There’s no denying we’re getting into really good bourbon now. The top expressions in the $60 to $70 range are quality bottles of juice that deserve your attention and time. All ten of these whiskeys demand the respect of being sipped with a little water to let them bloom, but we’d argue that this is also the high point of bourbons you can mix into killer cocktails.
It should go without saying, but the prices of these bottles are going to vary pretty wildly if you’re standing on one side of a state line or another. All we can guarantee is that the prices are generally in the range of $60 to $70. While we hope you get lucky and find these bottles cheaper than listed, there’s not really anything we can do if they’re more expensive in your neck of the woods.
The ten bottles below are picked according to taste. That’s the only parameter besides the price range. We dig these expressions and think you should give them a shot if you have a little coin to spend on a quality bourbon whiskey.
Knob Creek 12
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This is classic Beam whiskey with a low-ish rye mash bill of 77 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. The juice is then left alone in the Beam warehouses for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and married to create this high-proof expression.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with that classic Beam cherry that has dark chocolate and brandy candy depth alongside clear Christmas spices next to a hint of menthol tobacco. The spirit carries on those paths as it layers in buttery and sugary streusel over tart berries with plenty of that spice next to a nice dose of salted caramels covered in a bit of bitter dark chocolate. The finish is spicy and sweet and fades gradually.
Sound like a lot? As I said, we’re in the complex, good stuff zone now.
Bottom Line:
This Beam expression was a lot of professional’s favorite bottle of 2020. We definitely slept on this one. That being said, it’s really worth the price in every way and certainly exceeds the price point for such an old (for bourbon) bottle.
Bulleit Bourbon Blender’s Select
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This new expression was created by Bulleit’s Master Blender Eboni Major. The expression is a blend of nine-year-old bourbons that are hand-selected by Major for their precise taste and texture. The juice is then just touched with Kentucky limestone water to bring it down to a robust 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Salted peanut shells lead towards soft cedar next to a dose of vanilla and Christmas spices on the nose. The taste embraces those notes while adding a bright cherry sweetness next to dried tobacco leaves, worn leather, rye black pepper, and plenty of buttery toffee. The finish takes its time as it ebbs and flows with those spices, the oak, and all that vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is, by far, our favorite bottle of Bulleit. This is one of those blends that you really should take your time with by adding a little water to and thoroughly exploring the depths that are layered within.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #3
ABV: 49.45%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Bardstown Bourbon Company is one of the best blenders/distillers in the game right now. Their Fusion Series #3 release marries their three-year-old wheated bourbon of their own-make (18 percent), a very high-rye three-year-old bourbon (42 percent) also from their stills, and a sourced mid-rye 13-year-old bourbon (the last 40 percent).
Tasting Notes:
Honey really stands out on the nose next to tart apples leaning towards apple cores or seeds, supported by classic notes of vanilla pods, caramel, and light oak. That apple becomes slightly stewed and spicy with the caramel lending sweetness as a hint of walnuts arrive with a buttery crust vibe that’s very apple pie. The end is slightly oaky but sweet in the way that cherry pipe tobacco is.
Bottom Line:
This is a hard-to-find whiskey that’s worth the effort. You’ll need a little water to let it bloom properly, exposing more toffee and cherry as you sip.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $62
The Whiskey:
Jimmy and Eddie Russell hand-select these barrels from their vast warehouses for just the right bourbon flavor. The juice is bottled with almost no water added to bring it down to proof, making this a really close-to-barrel proof single barrel.
Tasting Notes:
You’re met with creamy depths of vanilla next to pound cake, spicy tobacco, sweet oak, and a clear hit of orange oil. That vanilla really amps up as hints of rose water-forward marzipan lead towards cedar, more vanilla, and a dash of Christmas spices. When you add water, a really deep dark chocolate smoothness arrives with a more nutty almond that’s reminiscent of an Almond Joy straight from a special candy shop.
Bottom Line:
The fact that this costs less than $100 is kind of insane. This bottle is a full-bodied single barrel that is so accessible and enjoyable. It’s also a great bottle to increase your bourbon knowledge without spending too much cash.
Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Very Small Batch
ABV: 45.1%
Average Price: $64
The Whiskey:
This blendery really hits it out of the park with their sourced juice. The “very old” element of this small-batched blend means that eight to 12 barrels of four unique bourbons were selected to be married, with the oldest clocking in at 20-years-old. That elixir is then proofed with the famously soft Kentucky limestone water to bring it down to a very quaffable 90-ish proof.
Tasting Notes:
Classic. Notes of vanilla meet spicy tobacco, leather, oak, and very buttery toffee with a hint of popped corn and apple pie. The palate holds true to those flavor notes from the nose while adding a mellow cherry with an almost cedar-infused cream soda. The finish is short but full of all those woody, spicy, and apple pie notes again, with plenty of buttery svelte mouthfeel and a cedar box full of rich tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
Again, classic. This is the bourbon you give to someone who knows bourbon but wants to take it to the next level by seeing/tasting how distinct those classic notes can be.
