The weather is heating up, and we’ve got the whiskey to match it.
The rise of so-called “hazmat bourbon” has been well-documented, and nowadays there are more options available than ever. What is hazmat bourbon, you might ask? Simply put, it’s bourbon that, through the maturation process, has risen above 140 proof. The appeal of bourbon at such a high ABV is that it loads up on the flavor and delivers a piquant punch that a ton of American whiskey enthusiasts love.
Surveying the landscape, one might also wonder, are hazmat whiskeys better than other high-proof whiskeys? Not by definition, but with a higher alcohol content (and presumably “more flavor“), the appeal of these potent, proofy pours persists. With this in mind, I decided it was high time to round up the absolute best hazmat bourbon here on UPROXX.
Far from a comprehensive list (a multitude of brands have jumped on the trend with mixed results), the following list contains only the best hazmat American whiskeys currently available or soon to be available.
We’re on the brink of summer, but these scorching hot whiskeys are keeping pace with the rising temperature with a ton of flavor that’s surprisingly easy to enjoy. These are the best hazmat whiskeys for 2025!
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10. Bluegrass Distillers Elkwood Reserve Kentucky Straight Single Barrel Bourbon Barrel 137
ABV: 73%
Average Price: $550
The Whiskey:
Elkwood Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a single-barrel series of 15-year whiskey, sourced from Kentucky (yes, it’s a confirmed “Buff-Turkey” release), and bottled at full cask strength. This particular bottle comes from barrel #137 which clocks in at 146 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is faintly indicative of its heat, with a ton of brown sugar pairing with cayenne spice, dark chocolate, fresh blueberries, and black pepper notes. The aroma profile becomes slightly more spice-laden as tajin and nutmeg notes become more assertive, in lockstep with a rise in the dark chocolate notes.
Palate: Once on the palate, this one has a reserved, austere mouthfeel that slowly unfurls to reveal flavors of dark chocolate, brown sugar, cooked blueberries, and semi-bitter cinnamon bark. It’s an instantly familiar, classic, bourbon flavor profile that adds a kick of caramel and vanilla to boot.
Finish: The finish is fairly long, and produces a flourish of peppercorn and brown sugar notes before some stewed apple sugar flavors draw each sip to a close.
Bottom Line:
As one of the numerous “Buff-Turkey” offerings to hit the market, this one stands out from a sea of rather similar competitors thanks to its picante proof, sure, but also its outstanding quality. I’ve had a bunch, not all, of these Frankenbourbons, but I can confidently say that this is easily among the best of them. Jam-packed with flavor and coupled with a strong dose of spice, this is one tasty, balanced pour.
9. Augusta Distillery Buckner’s Aged 13 Years Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 70%
Average Price: $220
The Whiskey:
Augusta Distillery is a rising star in the non-distilling producer (NDP) lane, sourcing well-aged bourbon from across the state of Kentucky and bottling it, undisturbed, at full cask strength. This expression fits that description, and was matured for 13 years before bottling without any additional components.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Notes of dark chocolate, roasted peanuts, and raisin bread pudding rise out of the glass to greet the senses at first. Once those aromas have ample time to spill over the rim and delight your nostrils, you’ll also pick up a wealth of leather and barrel char notes that begin to give an indication of the impending heat on the palate.
Palate: This whiskey kicks off with honey-roasted walnuts on the palate, as the flavor of dark chocolate slowly coats the roof of the mouth, and caramel-coated red pepper flakes gently prickle the tongue. Caramel, polished leather, and stewed plum notes add layers of depth to this robust and densely packed flavor bomb.
Finish: The finish is impressively lengthy and full of those caramel and red pepper flake notes found earlier in each sip. Cacao nibs and mouth-drying oak leave the final mark as this liquid leaves your palate.
Bottom Line:
Augusta Distillery has been winning awards left and right, and its 13- and 15-year expressions are both so delectable that you hardly even detect the heat on them. This 13-year version definitely packs more of a punch, but with a bounty of flavors to be discovered behind its dulled punch, this is a bourbon that the boldest enthusiasts will absolutely fall in love with.
