faint oak. That base aroma profile is aided by the presence of black pepper, fresh-cut white flowers, and a hint of hazelnut.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is surprisingly viscous with flavors that coalesce around that base profile of corn pudding, organic honey, and white pepper. Additional notes of rum raisin, cedar, and youthful oak help to add a little depth as well.
Finish: The finish here is brief and slightly warming as it welcomes an uptick in the honey and corn pudding notes, giving it a sweet sendoff.
Why The Pairing Works:
Given the popularity of corn whiskey (which typically would’ve been unaged moonshine at the time) in the movie, it only makes sense that we highlight the king of all contemporary corn whiskeys: Mellow Corn. While it’d be easy to mistake this bottle’s cult-like following as irony in a yellow suit, this is a quietly delicious expression that seasoned bluesmen and wandering wives alike would surely enjoy.
9. Crittenden’s Cut Above Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Based out of Hancock County, MS, Crittenden’s Distillery is one of the state’s few bourbon producers, and for our money, it’s also one of the best. This Cut Above expression is the first bottled-in-bond bourbon to be produced in Mississippi’s history.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is immediately alluring with notes of brown butter, popcorn, dilute honey, and youthful oak. With two swirls and some aeration, the sweetness falls off a bit and is replaced by some earthier notes of peppercorns and nutmeg.
Palate: On the initial sip, this whiskey is surprisingly light with apricots and stone fruits leading on the palate before black pepper, wildflower honey, and caramel come tumbling over the tongue.
Finish: The finish here is brief and takes a turn towards hazelnut spread and barrel char before closing with more light sweetness in the form of melon rind and white pepper.
Why The Pairing Works:
With a film as drenched in local lore as Sinners it’d be, well, a sin not to include one of the state’s premier distilleries. While Mississippi is home to another standout in Cathead Distillery, whose Blended Straight Bourbon and Tintype Series is not to be missed, we couldn’t help but side with “A Cut Above” for its more vampire-friendly moniker.
8. Starlight Bloody Butcher Bourbon
ABV: 53%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
This whiskey, distilled by Starlight in Indiana, uses the aptly-named Bloody Butcher corn varietal in its grain recipe for a seasonal release that hits shelves every autumn. The farm that Starlight is on has been in the family since 1843, and is now on its 7th generation of farmers and second generation of whiskey distillers.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is definitely grain-led with cornbread, nutmeg, and corn nuts standing out at first, while chunks of caramel and black pepper can be detected once it settles in the glass.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey stays true to its nosing notes, but it turns up the sweetness a tick and coats the tongue in white sugar, brandied raisins, potting soil, toffee, and cocoa dust. The underlying corn notes and earthiness become more prominent on repeat sips.
Finish: The medium-length finish here is flush with corn husk and black pepper notes, giving it an earthy conclusion that fits well with the flavor profile.
Why The Pairing Works:
The title is pitch-perfect on this one, not just the bloody butcher part. With the film’s best action taking place under the only light vampires can stand — starlight — the distillery’s name is also evocative of the horror that ensues, making this one a natural pairing for the unnatural horror that unfolds.
7. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
To call Elijah Craig a classic bourbon is to echo what’s been said about it 100 times over. Named after a famed Baptist preacher, Reverend Elijah Craig is credited, by the brand at least, as the “father of bourbon.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: From the first whiff, Elijah Craig is an elevated version of Heaven Hill’s value brands. Most reminiscent of Evan Williams, it takes the typical bourbon aromas and dials them up a notch with vanilla extract crossing over into vanilla cream, brown sugar becoming more distinct, and a robust oak backbone fully forming.
Palate: On the palate is where Elijah Craig offers few surprises again, but it plays the hits with gusto. Brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel feature prominently, but a faint nuttiness and understated, stewed stone fruit notes help to improve the flavor profile further. The texture is unremarkable but, at the same time, substantial enough to allow each of those flavors to unfurl fully.
Finish: For the finish, Elijah Craig closes with an interplay of oak, peanuts, and brown sugar that serves as a medium-length microcosm for the entire experience.
Why The Pairing Works:
With a film centered around the exploits of a supernaturally gifted son of a preacher, it only makes sense that we pair it with the so-called “father of bourbon,” who, himself, was a preacher. As the story goes, Elijah Craig found barrels that were struck by lightning, in a sense ordained by God, which is where the charred barrels used in bourbon production come from. The story is likely just a myth, though, just like most things that go bump in the night.
6. Blood Oath Bourbon Pact 10
ABV: 49.3%
Average Price: $185
The Whiskey:
For Pact 10 of their critically acclaimed Blood Oath series, the brand’s creator, John Rempe, decided to utilize what he calls two “well-bred ryed bourbons and one finished bourbon” in the blend. As a nod to the series hitting double digits, he went with a double finish. The bourbon blend is finished in Cabernet Franc barrels and a second finish in Merlot casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The unique nosing notes open with a slightly dusty aroma before black pepper, Brazil nuts, caramel, cumin, duck fat, and clove all have their say.
Palate: In the mouth, this whiskey is chocolatey with a powdered texture. As it continues to unfold, the liquid comes across as peppery, but balanced, with plums and apricots making up the base of the sweet notes.