Not for nothing, but this makes a crazy good old fashioned and Manhattan.
Baker’s 7 Single Barrel
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $64
The Whiskey:
This single barrel expression from Beam aims to phase out their Baker’s Small Batch. The juice is hand-selected bourbon that is at least seven-years-old that is then bottled at near barrel proof.
Tasting Notes:
This is spicy and full of vanilla with a musty oak edge and a lot of green vegetation. That green leans into savory herbs while the vanilla holds on through hints of Beam’s signature cherry and a slight tobacco chew. The finish doesn’t linger, but takes time to hit on the old oak, spice, and vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This was one of our favorite bourbons of last year. What’s interesting is that this expression continues to grow on us in 2021. And for this price, you really are getting something unique, educational, and very drinkable.
Wilderness Trail Yellow Label Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
Dr. Pat Heist is a whiskey magician and Wilderness Trail’s Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond is a testament to that. The heavily wheated bourbon spends five to six years aging in well-toasted oak before it’s proofed down to the legally-required 100 proof and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This sip opens with hints of pecan pie with plenty of molasses syrup next to almost dry wildflowers, vanilla, and oak. The palate delivers on those notes while adding a soft leather, light tobacco leaf, and a bit of buttery vanilla cream. There’s a grainy nature to the end that leads back to more soft oak, that pecan earthiness, and sweet tobacco.
Bottom Line:
There’s a depth to this sip that almost feels like a dessert whiskey, in the best way. Then again, the floral notes are very bright. It’s just … interesting and tasty.
What more could you ask for?
Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon
ABV: 54.15%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
Belle Meade, the blending arm of Nashville’s Nelson Green Brier, sources some of the best barrels for their expressions. This whiskey is a hand-selected, marrying of high-rye (30 percent) seven to eleven-year-old bourbons that are bottled at nearly barrel strength (it’s just touched with water when needed) and allowing the juice in the barrel to speak for itself.
Tasting Notes:
Cornmeal that’s been spiked with stewed and spicy peaches, caramel, softwood, and vanilla greet you. The sip really leans into the classic bourbon vibes on the palate with an apple pie with plenty of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg inside a buttery crust with hints of cedar, library leather, and tobacco chew. Hints of raisins and walnuts arrive late in that apple pie as the sip slowly fades, leaving you warmed and wanting more.
Bottom Line:
This kind of feels like that ultimate slow sipper. Please add water to really let those deep buttery apple pie notes bloom in the glass and take your time basking in them.
Alternately, use this in a simple bourbon cocktail. It’ll shine, especially given the high proof.
Pursuit United
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a new release from one of our favorite bourbon podcasts and whiskey reviewers, Bourbon Pursuit. The juice is a blend of three whiskeys hailing from Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, Finger Lakes Distilling out in New York, and an unnamed Tennessee distiller. The blend is crafted to be an accessible whiskey, or well-crafted table bourbon if you will, that’s high proof and very drinkable.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is subtle, with notes of crème brûlée next to warm cornbread dripping with butter and honey and a touch of oak and spice. The taste is bold — hints of soft yet leathery wood, dark chocolate (especially with a little water), honey mouthfeel, light orange citrus, buttered popcorn, and… I want to say, Red Vines. The end is just the right length as the orange becomes jammy and hints of red fruits in pine boxes drop in.
Bottom Line:
This is a really nice sip of whiskey. And no, we’re not just saying that because we dig the people behind the blend. This is made for whiskey lovers by whiskey lovers and, to be honest, they kind of hit it out of the park.
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020 Limited Release
ABV: 54.1%
Average Price: $69
The Whiskey:
This limited edition expression from Maker’s Mark takes everything up a notch with a focus on vanilla and caramel, specifically. The whiskey is cask strength Maker’s that’s then re-barreled with two different staves in the barrels. The first is a virgin French oak stave that’s lightly toasted and roasted in a convection oven on medium heat. The other barrels have staves dropped in that are virgin American oak that has been baked in a convection oven low and very slow.
The various barrels are then married and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is meant to highlight caramel and vanilla and it sure does — while also adding a slight Christmas spice warmth. The body of this wheated bourbon is like eating the creamiest vanilla ice cream on top of a very caramel and molasses-forward pecan pie with the butteriest crust ever. The whole experience is warm and spicy with hints of cedar next to vanilla pod skins and an almost smoked salted caramel on the very slow fade.
Bottom Line:
You can drink this instead of having that second slice of pie after a big family meal. It really is just a treat and hits on those caramel and vanilla notes precisely and boldly.