8. Kings County Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 73.7%
Average Price: $60 (200ml)
The Whiskey:
Kings County has put out very few hazmat bourbons, but each of them has come with critical acclaim. This special single barrel used the brand’s standard 80% New York corn, 20% malted barley grain recipe, and was matured in a 15-gallon barrel for 8 years and 70 days with a barrel entry proof of 112.8. The final result produced a scant 90, 200ml bottles, which were priced at $60 a pop.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Molasses meets butterscotch on the nose with an underlying meatiness reminiscent of Kansas City style bbq that’s hard to turn away from. Nectarines, barrel char, tart rhubarb, and a medley of baking spices from cayenne to oregano can also be found, furthering the layers of spice and savoriness present in every whiff.
Palate: It has an immediately oily mouthfeel that almost sizzles up the palate and spreads like napalm with bits of heat darting in every direction. A pink eraser note that transforms into juicy fruit gum, which then transforms into a sort of aloe vera-like green note, paints the roof of the mouth. The BBQ style curiously turns into more Memphis than Kansas City as the deep sweetness of the nose is supplanted by a more subtle sweetness that melds well with the heavy barrel char, slight leather, overripe black cherry, and baking spice that flourishes on the palate.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and lingers with the flavor of smoky molasses and creamy caramel corn with a robust backbone of barrel char and sweet oak, leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
Kings County has intermittently used smaller barrels throughout its history (though the brand is incorporating more “standard size” 53-gallon barrels than ever these days), but the results of some of those early miniature casks have been phenomenal. This bottle right here is an exemplar of that statement, and it should go without saying that if you see any hazmat releases from Kings County, they’re probably well worth your money.
7. Dark Arts Whiskey House x Liquid Ministry “Omnia Vanitas” 15-Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 70.7%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
This 15-year bourbon, believed to be from the voluminous stock of “Buff-Turkey” barrels on the market this year, was bottled at full cask strength and selected by the folks behind Liquid Ministry from Dark Arts Whiskey House.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of sugarplums, nougat, orange blossom, and honey graham cracker notes. It’s a surprisingly bright and impressively harmonious aroma set, with green apples and allspice lurking beneath the surface.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is buttery and mouth-coating, with orange blossom, honey, and caramel notes landing assertively, before clearing out to make space for green apple, black pepper, and barrel spice notes. White pepper and a touch of menthol mark the transition to the finish. As a final note, this one drinks way below its proof, which is perhaps why those flavors are so accessible.
Finish: The finish is slick and lengthy, with baking spice notes of peppercorn and nutmeg standing out as orange rind, caramel, and vanilla bean flavors cap things off.
Bottom Line:
As one of those purported “Buff-Turkey” bottles floating around this year, this one is particularly off-profile among the bunch that I’ve tried. It has a very balanced and overall lightly sweet profile that gently incorporates its bruising heat to the point you barely notice it until all of those delicious flavors have seeped into your palate. That’s why this one is such an impressive winner.
6. Jack Daniel’s 2021 Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill High Proof
ABV: 74.15%
Average Price: $700
The Whiskey:
The whiskey in this bottle is the classic Jack Daniel’s mash of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, but kicked way up to 74.15% ABV thanks to its top-floor location in rickhouse 8 of Jack’s “Coy Hill” barrel warehouse. The whiskey in this release was filtered through Jack’s drip-drop sugar maple charcoal system, utilizing the Lincoln County Process, which makes it a Tennessee whiskey that also adheres to all the rules allowing it to be called a bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey begins with a potent wave of boozy maple syrup, caramel corn, cherry syrup, and a lit clove cigarette. Cola nuts, nutmeg, and raw cinnamon bark are also expressive on the nose.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey explodes with lush smoked caramel, cherry cordials, and brown sugar in spades. The taste of apple chips, dipped in maple syrup, crops up at mid-palate while black pepper and cayenne spice curbs the sweetness before barrel char cleans the slate and allows for the flavor of maple candy to emerge as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish on Jack Daniel’s inaugural Coy Hill release is lengthy as hell and showcases some brown butter, a bit of salted caramel, and a touch of menthol to go with barrel char and apple leather.
Bottom Line:
While this release initially dropped a while ago, there are still bottles of the stellar 2021 expression floating around. While Jack Daniel’s put out two subsequent “Coy Hill” releases, it’s this one that deserves the highest praise as a hazmat bourbon — though we should note that last year’s Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 expression might be even better than this one. It landed just shy of hazmat proof at 67.35% ABV.