Finish: The surprisingly lengthy finish keeps the flavor of plums and apricots humming across your palate along with fresh black pepper, oak, and a touch of leather.
Why The Pairing Works:
How’s this for an aptly named bourbon for vampire lovers? Not only does it have blood right in the title, something we seized on like the undead on a lonely straggler in the dark of night, but this is a delicious bottle that will satiate any bourbon enthusiast, at least until Pact 11 is released later this year.
5. John Lee Hooker Boogie Chillen’ Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
John Lee Hooker was a legendary bluesman, and to honor his legacy, his very own grandson — Glenn Thomas — created this brand in 2023, giving blues fans everywhere a reason to smile. Bottled at 100 proof and priced right at the same dollar amount, this four-year bourbon is the brand’s flagship offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with notes of caramel apple, vanilla, and oak for a familiar introduction. A slight twist of lemon zest adds some brightness to the overall bouquet.
Palate: On the palate, caramel apple, corn pudding, and allspice are immediate standouts. What is surprising, however, is an impressive richness in both texture and flavor profile. Surprisingly viscous for the proof, this whiskey delivers some final flavors of black pepper and rosemary before transitioning to the finish.
Finish: While the finish is fairly succinct, it does a fine job of leaving all of those well-integrated flavors on your palate before dissipating into nothingness. You’ll definitely be inclined to go in for a second sip before long.
Why The Pairing Works:
The Blues as an art form and a transformative medium that can penetrate space and time, is a central theme of Sinners and this bourbon honors a real live legend of the genre, John Lee Hooker. Thanks to its direct ties to the man himself, this is one bourbon that will have a long life and continue dazzling crowds years down the line, just like Preacher Boy managed to do in the end.
4. Jimmy Red Sweet Mash Bourbon Whiskey
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 translate 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.
Why The Pairing Works:
By reviving and utilizing the rare Jimmy Red corn varietal in its whiskey, High Wire Distilling has slowly been taking over the craft whiskey world, similar to how the film’s central antagonist slowly takes over the small town in which it’s set. What really puts a bow on this one, though, is the old-timey packaging, which feels ripped right from the period of juke joints.
3. Orphan Barrel Fanged Pursuit 17-Year Bourbon
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
The latest Orphan Barrel offering, dubbed Fanged Pursuit, features 17-year non-chill filtered Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. KSBW at that age is hard to come by. Notably, it’s brought to Orphan Barrel’s preferred proof — a relatively low 46% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose bursts forth with the aroma of Luden’s cherry cough drops, clove cigarettes, Red Vines candy, leather, and torched orange wheel covered in dark chocolate. With patience, the sweet red notes continue to vacillate between red licorice and black cherry while peanut shells and caramel come into focus.
Palate: This whiskey begins with tobacco leaf, Rainier cherries, and red apple skin on the tip of the tongue before it introduces sage smudge, black pepper, barrel char, and touches of lime rind.
Finish: Allspice, dark chocolate, thyme, and orange zest hang on the palate with a medium-length finish to close things out.
Why The Pairing Works:
Have you seen the name of this one? Even though the bottle’s art evokes a snarling bobcat, the connection between the film’s vampires and the idea of “Fanged Pursuit” is too good to ignore. Furthermore, this is a rich, well-made bourbon that works on several levels — yet another thing it has in common with Coogler’s stellar screenplay.
2. Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series 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.
Why The Pairing Works:
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 ascending adroitness in the field of finishing. In short, this is an artful execution of secondary maturation in American whiskey.
While vampires may be averse to silver, we mere mortals are seemingly impervious to the charms of wine-finished whiskey, and this ruby-twinged bourbon is one we’ve been drinking as greedily as a thirsty vampire since it was first released.
1. River City Whiskey Single Bourbon
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $105
The Whiskey:
River City Whiskey is the newest brand on this list. This expression, from founders Da’Mon Brown and Ricky Rice, is a natural outgrowth of what began as a barrel pick group that the two started. Now, entering the arena of creating a brand, they’ve brought this inaugural expression “Beaver Bridge Barrel” to market using the single-barrel format they’ve perfected to present a cask-strength bourbon, aged for nine years, and made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley with more to come in 2025.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes open with bruised pears, apple skin, singed orange peel, vanilla custard, black pepper, sage, and barrel char. The aromas are impressively well-developed and delicate but distinct, leading to extended appreciation before you venture in for the first sip.
Palate: The lighter, sweet notes come through on the palate, with peach rings, dried apricot, and scraped vanilla pod seizing your attention at first. The whiskey then turns a bit floral at midpalate before ceding ground to the flavors of restrained oak and honeyed black tea as it fans out over the tongue and begins transitioning to the finish.
Finish: The finish is robust but brief, expanding rapidly with full flavors before gently concluding with vanilla wafers, orange blossom, and white pepper lingering at the end of the party.
Why The Pairing Works:
As the film reaches its climax, Mississippi’s water takes center stage for a struggle between Sammie and the vampire Remmick as the former fights for his life in a mighty river. Not only does the name of this black-owned bourbon brand drive that home, but it’s also one of the best new bourbons we’ve tried in the last year.