5. Mugen Spirit Yokai Series: The Tengu Single Barrel Bourbon (Barrel 1)
ABV: 71.6%
Average Price: $140
The Whiskey:
Yokai are a lineage of fantastic creatures, tricksters, and warriors, and it’s from that mythology that this new whiskey brand, Mugen Spirit, draws inspiration for its inaugural bourbon release. This limited run produced fewer than 100 bottles of 9+ year, hazmat bourbon sourced from Bardstown, Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is full of bright red cherries, pie crust, brown sugar, cloves, and mature oak. It’s a fairly classic, albeit exceptionally well-developed aroma profile that leans heavily into the dark, sweet notes and casts them against a bed of dense, woodsy notes.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey becomes far more dynamic as it coats your palate and springs to life with notes of cherry cobbler, caramel, cacao nibs, and sweet oak. Along the edges of the palate, you’ll pick up most of the oak, and it’s seasoned with a shake of freshly cracked black pepper, while the flavor of vanilla buttercream crops up before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish on The Tengu is one of its defining features, as it lingers on the palate for a nice, long time and is capped off with a flourish of vanilla frosting, dark cherry, and caramel tones.
Bottom Line:
Woah, talk about coming out of nowhere. This brand-new expression from a fresh brand comes with a striking label, a mouth-watering proof point, and, at the end of the day, it all makes for some incredible bourbon. While Mugen Spirit might be new on the whiskey scene, with a thoughtful launch like this, it’s clear that they’ve got the chops to make some waves this year, and potentially even in the long term.
Seek them out immediately.
4. Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon “Trinidad Sour” Barrel #5222
ABV: 71.2%
Average Price: $950
The Whiskey:
Willett Family Estate Bourbon is well-known as some of the most exclusive, exorbitantly priced, and, yes, excellent bourbon on the market. Drawing barrels from various sources (including their self-distilled whiskey, which is now approaching its teenage years) and maturing them at the distillery’s property in Bardstown, Kentucky, is part of the magic, making every single barrel akin to a snowflake: unique and never to be seen again. This particular barrel produced just 124 bottles and was selected by Bill Thomas for the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in D.C., who was famously among the first three people to select a single barrel from Willett.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma is immediately evocative of this single barrel’s nickname, as the scents of dunder, maple candy, cinnamon sugar, lime rind, and mocha waft upward to greet the nose.
Palate: The palate welcomes more of the same, with some mocha, brown sugar, toasted coconut, torched orange wheels, and crème brûlée flavors washing over the tongue and pooling at midpalate with some serious staying power. Cinnamon, clove, and pops of barrel char give this whiskey an earthy grounding that allows those earlier sweet notes a base from which to tease the edges of the tongue.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is prominently lengthy, with the torched orange wheel flavor extending a trunk that allows brown sugar, toasted coconut, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to branch off.
Bottom Line:
Willett Family Estate Bourbon enjoys a venerated space near the top of bourbon’s ever-changing Mount Olympus — and for good reason. This has been both one of the hardest to find and the most high-quality bourbon lineups on the market for the past ten years, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
3. Binder’s Stash 14-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 70.75%
Average Price: $750
The Whiskey:
Binder’s Stash isn’t sitting at your local big box chain store yet, but if the hype around the brand continues to grow, that may not be far off. Binder’s Stash is currently built on the idea that people want excellent, curated single-barrel whiskey, and time and again, they’ve answered the call. This 15-year-old single-barrel bourbon, sourced from Indiana and nicknamed “Maiden Voyage,” was part of their inaugural release and yielded fewer than 70 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toasted coconut, melted dark chocolate, and gooey caramel come rushing out of the glass at first pass, followed by dense oak, leather, a touch of mint, and sugar cane.
Palate: Binder’s Stash bourbon is full-bodied with bitter dark chocolate and rich, chewy caramel hitting the palate at first before barrel char, tobacco leaf, and roasted plantain kick in. The toasted coconut combines with maple syrup and hazelnut at mid-palate and lingers there for quite a while before a hint of black pepper leads the transition toward the finish.
Finish: The finish becomes increasingly chocolatey, with some walnuts and nutmeg appearing through its lengthy conclusion.
Bottom Line:
As part of the original batch of Binder’s Stash single-barrel bourbons to hit the market, the folks behind this brand must’ve known they had a monster on their hands with this incredible 14-year expression. This early release is an absolute home run and should quiet any of the naysayers who think non-distilling producers can’t hang with the big boys of the bourbon world.
Binder’s Stash is currently breaking the internet with the news that they’ve been absorbed by Willett, the distillery with a mythical status among informed enthusiasts and a cult-like following. Upcoming releases are expected to include liquid from the famed Bardstown, Kentucky, distillery, which metaphorically gives this brand a ton of juice.
If Binder’s Stash isn’t already a part of your collection, it needs to be as soon as possible.
2. Nashville Barrel Company x Travel Bar Barrel Strength Rare Cask Collaborative Bottling Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 74.05%
Average Price: TBD
The Whiskey:
This bottle, technically part of the brand’s Collaborative Bottling series, is one of the highest-proof bourbons ever released by Nashville’s premier non-distilling producer, Nashville Barrel Company. Producing fewer than 25 bottles in total, this expression will be a distillery-exclusive release, with proceeds benefiting charity in the near future.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of blueberry parfait with graham crackers, vanilla custard, and a drizzle of honey hit the nose on first pass. The heat is almost imperceptible as accents of black pepper spice, leather, and black cherry syrup bolster the initial wave of aromas and give this whiskey the indication of being well-aged (seemingly 8+ years).
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey absolutely detonates with black cherry, clove, candied walnuts, and brown sugar, swiftly coating the entire inside of the mouth — and staying there. As those flavors slowly recede, they leave hints of barrel char, toasted coconut, and a silky milk chocolate note throughout. Allspice and menthol can also be found at midpalate, but it’s the lush, sweet notes that dominate.
Finish: The finish is long, but not overly so, as the milk chocolate leaves a strong impression along with a rise in the allspice and oak notes. Finally, there’s a semi-sweet hazelnut spread flavor that sings the last note on the palate.
Bottom Line:
This is flat-out mindblowing bourbon. As soon as I first tried this one, at the distillery in Nashville, I felt like it could be a whiskey of the year contender, and I begged NBC co-founder Mike Hinds to let me take a sample home for editorial consideration. He looked at me, perplexed, and insisted I didn’t need to beg. After explaining the limited nature of this one and emphasizing that its release would be to benefit charity, he shot me a toothy grin and said, “We love it too.”
1. Rare Character Abstract Impressionistic Total Annihilation Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 76.5%
Average Price: TBD
The Whiskey:
Initial details are scant on this release, which was only bottled this week, but here’s the gist of it: this “hyper-proof” series of single barrel bourbons, from a yet-undisclosed source, are all well in excess of 140 proof. How’s that for heat? This particular, pre-release bottling clocks in at 153 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of crisp, ripe apples, polished oak, honey, and corn pudding all really pop on the first pass. Nougat and well-aged oak notes begin to become more assertive as you continue to swirl the glass and allow this one to evolve. Giving the liquid one final sniff, salted toffee and cinnamon bark stand out at last.
Palate: Once in the mouth, this whiskey opens with some of those ripe apple notes before deferring to clover honey, nougat, dried apricot, and spiced orange flavors. That citrus quality grows in prominence as the heat of this whiskey sizzles up the roof of your mouth, bringing in additional flavors of nutmeg, vanilla frosting, and black pepper. Curiously, the texture of this whiskey mellows out dramatically over time, making this an incredible delight to enjoy 15 minutes after it’s been poured, and those flavors have an opportunity to settle in the glass.
Finish: The finish is bold and lengthy, with oak, red pepper flakes, caramel, and vanilla bean flavors gently numbing the tongue at first before black pepper spice, candied hazelnuts, and apple juice notes close things out.
Bottom Line:
Rare Character co-founder Pablo Moix has said that this series of single barrels deserves to be among the best bourbons of the year…in any year. Taking him up on his challenge, I tried this one blindly next to the second-place bourbon in this ranking. While the Nashville Barrel Company hazmat bourbon was initially my favorite, upon revisiting the two, twenty minutes later, I found that this whiskey had evolved so dramatically in the glass that it warranted further inspection.
With its rounded edges smoothed out, a silky mouthfeel, and an astounding depth of flavor, there’s no doubt in my mind that this whiskey does indeed warrant “bourbon of the year” consideration. Who gives a shit that we’re only halfway through? This is more hardcore from 2025’s hottest bourbon brand, a series that enthusiasts will be feverishly seeking out both when it drops, and for years to come.